Used Aquarium Equipment

[optykal]

So, I picked up a used Mr Aqua 17.1 Rimless, Eheim 2213, an Aquatop Inline UV Sterilizer and a Hydor Inline 200w Heater and a 24" Ray 2 off of Craigslist today. First time I've ever picked up anything used. Wondering what a good way to sterilize everything and make sure absolutely everything is dead in the tank. I've read that you can bleach it, however my wife can't tolerate the bleach smell. Would running a few bottles of hydrogen peroxide for a day or two kill everything?

Oh, and on a side note, Ray 2 is a whole lot brighter than my fugerays.

 

[KaraWolf]

bleach it outside? I don't know that hydrogen peroxide would kill everything because there are some bacteria who aren't affected by it. But it would certainly kill most of it.

 

[optykal]

I live on the 2nd story of an apartment, no real way to do that outside

 

[JimA]

I live on the 2nd story of an apartment, no real way to do that outside

You have a sink don't you, or better yet a bath tub/shower?

 

[KaraWolf]

And probably no balcony either good luck maybe someone else knows something that would work.

I think te point was to keep the scent of bleach out of the house completely.

 

[optykal]

Yea, she is super sensitive to the smell, and it flares up her asthma.

 

[Denizaari]

What about baking soda? That's an odor free cleaner that could help.

 

[Anthraxx]

i use water in a spray bottle to wet a razor blade and scrape everything gently off, after this a good rinse, then i use my vinegar based windex (helps remove any calcium buildup). if necessary i will repeat all steps until im satisfied with the end result. totally a set it out on the porch for a few days type project

 

[flo77]

I used Aquavet Sanaqua or potassium permanganate(use it with caution!!)

 

[JimA]

Sorry I was think more along the lines of not full strength bleach, you can dilute it pretty good doesn't take much to kill stuff less than 5% if that, maybe open a window or 2. How about taking it to a spray car wash place and cleaning the stuff there, then rinsing with the sprayer on just the water cycle?

 

[LuminousAphid]

not a bad idea about the car wash... one of those self service ones would allow you to use whatever you want, like sodium hydroxide... my favorite hard caustic agent. dont know what that would do to the silicone or plastic, but it is safe on glass i think.

or just use bleach, it's probably a better call

edit; after further reding, lye is also caustic to glass, so just use bleach at the car wash

 

[Anonymous]

Hot water and salt?

 

[anthony]

every tank I've ever had has been used and I've never used anything but water! Your paranoid! lol

 

[bronzefighter]

I've always used hot water and vinegar. Though I've never used any equipment that was still 'wet' from the last owners setup.