What is the proper cleaning procedure for cleaning a soaped tank?

[[email protected]]

Please no flames, I just need some advice. My 10 gallon fish tank has
been contaminated with soap. Do I have to start all over with a new
filter, new gravel, new heater, new tank? OR is there a way to somehow
get the residue off so the tank stops killing fish?

Thanks in advance!

[Rocco Moretti]

wrote:
> Please no flames, I just need some advice. My 10 gallon fish tank has
> been contaminated with soap. Do I have to start all over with a new
> filter, new gravel, new heater, new tank? OR is there a way to somehow
> get the residue off so the tank stops killing fish?

Break down everything. Wash with copious amounts of water. Rinse, Rinse,
Rinse. If you can afford to buy new gravel/decorations, do so.

If you're paranoid, wipe things down with rubbing alcohol and paper towels.

How thorough you need to be depends on what soap you actually got in the
tank. True soap (will say something like "sodium tallowate" on the
label) won't be as much as a problem (bacteria will degrade any
residual). Detergents (e.g. sodium laural/laureth sulfate), are a bigger
problem, as they are not conventional bacteria food.

[[email protected]]

Thanks for the (non-judgemental) reply. I washed some plastic plants in
castille soap so I think it might not be as bad as conventional soap,
but I don't know (it's pretty bad). The plants have been taken out of
the tank and are in the trash, actually, but the tank continues to kill
fish, even though we did a 60-70% water change,gravel vacuuming and
top gravel rinsing.

I was afraid we would have to get a new filter, since it's probably in
there. I am not sure the filter can be effectively cleaned. Thanks so
much! I just want our aquarium back!


-Luiza

[Elaine T]

wrote:
> Thanks for the (non-judgemental) reply. I washed some plastic plants in
> castille soap so I think it might not be as bad as conventional soap,
> but I don't know (it's pretty bad). The plants have been taken out of
> the tank and are in the trash, actually, but the tank continues to kill
> fish, even though we did a 60-70% water change,gravel vacuuming and
> top gravel rinsing.
>
> I was afraid we would have to get a new filter, since it's probably in
> there. I am not sure the filter can be effectively cleaned. Thanks so
> much! I just want our aquarium back!
>
>
> -Luiza
>
Castille is a biodegradable true soap so Rocco's suggestion of
completely breaking down the tank and rinsing should work. Also get
fresh activated carbon for your filter. It will help absorb any residue.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[[email protected]]

Thanks Elaine,

So wash the filter as best we can and any remaining residue should be
broken down by a new carbon filter?

I appreciate it very much!

-Luiza

p.s.Which fish are more likely to reproduce in your experience, given a
good tank setting?

[lgb]

In article . com>,
says...
> Thanks Elaine,
>
>
> p.s.Which fish are more likely to reproduce in your experience, given a
> good tank setting?
>
I don't know Elaine's answer, but I'm looking for birth control pills
for my platys :-).

--
BNSF = Build Now, Seep Forever

[Elaine T]

lgb wrote:
> In article . com>,
> says...
>
>>Thanks Elaine,
>>
>>
>>p.s.Which fish are more likely to reproduce in your experience, given a
>>good tank setting?
>>
>
> I don't know Elaine's answer, but I'm looking for birth control pills
> for my platys :-).
>
I'm with you there, lgb - platies are great fun to breed. Really, it's
hard to avoid getting babies from livebearers - guppies platies,
swordtails and mollies are the most common types.

Platies are probably your best bet. You can get healthy fish easily,
they're not too obnoxious about eating their young, and they stay a
reasonable size for 10 gallons. Just provide some fine-leaved plants,
put a sponge on the filter intake so the babies don't get sucked up, and
make sure any tankmates don't eat babies. If you want ALL the babies,
put the mother in a breeding trap to give birth. The young are really
cute as they start to color up!

I love fancy guppies myself and they're also well-suited to 10 gallons.
Adult guppies rarely eat the babies, so there's no need for breeding
nets or grass. The trick is finding good stock, particularly females,
since the pet store ones tend to die. I was lucky enough to get a
bicolor red delta strain from a local AGA champion breeder and I'm
getting some really nice fish in my 10 gallon tank.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[lgb]

In article >, eetmail-
says...
> If you want ALL the babies,
> put the mother in a breeding trap to give birth. The young are really
> cute as they start to color up!
>
Yeah. Look like a swarm of little orange gnats at feeding time :-).

But the OP be warned. Eventually you'll overload the tank and have to
start disposing of some excess fish - this tends to bother some people.
Me, I feed them to another aquarist's cichlids and lionfish.

--
BNSF = Build Now, Seep Forever