Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just received a 55 gallon fish tank that I want to move my IJ Carpet into until I have the time/space to build a display tank. The tank had been cleaned out and bleached before I got it. I took it to a car wash and blasted it with soap and water and then rinsed for 5 minutes to make sure all of the bleach was out. I've sprayed it down and let it soak with Nolvasan. The only thing I see left are a few calcium stains from the water we have here.

Is this enough or are there any other steps I need to take to make sure it is safe?

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3.1 Corn (Anery Stripe-Ripple '06/Amber-Jack Straw '06/Snow-Casey Jones '06/Amel Motley-Cosmo '03)
0.1 Baird's Ratsnake (Sugaree '04)
1.0 White Oaks Grey Rat (Tennesse Jed '04)
0.1 IJ Carpet Python (Cassidy '04)
1.0 Western Hognose (Samson '05)
1.1 Shepherd mix (Dylan 8yrs, Porter 3yrs)

>>Is this enough or are there any other steps I need to take to make sure it is safe?

Does it still smell like Bleach? Usually 3 rinses with fresh water are sufficiant to remove any dangerous Bleach.

As for the Calcium stains limeaway or CLR should clear up all but the worst, just be sure to give it a good rinse afterwords.

Best of Luck
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

0.1 Sunglow "Khal" RTB **Coming Soon**
0.1 Snow "Khal" RTB **Coming Soon**
1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.0.14 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
1.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.0.15 Normal Suriname Hybrid's
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
3.6.17 Red Bearded Dragons
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
1.0 Child

I have used a razor blade to get rid of some water stains. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't
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"I reject your reality and substitute my own" Adam Savage
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa-Ziggy
1.0 Creamscicle motley corn--Cozmo
0.1 Creamscicle corn--Wanda
0.0.1 Normal corn
0.1 Black Pine - Spazz
1.0 Eastern King-Ozy
1.0 Bearded Dragon - Gomer

I have also used razorblades to clean up some real bad aquariums. Use all the chemicals first. Rinse off real well. Then hit the glass aquarium with a brand new razor blade. It may take a lot of time but if your persistent you can make it look pretty good.

As far as safety is concerned just rinse it out real well and let it air out for a while. If I'm using heavy chemicals and such I usually let them air out, outside in the sun, for 2 days or so. May be overkill but it makes me feel better.

By the way, be careful with the razorblade, I've cut myself more than a few times lol.

Best of luck to you

you can also try using non iodized salt to help remove some of the calcium and hard water stains,it worked for me when I acquired some tank that were used for fish in the past.