Do I need to re-do a tank Set-up?

Question
We have have a 55 gallon tank and with trial and error mostly error to keep fish alive in it. What we find thrives are these Malaysian snails. Thinking that they would take ove my tank while we were going to be away for 2 months I did something drastic. I put bleach in the tank and sure enough there was carnage. However we just got back to see that they are still alive! I read on this site that they are beneficial (stupid me) but can I re-introduce my fish to the tank or should I do a fresh setup?

Answer
Paulina,
Since you put bleach in the tank, you cannot put fish in it right now. It will have to be cleaned out completely with very hot water. You will need to clean the gravel, heater, filter and the media in it, any decorations and of course the tank itself. After you have rinsed it out real well and you can still smell the bleach then you will have to rinse again. If it is still quite warm where you are, after you rinse everything very well, set it all outside in the sun to dry. Then set the tank back up and cycle the tank before you add any fish to it.