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Best way to clean a tank?

tirevy

tirevy

New member
I just bought a second hand tank, and it's pretty dirty. Very dusty, and has a few stains around the edges. What's the best way to clean this, using products that won't harm future snakes?

Also, is Windex okay to clean the glass?
 
I work with animals and what we do when we come across tanks (donations) is scrub them down with dawn soap, maybe some bleach in a bucket, and scrub pad too, (this process may take a few hours, to even a few days) Then Drag it outside and Hose it down for 10 to 15 minuets, bleach the entire thing for 10 minuets, scrub any stains that have stuck again, Hose it down again for 10 to 15 minuets, Drain it, and Use 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water, (I make it strong) drench the thing for 10 minuets, inside and out. (use a mask, this Can make you dizzy) Rince it for 10 minuets, THEN use a reptile safe cleaner for the last step. (usually I let the tank dry first, then use the reptile cleaner) but ONLY if you are SURE you got all the soap out of it.. if you arent, then Start hoseing it down again, run your fingers over any area you think you might have missed, if it comes up with little white spots, or suds.. then you havent cleaned it good enough, and you may have to take a scrub brush to all the little corners between spraying it down with the hose. you can use windex, as long as you rinse it clean after, Id use reptisafe after everything is done though.
dont take short cuts with dirty tanks. this may take upwords 3 to 5 hours.
 
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oh, FYI, dont consider the Tank watertight after that, cause mostlikely it wont be. not if your scrubbing as hard as I do, so you might simply want to scrape all the sealent out and reseal it, if you want a water tight tank.
 
No matter what you use (Windex, Bleach, Ammonia, CLR) if you rinse well and let air out, you have nothing to worry about.

A scraping razor is great for stubborn, hard stains. 10% bleach to water will kill everythingm and Bleach dissipates quickly so a good rinse followed by a few hours of airing out will be more than enough.
 
I clean every tank that enters my home. Who know what anyone who handled it before me may have been carrying. Illnesswise that is.
 
Yeah, I tend to not be nearly as cautious as most people on here.

I handle my new snakes every day from the time they enter my care, feed them on the first night, and don't sterilize everything that comes into contact with my snakes.

On the other hand, it really isn't a bad practice to play it safe...
 
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