I have a empty fish tank is it okay for me to wash it out with soap and then rinse it out with water a couple?

Answer 1

In theory, but it's not really a good idea. Scrub it out with hot water and a clean cloth. You can use salt to scrub stubborn areas clean. There are also several cleaning solutions made for aquariums that are available in better pet stores.

MM

Answer 2

Do not use full strength soap. I used a bucket of warm water with about 10 drops of Dawn. It takes a lot more than a couple of rinses to get it all out. Try 5 complete rinses, plus a 15 minute soak (fill the tank, soak, then empty using buckets-tipping it over to empty will wreck the seal), then another 5 rinses.
I do all this out on the lawn using a garden hose.

Joy dishwashing detergent is another you can use. Don't use any others as they leave a residue (makes it less problematic on your hands, but hard to get out of the sealant). If your sealant is gummy or has residue (such as algae), use kosher salt to scrub, then rinse completely.

If you need to whiten your sealant, you can also use bleach. It breaks down into water and salt when dried.

Please note: Only bleach is safe to use in gravel as it is very porous. You can't ever get all the soap out. Still needs lots of rinsing though.

[edited to add]: Hey folks, silicone doesn't absorb soap in the 10 minutes it takes to clean the tank. The reason for most of the warnings is because the average person doesn't rinse enough to get the soap out!

Answer 3

No, don't ever use soap to clean anything inside the tank, including the tank itself. Soap residue is very toxic to fish. Just rinse the tank out thoroughly with water. Several people recommend hot water, but I used cold water and my tank's remained clean and clear for almost half a year now.

Answer 4

No, do not use soap. It can be absorbed into the sylicone and then slowly release out into the tank as it is setup, killing the fish.

There are two ways to wash out an old fish tank. First is using a vinegar solution. That will simply rinse out of the tank, and any residue left over wont harm the tank enough to make a difference, and eventualy be changed out.

The second is a 1 to 10 bleach/cold water solution. If you do this, use warm water to rinse it out well, then use extra dechlor to get any remainder out. If you smell any bleach, rinse with warm water and dechlor again. This method is much stronger, but you need to be more careful about rinsing the bleach out.

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Please don't use soap on the inside - you'll never get rid of all the residue which is harmful to fish. There are some who use bleach, but I've never been comfortable with that, either. If you need to clean a tank, vinegar, water, and a razor blade are best and safest for fish (be careful of your own fingers). Be sure to rinse it out plenty of times.

You can use whatever you want on the OUTSIDE of the tank - a lot of people like to use window cleaner.

Answer 6

You have to make sure you get all the soap out. If you put fish in it again the soap will end up in the water. I think you are better off with an algae brush and some water. It doesnt need to be spotless on the inside anyway.

Answer 7

No..soap leaves film and causes a white murky cloudy water reflection and causes temputure shock to the fish..
example the white murky cloudy water mask the true tempture of the water..



if you use soap.use a clear gel soap without fragance
if you have algea build up use baking soda make a paste like you would pancake batter and use a soft sponge backing for scrubing

Answer 8

The next time you put fish in there the soap residue will kill the fish. Try some fish tank cleaning solution.

Answer 9

I've always been told not to do anything with soap with fish. I guess you use really hot water to clean it.

Answer 10

yes. Make sure all of the suds are out before you add fish water.

and Always have the treated fish water run for about 2-3 days with a filter before you add fish to it. Wash your fish tank ornaments thoroughly before adding them to the tank as well.