Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I bought an aquarium and all the accessories (fake plants, hiding spots, gravel, filter, etc) at a church sale for literally 50 cents. The only thing is is that the aquarium is a bit dirty. It needs to be cleaned. What's the best way to clean it? I was thinking maybe soaking it in vinegar, but my mom said that that might be too strong. She suggested salt. I don't know what's best. It's got some stuff stuck to it, so it does need some work, but I thought it was a good deal since they're a lot more expensive new. Also, should I use the gravel it came with, or get new stuff (what's the best way to clean it?)? I'd actually like some river rocks, but if I can use what it came with, I'd rather do that. lol. Plus, do I really need a filter for a couple of Dwarf Frogs? They can get stuck in them, right? Any other advice would be great. Thanks a lot!

Oh yeah, I remembered one other thing: The aquarium top has a spot for a lightbulb. Do they need the lights? It's only 15 watts. I may end up having to geta new top for it anyways, but is a light okay?

I have a light on my dwarf frog and she's fine with it. Otherwise, she'd be in a very dark room. I used to have live plants in there, but got rid of them. Never got rid of the light. I also have an over-the-side filter (whisper type) which is great. It's on low flow, so doesn't disturb her at all, but keeps the tank much nicer.

If there's crud on the aquarium, salt will get it off nicely. Vinegar followed by peroxide will give it an excellent cleaning, but you'll have to rinse it outrageously well to be sure there's no residue. I would replace the gravel entirely if I were you. If there's any cooties, it's too hard to kill.

Hope this is still useful to you!
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx geyri (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Uromastyx dispar maliensis (Tank, Turtle, and Spike)
1.1 Uromastyx ornata (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
2.1 Anolis carolinensis (Bowser, Sprocket, and Leeloo)
0.1 African dwarf frog (Sheila)
1.0 Betta splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

I've got 3 AFD frogs in a 10g with a few fish. I'm using an internal Whisper filter on the lowest flow. I've not had any of them get into the filter but I do have a piece of foil over the spot above it on the hood to prevent escapes.

As to the cleaning, you can use bleach,1 part bleach/10 parts water and let it soak with the plants for about 15-20 minutes. Then rinse, rinse and rinse again. Put in some fish dechlorinator and rinse a few more times. Let it airdry and check for any lingering bleach odor. Use a clean scrubby to get off any crud. NO soap.

Yes, use the light. No, don't use the gravel.