Sterilizing an aquarium

Hey guys just a question i hope some of you can help with. I recently got a tank from a friend but it really needs to be cleaned properly. It was outside and had all sorts in it when i got it.

Whats the best way to kill all the germs and still have the tank safe for fish when i add them later on?

 

Agree with Reedfish but I also do a god wash with salt and then rinse it off before adding the final water

Maybe a bit old fashioned but salt has worked wonders for me

 

You could even let it sit with the salt in for a day or two after washing it as @Reedfish suggested then you should be good to go ( a nice strong salt solution non-iodised salt)

 

Thanks guys really appreciate the advice! What is the best salt to use and where can i get it?

 

Get the cheapest coarse dishwasher salt from you local supermarket, sells at around R8/packet

 

I even used spirits without any effect on fish

 

Yeah also used spirits before bought a tank years ago that was stored for a long time, just cleaned it with spirits and did a water leak test for a few days. no issues.

 

Howzit,

We have found that using a saturated salt solution works well and it's easy to create.

To create a saturated salt solution. Add roughly 357 grams per liter of water, or until the salt no longer dissolves.
You can do this by adding water and salt to a bucket and aerating it with an aquarium air pump, don't use an air-stone, it will clog up, just weigh down the airline.

 

Potassium permanganate, R13 for 30g bottle at chemist, this stuff is potent, put about 2gr per 100ltr to soak for an hour, job done, drain and voilla.

 

The problem with Potassium permanganate is that it can stain everything in the tank.
Malachite Green and Methelyne Blue do the same.

 

Agree with @Pezulu. It is a stain that does not come out either........................