clorox

Question
I poured clorox (without the fish in it) to clean the tank, now I can't get the clorox out.  The tank is too big for me to move myself.  Is there anything I can put in their to clear it up?

Answer
Hi DeeDee
Not sure what you were trying to do, but that's probably not the best way to clean or disinfect a tank.  Just for future reference, it's best to drain the tank, move it outside near a hose, and disinfect it that way.  But really the only time you would want to disinfect a tank like that would be if you had a bad disease outbreak, or if buying a used tank.  

I would buy a gravel vacuum, you'll need one to do the gravel cleanings/water changes anyway.  Otherwise, for now I would just use a smaller bowl or container to remove some water.  Remove at least 50% of the water.  You'll also need to get a few buckets-at least 2 or 3.  When you get the water out, add some dechlorinator to the tank, and let that filter through for awhile.  Add the fresh water, and also dechlorinate that as well, and let it filter through for awhile.  The dechlorinateor should take care of the bleach, since bleach is a milder form of chlorine.

Definitely don't want to try to move a tank that's filled up.  Even small tanks that are filled are heavy, and you don't want it cracking/breaking while you're carrying it.  One gallon of water weighs about 8 lbs(a little more then that actually), then the weight of the tank itself, any gravel or substrate.....yep, it's heavy :)

Good luck and let me know if you have more questions.

Christy