FNG has stupid ?'s

[ajjr]

just getting started on a saltwater tank. i got a glass tank/stand from my girlfriends mom. it is over 20 yrs old and the last thing that was in it was a reptile of some sort. it is 48 L, 18 W, 20D, i think it is like 90 or 100 gallons? i cleaned it with a light water/ bleach mix. i filled it and it held water for 20 min. then i drained it. there it kind of a light fog on some of the glass. it there something more i should do/ tests? before i invest in building a hood for this tank. as for the fog should i get after it with a razor blade. oh and another thing the sealent in the corners is peeling up in some spots and has some greenish brown stuff in some spots. please advise, thank you.

 

[trainfever]

Get a razor blade and cut away all of the loose silicone. Cut away a few inches past the loose stuff to make sure you get it all. Then reseal the joints with fresh silicone from your LFS. After the silicone has cured, refill the tank and make sure the tank does not leak. If it doesn't leak, take a sample of the water to your LFS and ask them to test it for ammonia or do it yourself if you have a test kit. The reason they say not to use a tank after a reptile has been in it is because of ammonia which comes from the animals urine. If the water passes the ammonia tank, you are good to go, if not, clean it again and retest it. As far as the white film on the glass, scrape it off with a razor blade or a scouring pad and some elbow grease. For you youngsters on here, elbow grease is good old fashioned hard scrubbing.

 

[mdmacolyte]

Ditto what Trainfever said - I just want to add something - DO NOT USE CHEMICALS TO CLEAN THE TANK!! PERIOD. White vinegar would be the only exeption... but I would still not use it personally... Good luck man... It'll be worth it in the end...

 

[ajjr]

thank alot

 

[offshore80]

I wouldn't mess with it. If the joints don't hold you could end up with a big mess. A 20 year old tank could pose a problem a month or so down the line with all the pressure of the water on those old seals. I think I would pass. Were not talking about a 20 gallon tank here.

 

[spanky]

I agree with offshore. The cost of the tank is a pretty small percentage of the overall expense of the completed system. It isn't worth the risk of losing everything in a few weeks or months. If you want to save a few bucks shop the classifides in the paper. There are lots of aquariums being sold for a fraction of the original price.

 

[dragonfli]

hey i got an old reptile 55g. cleaned it forever, and got it to work. the seals and joints looked terrible, but a year later it is still runnin great. the foggy stuff really isnt worth the work it will take to remove. it will go away when water is in it. it is worth the water to try it out and look through it partially full of water.

 

[hermitkrab]

Wow it is old, isn't sealed good, and has been bleached. I would say give it back or sell it. Because a free tank ain't worth all that.

 

[dragonfli]

Word

 

[dragonfli]

seems like it in the begining, but later on you realize that a new tank of the same size isnt the big expense. the tank is your last, and least worry.
my free tank is what got me interested in the hobby, but i wish i had bought the tank new. and still debate on it.