Methods to properly clean a (used) tank

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logansmomma1228

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I would like to know some. Lol. WhiteDevil suggested vinegar as a method but I didn't get the right kind so I am wondering the different ways this can be accomplished. Thinking that the person who sold me this cleaned the filter with soap or something like it.
 
I would soak the filter in a mix of vinegar and water for a day or so first. Then rinse, soak in 20 to 1 bleach/water, rinse, scrub, rinse, scrub, etc. Once clean soak one more time in vinegar rinse well, then soak in water with an extra couple of doses of dechlor. But that's just me, I'm kinda OCD :)
 
Thinking that the person who sold me this cleaned the filter with soap or something like it.

If the filter had been exposed to soap, I would be very careful with it! I would ditch the media (filter pads/floss/carbon), as it is pretty much impossible to get soap out completely. The other parts I would scrub & rinse with water/vinegar multiple times to make sure all traces of soap is gone. (Maybe 10x or more .. better be safe than sorry.)

Soap in high enough dose can kill fish, but it will definitely kill off your biofilter at lower doses. If you are doing fishless cycling, then establishing the cycle is proof that you have gotten rid of the soap. If your cycle is stalled, then you need to do more washing & rinsing of the whole setup.
 
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