fish tank cleaned with soapy water?????

Pufferfish22

I have found a second hand fish tank that is perfect for my pufferfish however when I asked how it had been cleaned the woman said she'd cleaned it with warm soapy water, what are the chances of a residue being left behind if I thoroughly rinse it and clean it again using salt?

AbbeysDad

There is a perception that when it comes to aquariums, soap is to be avoided at all cost. Of course, fish can't handle soap as it really messes with the whole gil O2 extraction thing....
When I said that here and there I run my plastic plants and rocks through the dishwasher (with white vinegar) some were aghast that some residual soap could contaminate my tank. "The sky is falling, the sky is falling".
When you wash your hands, does the soap rinse off? How about your hair? How about your dishes?

Rinse the tank really well and you should be just fine.

Jakiebabie

I would just rinse, rinse rinse.... some vinegar too, and rinse rinse rinse, leave no corner, seam, edge untouched by your cleaning efforts. Warm soapy water is better than if she had said "windex" lol.

iamgray

If it was me, I would wipe it down with warm water and vinegar and then rinse it well. If it's small enough, i would toss it in the bathtub and run water in it (or use a handheld showerhead if you have one) and make sure no suds form.