Sterilization

[TheIrishJedi]

I got a 55g tank pretty cheap off of a fellow. The tank is pretty dirty, but my biggest concern is with the filter. The filter has a lot of algae/black lichen (i guess) in it. I need to get new filer cartridges as it doesnt have any, but the sponge thing (forgive me, I'm still a newb) has some remnants of it as well.

Should I soak the filter and sponge (Whisper 30-60) in bleach water?

I don't want anything growing in my tank other than fish.

 

[Sicklid]

Mmm... bleach MAY eat away the sponge...

Bleach is okay to clean with as water conditioners/chloramine removers aid in eliminating it when the tank is ready, but on tanks that are stained with hard water I find vinegar helps to clean the glass...

 

[WhiteDevil]

Id use HOT HOT tap water( get a thick non absorbant glove as to not burn yourself and a hard hard toothbrush) Dont use the brush on the sponge,possibly boil out the sponge. Just scrub the crud off in hot hot water and use the bleache to sterilize it.

 

[Sicklid]

id use hot hot tap water( get a thick non absorbant glove as to not burn yourself and a hard hard toothbrush) dont use the brush on the sponge,possibly boil out the sponge. Just scrub the crud off in hot hot water and use the bleache to sterilize it.

+1

 

[jsoong]

I would bleach the filter, but buy a new sponge. The sponge will just disintegrate if you try to boil/bleach it. And the sponges are cheap & meant to be disposable.

 

[TheIrishJedi]

The sponge isn't your traditional type of sponge. It is plastic, looks like a sponge, but I believe it is meant to hold bacteria. Just want to make sure we're on the same page.

I did bleach it (and the whole filter) with a bleach/water solution and boiled (poured it over the filter). Then rinsed well with cold water. It is still around and works.

Here are some pics of the tank as prepared:

 

[WhiteDevil]

Get a pic of this sponge please.


You can bleache the sponge then but do the boiling water the way you are, I think the intense heat will mess that "sponge" up