Used Tank concerns

[Ranulf]

We recently got gifted a 20 long aquarium (30x12x12) that used to have all sorts of tropical fish in it. Not sure how old the tank is, but some of the stuff that came with it is from the 60s. Fish were in it as recently as 2014. Looks as if it has been stored a few years.

Is there any special way I should go about cleaning this thing, to avoid disease transfer and leftover toxins (if any)?

[Bogertophis]

I'd clean any dirt out first with soap & water, then remove any hard water stains with white vinegar, & then disinfect it several times with several different things
from this group: Chlorhexidine (Nolvasan), F10, chlorine bleach (make sure no trace of scent remains...this is the strongest one), & isopropyl alcohol.

[bcr229]

As an FYI the only disinfectant to kill crypto is ammonia. Now, I doubt that would be an issue with a fish tank, but if you ever get a used enclosure that housed reptiles, you would want to spray it down with ammonia to ensure there's no lingering nasties lurking.

From experience... do it outside. Trust me on this. Then rinse it well multiple times and allow to air dry for a day before bringing it indoors.

[Bogertophis]

As an FYI the only disinfectant to kill crypto is ammonia. Now, I doubt that would be an issue with a fish tank, but if you ever get a used enclosure that housed reptiles, you would want to spray it down with ammonia to ensure there's no lingering nasties lurking.

From experience... do it outside. Trust me on this. Then rinse it well multiple times and allow to air dry for a day before bringing it indoors.

And for sure, add ammonia to MY list of disinfectants...instead of bleach, since it's effective on crypto & either one is dreadful to work with & need good ventilation.
I wasn't aware of that, thank you bcr229.

[Ranulf]

Thabks guys.

What about the reptile cleaners you can get, like Fluker's Super Scrub and others? Do they do the same job, or not really?

[Bogertophis]

Thabks guys.

What about the reptile cleaners you can get, like Fluker's Super Scrub and others? Do they do the same job, or not really?

Personally I have no idea what's in that...I'm a label-reader, whether it's my food or any home or pet products. Generally speaking, products sold in pet stores have a
greater mark-up than generic disinfectants sold in larger amounts in feed stores or large suppliers of animal/health products. I've always had a house-full of snakes &
other animals, so buying by the gallon or pint works best for me.

BTW, the name "super scrub" suggests it's more for cage CLEANING than cage disinfection: don't confuse those 2 things.

There's nothing wrong with cleaning a cage with water & a bit of dish soap to remove feces & debris...you don't need a fancy product for that. White vinegar will remove
any hard water deposits from water bowls, & can also be used to wipe down a cage: it's a mild disinfectant & helps remove stuck-on urates too....but you'll have to rinse
it out really well.

Disinfectants, on the other hand, don't work well in a dirty cage...biological debris tends to cancel out their effectiveness, so you want to clean first (soap & water works
best for that), & only THEN use disinfectants to kill pathogens that cause disease.