Cleaning a used tank?

[Kimlafeiet]

Hey all,
I just got a great 30 gallon tall tank yesterday with stand, canopy, filter, heater, decor, etc for $60 bucks. Whoot whoot!
The tank is in really good condition, minimal scratches, but ther is some green algae looking spots on the glass I would like to clean as well as some calcium deposit. Not bad at all, Im just a perfe tionist, and want to get it sparking before I use it.
Whats the best way to clean the inside of the glass to get these things off? Should I use a specific scrubber or sponge, vinegar, buy a cleaning spray from my lfs? Etc.....
Also, the back was painted black, and looks nice, but I was considering going with blue. How much of a pain (and would it even be possible) would it be to scrape the paint off? The black is nice, and I have black background on my other tanks, was just looking to try something different.
Lastly, the light that came with it is a standard all glass t8 flourescent bulb, only a 24 inch. I would like to plant this tank, but know I need to upgrade my lighting. Can I buy a better bulb for plants and keep this light, or should I just ditch it and get a whole new light setup? I am new to plants, and want to stay low tech, but this is a tall tank, about 22 inches high, would a standard 6700k plant bulb even work?

 

[Fishanatic]

Probably depends how tall you're plants are and the range of the lighting.

 

[Kimlafeiet]

Here are pics of the tank, and I tried to get a pic of the spots Im talking about. Best I could do with my phone, lol.

 

[Fishanatic]

Probably the best way to do it, witch is the most effective, would be to use bleach and an algae scrubber?

 

[Kimlafeiet]

Ok. How many parts bleach to water, and then do I just need to rinse the tank really well after to get rid of the bleach?

 

[Fishanatic]

Ok. How many parts bleach to water, and then do I just need to rinse the tank really well after to get rid of the bleach?

I heard 1/9, but i'm not sure. You would have to google it

 

[Oceangirl]

I use full strength when cleaning and wash the heck out of it.Then rinse and rinse. I heard though the best for cleaning used tanks is Salt and Vinegar and scrub the heck out of it.

 

[Fishanatic]

I use full strength when cleaning and wash the heck out of it.Then rinse and rinse. I heard though the best for cleaning used tanks is Salt and Vinegar and scrub the heck out of it.

Vinegar is very effective, and is safe, some people use it to lower pH, but im not sure about salt

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Warm vinegar and a razor blade will work wonders on the algae and calcium deposits. 1part bleach 9 parts water will disinfect. Make sure to rinse really well. Water with extra dechlorinator will work to neutralize bleach. Make sure the bleach has no fragrances

The light will probably do for anubia and java fern but that's about it. I'd upgrade to a t5 or twin t8s.