HELP,what can I use to thoroughly clean a filthy acrylic fish tank?

Question

Would like to transfer a beta into a bigger tank and my son has this old acrylic tank that looks like it was emptied out dirty and sat that way for a while.Theres no gravel,just the things that look like a marble split in half.I dont want to use any chemicals or soap since its acrylic.All help is appreciated.No pets stores close to home.Thanks much.

All of you are giving me great answers,wished I didnt have to choose just one for the best,heartfelt thanks to all.

Answer 1

The schedule for cleaning your fish tank will depend primarily on:

Tank Placement - The reason the setup is important when it comes to maintenance and cleaning is that if you place the tank in a location hard to get to, chances are it will not be cleaned on a regular schedule. Therefore, make sure the placement of the tank is such to give you adequate room.

Tank Size - Interestingly, a larger tank actually requires less maintenance than a smaller tank. The reason is that the larger tank has more water volume, meaning the waste excreted by the fish along with chemicals and other particles are dispersed over a much larger area. Therefore, if you buy a 10-gallon tank opposed to a 50-gallon tank, you can expect to clean the smaller one more often.

Filtration System - A filtration system is crucial to keeping the tank clean and the environment healthy. Many people will use biological filtration, which allows the right amount of "good" bacteria to grow while maintaining the proper level of Nitrite coupled with a mechanical filter or chemical filter. The mechanical consists of a box that fits within the tank in which some type of media is used to filter out waste and other particles. The chemical filter uses chemical media such as carbon or chemical resins to absorb the waste.

Feeding Habits - One of the most common mistakes made by fish owners is that they feed the fish too much and too often. When there is excess food in the water, it causes pollution. Therefore, purchase the appropriate food for the fish you have and read the instructions to feed them only as much as they will eat in one setting and to know how often they should be fed.

Number of Fish - The general rule for fish is that for every gallon of water, you should have no more than one-inch of slim-bodied fish. When a tank is filled with too many fish, there is excessive waste, food particles, and chemicals floating around, making maintenance difficult as well as the tank unhealthy


The key is that you do not want overfeed the fish, maintain a quality filtration system, and keep the number of
fish down to a manageable number. The easiest way to stay on track is to follow the simply guideline below:

Daily

Fish, just like any other pet, need to be cared for on a daily basis. Although fish do not have the same level of requirements for daily care, they do need to be looked after on a consistent basis.

Feeding - Feed the fish, again taking care to feed only as much as what will be eaten immediately

Water Temperature - Check the water temperature, keeping in mind temperatures will fluctuate throughout the day. Therefore, test the water each morning and then again in the evening. To maintain a healthy tank, you should keep a chart of your findings so you can identify any problems before they turn out of control.


Equipment Check - Make sure the filter, heater, and lights are working properly

Behavior Check - Take a few minutes to watch the fish to see if they are swimming normally. Additionally, look at their skin, looking for any sign of disease.

Water Check - Look at the water to ensure it is not cloudy, does not have a foul odor, and
that nothing out of the norm is floating around


Weekly

In addition to the daily responsibilities of owning fish, there are certain things that will need to be done on a weekly basis as well.

Plants - If you keep live plants in your fish tank, be sure any dead leaves are removed and excess plant growth trimmed

Algae - Using an algae magnet or scraper, clean off algae from the front glass as well as decorations

Water Change - Using a siphon hose, remove large debris from the surface and then with a bucket nearby, siphon about 15% of the tank's water into the bucket. When finished, replace the water with clean tap water that has been treated for chlorine or chloramines. While doing this, you might place a stiff plastic divider between the area you are cleaning and the fish so that you do not accidentally suck any up in the tubing. Additionally, with the siphon running, you can tap the tip down into the gravel to help remove any fallen debris.

Glass - Take a clean cloth and spray it with window cleaner, away from the tank so that none gets in the water and then, simply clean off the front and side glass areas.

Answer 2

Hot water and scrubbing is the best answer really. I would suggest you use salt as an abrasive as it will not scratch the acrylic tank and will not leave a harmful residue. If after that there are hard water stains on the tank, use some vinegar to reduce or remove those.

MM

Answer 3

Well, you can use hot water and a SOFT sponge to scrub and wash it because Acrylic can scratch easily. I would order some new gravel just to be on the safe side... Hope this helps!

Answer 4

You can wash it with hydrogen peroxide. Don't use bleach no matter what all these fools tell you. Rinse with scalding hot water from the tap. Then sit the thing out in direct sunlight for 2 or 3 days. Sunlight, hot water, and peroxide will kill all the bacteria left.

Answer 5

get you a scrubber pad like this one (for acrylic tanks)

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441810888&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030062&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&bmUID=1182784198788&itemNo=14&Nao=0&In=Fish&N=2030062&Ne=2

Then use a vinegar and water solution (you might fill the tank up with it and let it soak) and just use some elbow grease on top of that.

Be sure to rinse the tank very well after your done to get all the vinegar out.

Answer 6

just water and elbow grease. good rule of thumb, when you are "done cleaning" if you wouldn't drink out of it don't put a fish in it :)

Answer 7

Baking soda and elbow grease.

Answer 8

wash it with vinegar, we do this to our gold fish tank. scrubby pad and vinegar and rinse several times.