FishProfiles.com Message Forums

hello, i just purchased a used aquarium from a local trift show. It was really dirty when i purchased it. i managed to scrape off most of the dried out algae in the tank, but i was not able to get it all. manly in the corners. is there a product out there that will get rid of the algae, or if i start up the aquarium, will a couple of ottos or snails eat op the once dried out algae. Any information would greatly be apreciated. i really need some advice. thank you all for your help.

Last edited by johnnylaw1984 at 12-Oct-2004 18:32

I'm no expert and am not sure of any products that would do what you need. but I would think if you filled it with water and let it sit a couple of days it should soften that stuff up enough to get it clean. Just a thought.

I would scrub the tank down or soak it in really hot water. If their is dried up algea in the tank then their could be some nasties still in their. I hear you can use a diluted bleach mixture.. onepart bleach 4-5parts water. but id be VERY carefull.. rinse and soak the tank untill all the bleach smell is completely gone. Id try a good soak before i messed with the bleach. anyway.. good luck, sounds like a fun product once the tanks ready for water.

Have fun!!!!
-CJ

Using a bleach solution is a good idea, although as long as you let the tank sit in the sun empty after you rinse it, that will break down any chlorine left over!

i used vinegar or take my algae out

i really dont like to put bleach or soap in my tanks. im afraid i will miss a spot and end up destroying all mt work. as far as fina ger goes, i used a 1:1 ration of bleach and water. there was a little luck on removing it, but not all of it. will snails, ottos, or even a small pleco remove the algae once it is wet and in the aquarium.

Use a razor blade and a sponge, and a little elbow grease. Be careful with bleach or any other chemical...

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

ive used the razon blade on parts of the tank, im in a really tough spot. the algae is in the corners by the silicon. i really dont want to accidently puncture it and have a leak.

You could use a 1:10 solution of bleach and water on a sponge and scrub it good, then rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse rinse and rinse some more. Then use a lot of dechlor on it, and let it sit in the sun. I've done it, and the algae melts right off, it's amazing.

I suppose you could also cut out the offending silicone, but that's up to you.

depending on the type of algea, and the length of time the tank has been empty, your percieved algea issue may be a nonissue.

clean the tank as best you can with methods you think are safe. scrape it, scrub it, whatever. cycle the tank properly, feed the fish realistically, and use standard lighting practices.

after a little while, using common fish-keeping sense, the algea should disappear.

use a bleach solution, then empty and refill, let it sit for a couple days, the chlorine evaporates at a fairly fast rate.... i've done this will all my used tanks and have never had any after effects from the chlorine.... just make sure you let it sit for at LEAST 48 hours,.... do a fifty percent water change and get to setting it up

me

I had the same experience... got my ten gallon used from a friend. It had been sitting dry for quite a few years and had algae imbedded in the silicone. I scrubbed and scrubbed for a while, but finally gave up and added a bit of bleach to the water in the tank. Voila... the algae melted away.

Afterwards, of course, I had to rinse like mad, then filled up the tank, added an overdose of dechlor (this is also when I checked for leaks, as I filled the tank up and let it sit for a couple days) and then rinsed some more. I did this during the dead of winter, so I couldn't let it sit out in the sun as suggested, but I did let it sit to dry, then did a sniff test (you're looking for the absence of a chlorine smell) and rinsed some more with hot water and dechlor.

Haven't had any issues with the tank at all, minus a slight leak at the top edge, which isn't unexpected in a tank that's probably a good 20 years old. Sealed her back up and the tank is still going strong. Oh... and I've heard that if you don't get all the old algae out, it can just regrow... algae is a stubborn thing.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

i finally got the majority of the algae off of the tank. days of scrubbing, and rubbing finally worked. i used the bleach as recommended, that a razor and a little elbow grease worked out fine. thank you everyone for all of your help

john

John,

There was very good advice in these posts. Let me highlight a couple of things:

Bleach to water is effective at a 1:19 solution or one part bleach to 19 parts of water. More is overkill and unless you rinse your tank extremely well, overkill will appy to anything that you put in the tank.

Whenever you use bleach always treat the water with an additive that removes chlorine as bleach is chlorine. If you used a 1:1 solution of bleach and water forget the directions and use a lot of the water agent.

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright