Cichlid Pete Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 Hi All, Looking for some advice on the best way to shut down an aquarium. Cleaning filters etc Any advice would be appreciated! Regards Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucem Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 If you’re not to use it for a while then give the tank and the fUlterior a good clean. Using fresh tap water is ok if you’re putting it in storage for a while. Also clean the ornament, gravel, sand, anything in there, basically Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishdance Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 Because I'm lazy, I remove fish & plants then run a light bleach solution through the tank with filter(s) running and the substrate left in. This will strip all your biofilm and organic detritus buildup to leave a sparkling clean sterile tank. Then drain tank & filters (including canisters) leaving everything insitu and store until required. Canister filter media doesn't get removed. If I'm closing down a few tanks I will remove any gravel (stored in plastic mesh bags), stack lids edge down in a labelled fish box and store multiple tanks on top of each other three or four tanks high with strips of wood between. 6 and 8 for foot tanks stored on end to save space. I've been keeping fish long enough to have uniform sized tanks, standardised overflow drain placement and interchangeable lids so it's easy to swap out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cichlid Pete Posted January 14, 2023 Author Share Posted January 14, 2023 Thanks Brucem and fishdance for responding. Appreciate your advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamonK Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 On 1/7/2023 at 6:51 PM, fishdance said: Because I'm lazy, I remove fish & plants then run a light bleach solution through the tank with filter(s) running and the substrate left in. This will strip all your biofilm and organic detritus buildup to leave a sparkling clean sterile tank. Then drain tank & filters (including canisters) leaving everything insitu and store until required. Canister filter media doesn't get removed. If I'm closing down a few tanks I will remove any gravel (stored in plastic mesh bags), stack lids edge down in a labelled fish box and store multiple tanks on top of each other three or four tanks high with strips of wood between. 6 and 8 for foot tanks stored on end to save space. I've been keeping fish long enough to have uniform sized tanks, standardised overflow drain placement and interchangeable lids so it's easy to swap out. How much bleach is a light bleach for a 6ft tank - I'm bringing my tank back to life and want to clean fully beforehand. Don't want everything to die once I start to add fish though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 17 hours ago, DamonK said: How much bleach is a light bleach for a 6ft tank - I'm bringing my tank back to life and want to clean fully beforehand. Don't want everything to die once I start to add fish though. I'd dilute the bleach in water using just enough bleach that you can smell it. As long as you thoroughly rinse the tank afterwards to remove any residual bleach and use a declorinator like Prime to break down any bleach that might be left you should be fine. When you're finished you shouldn't be able to smell any bleach. Make sure it is home brand or a cheap bleach that is just straight bleach with no added whiteners, scents or other additives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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