Cleaning a used tank

[CCK]

My mom gave me a used tank. For a while she put a smooth trunkfish in with a gray trigger. She came home from work one day and everything in it was dead. After that she has had trouble getting things to stay living. We have decided the trunkfish must have killed everything. Is there anything that I can clean the tank with to get rid of the toxins he may have released?

 

[trido]

Fill it with water and vinegar and let is soak for a couple days. Dont be shy with the vinegar, its cheap. I'd soak all of my submersible equipment in it too. After rinse well, get new LR and sand and start over.

 

[Anonymous]

CCK,

:welcome:

The vinegar is a good idea to take off calcium scale, but if it's a toxin problem, the only thing I can think of would be to fill it with freshwater and run a ton of activated carbon in it for a week or so to try and absorb anything that might have leeched into the sealant.

How big is the tank? IMO, if it isn't a very large one (i.e. fairly cheap to replace) you may be better off just replacing it rather than taking the chance on loosing more livestock.

 

[snapper1]

Vinegar is a good idea I use it to clean my used tanks in the past.If there are Toxins in it Carbon, carbon, more carbon.