Old tank made new

Question
I have an old 55 gal tank.  I used it about 3 yrs ago.  After all of the fish died, due to high ammonia levels, I drained the tank.  I have done nothing to it in the last 3 yrs.  Now my daughter wants fish.  What do I do to clean the tank and get it ready for the next run?

Answer
Hi Robert;

Just rinse everything out very well. Throw away any old filter cartidges and buy new ones. They can absorb things from the air so it's best not to take any chances. If there is white mineral buildup or old dried up algae on the glass, just use a common household baking soda and water paste and a soft cloth to scrub it off. Rinse it well and fill it up.

Plug in the filter, the heater and the lights and let it all run for a couple of days without leaking and without temperature fluctuations. Sometimes aquarium equipment corrodes in storage and need replacing. Rubber seals on filters and inside air pumps deteriorate too. Try it all out for awhile to be sure it's going to work okay. If there is no filter, you should get one. If there is no heater, stick with cold water fish or get a heater for tropicals.

Here is a link to my article on new tank syndrome and how to get through it;

http://www.xanga.com/Expert_Fish_Help

Here are some other web pages for new tank owners to help get you going again and maybe refresh your memory on things you already know;

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?dept_id=0&siteid=6&acatid=415&aid=...
http://www.firsttankguide.net/steps.php
http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin.html
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/charts/good_bad.html
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/beginnerinfo/a/fishcalc.htm

Let me know if have any other questions.....

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins