Chemicals in my tank..

[Pipsqueak]

Hi all. I hope this is in the right place. My mom is helping me set up my first tank, but she used Goof-Off and Windex on the inside to remove some sticker residue. She says it will be fine, but I'm feeling really uneasy about it.

Is there anything I can do to detoxify it? I feel like just water isn't going to cut it, but I don't know if I'm being paranoid or what. My tank is empty and I wasn't going to be getting any fish for at least a few weeks.

Thanks for any input

 

[Pipsqueak]

Maybe a vinegar solution? Bleach? Tons of rinsing? I know goof off is particularly potent and harmful but it is a brand new 75 gallon tank and I would hate to have to throw it away. There has to be a way to make it safe again, right? ugh

 

[Mebbid]

I would rinse it lots and lots. After you're done rinsing it make sure you thoroughly wipe off the inside with clean paper towels and dry it. It should be fine after that. A garden hose will help you a lot at this point.

 

[Rubes]

You can use bleach. Assuming that you thoroughly clean it out and put in the dechlorinator. That will actually remove the residue of the bleach and will also remove that tap water chemicals for fish. Please look up the nitrogen cycle. You need the cycle before you can add fish.

 

[Pipsqueak]

I hope so! I will try that. Thank you

 

[Pipsqueak]

You can use bleach. Assuming that you thoroughly clean it out and put in the dechlorinator. That will actually remove the residue of the bleach and will also remove that tap water chemicals for fish. Please look up the nitrogen cycle. You need the cycle before you can add fish.

Do you think that the bleach will help remove all traces of the goof off? I was worried about making things worse by adding more chemicals but I don't know. I'm still learning about the nitrogen cycle, I have a few guides bookmarked but it looks like it will be a while before I can even fill my tank up.

 

[candymancan]

Be very carefull using bleach...


Bleach can deteriorate the silicon seals on tanks if the concentration is too high..


Is the tank filled up ? If so don't bother with bleach or anything like that just change all the water a couple times and add some carbon in the filter and youll be fine.. you cant add any fish yet anyway not until your tank is cycled


The windex I wouldn't worry about.. I don't know what goop off is... Just get some rubbing alcohol or acetone.. But for you id recommend just going to the grocery store and buying a 2$ bottle of 91% isoprople rubbing alcohol.. Put some on a dish cloth or rag and use that to clean the glass.. that stuff evaporates very quickly and cleans anything

 

[Fishdude3233]

Be very carefull using bleach...


Bleach can deteriorate the silicon seals on tanks if the concentration is too high..


Is the tank filled up ? If so don't bother with bleach or anything like that just change all the water a couple times and add some carbon in the filter and youll be fine.. you cant add any fish yet anyway not until your tank is cycled

My advice is to take a 20% bleach 80% water solution and fill the tank up outside on a sunny day, and get a little bit of circulation going. Light breaks down bleach, making it harmless. Then rice extra safe I'd rinse it down with a garden hose, and your food to start the cycle

Btw: welcome to the forum




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[Pipsqueak]

Be very carefull using bleach...


Bleach can deteriorate the silicon seals on tanks if the concentration is too high..


Is the tank filled up ? If so just change all the water a couple times and add some carbon in the filter and youll be fine.. carbon removes pretty much anything

It's totally empty, I will definitely get some of that when I pickup my filter. Thanks!

 

[candymancan]

Or just clean it with rubbing alcohol which evaporates and cleans anything... I dunno I just don't like using bleach in tanks unless your disinfecting it and 20% still seems really high silicone seals deteriorate with bleach

 

[Fishdude3233]

Rubbing alcohol works fine too didn't even think of that.
Meant 10% lol an I've used bleach on oh gosh 30 tanks now and have been fine so far
Knock on wood


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[Pipsqueak]

Thank you all for the replies I've been doing a lot of homework on keeping a good aquarium and everywhere it's "No soap or chemicals or else! You'll never get it out! They will all die!"

So, uh.. I feel a little better now. Haha.

 

[candymancan]

10% I guess is fine.. but 20-30-40 % lol I wouldn't do that.. but that's just me.


Not saying I haven't used bleach before.. I used it on my 55g and 44g pentagon I bought on CL they were nasty.. horribly kept tanks and smelled so I wasn't about to just rinse em so I used bleach.. but yea anyway lol

 

[candymancan]

Thank you all for the replies I've been doing a lot of homework on keeping a good aquarium and everywhere it's "No soap or chemicals or else! You'll never get it out! They will all die!"

So, uh.. I feel a little better now. Haha.

Well remember this one thing.. Silicone likes to suck in chemicals.. so if you use medicine with any kind of dye in it like Victoria green or malachite green .. it will perm stain your silicone seal *assuming you have a clear silicone a lot are switching to black"

Also silicone can hold in soaps and copper and other stuff.. and bleach eats away at its seal.. so just be carefull.. Your fine lol don't worry.. get some rubbing alcohol its like 2$ and wipe down where you use those chemicals

 

[Pipsqueak]

Well remember this one thing.. Silicone likes to suck in chemicals.. so if you use medicine with any kind of dye in it like Victoria green or malachite green .. it will perm stain your silicone seal *assuming you have a clear silicone a lot are switching to black"

Also silicone can hold in soaps and copper and other stuff.. and bleach eats away at its seal.. so just be carefull.. Your fine lol don't worry.. get some rubbing alcohol its like 2$ and wipe down where you use those chemicals

Will do!

 

[Gillie]

Well remember this one thing.. Silicone likes to suck in chemicals.. so if you use medicine with any kind of dye in it like Victoria green or malachite green .. it will perm stain your silicone seal *assuming you have a clear silicone a lot are switching to black"

Also silicone can hold in soaps and copper and other stuff.. and bleach eats away at its seal.. so just be carefull.. Your fine lol don't worry.. get some rubbing alcohol its like 2$ and wipe down where you use those chemicals

Cold water makes the silicone contract and less likely to trap and hold chemicals.
When I buy second hand tanks, especially those used for breeding african cichlids, I use CLR and very cold water to clean them. About 100 tanks later, no problems.

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