How To Clean A Bucket For Aquarium Use

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With what do you clean the "used"aquarium water bucket?

vilontano

Nov 5, 2016

I just did a water change and would like to save the container I used to empty the tank water into - what do people clean it with?
He was sick and had some antifungal and antibacterial medicine in his tank water if that makes a difference...

thanks

Xander

Nov 5, 2016

I've never cleaned my used water bucket... Since any water that goes into it will then be tossed outside into the garden, I can't see how any contamination would ever be reintroduced into the tanks. And I certainly don't use the bucket for anything else.

Bleach would do the trick, though. Bleach followed by a super good rinse, and if you're extra cautious, then treated with dechlorinator.

EbiAqua

Nov 5, 2016

I use the same bucket. After dumping the old tank water, I give the inside a good rinse and refill with fresh, clean water.

Yulia

Nov 5, 2016

What do you do with medicated water in NYC? The only one with a garden nearby is my landlord who would be... rather angry. Normally I dump the water in the toilet (almost all water here ends up in the sewage system) but then the fish caught parasites from the cory cats.

s hawk

Nov 6, 2016

I had parasites also in my tank and just kept on dumping the water down the toilet. It is chlorinated water in your toilet which would kill parasites. I suppose you could put some bleach in your toilet then dump the tank water in the to be safe. Also my "jug" (I don't have buckets just haven't gotten around to getting them and what I have works) I washed with soap once so it's just for removing water never adding it. If you designate a bucket for adding and removing water you can wash the removing one with whatever as long as you never add to the tank with it.

29balarangst

Nov 6, 2016

I have a special stainless steel bucket I use for tank refills. No one is allowed to touch this bucket but me.

As far as taking water out of the tank goes, for the first siphoning I use a watering can and use the water on my pot plants. For the second, third (and often fourth) siphoning I use the mop bucket.

If I were you I'd be very careful about the refill bucket, but find something (a watering can or mop bucket for instance) that you don't have to worry about too much for the emptying bucket. As to your question though, I'd use bleach if it doesn't need to be used for anything sensitive, and vinegar if it does. You won't need a pure version of either to kill any germs/bacteria/viruses. Both vinegar and bleach are inexpensive, but you'll be able to water both down and not have any nasties live if you leave it in the bucket overnight.

vilontano

Nov 6, 2016

Thread Starter
#7

Thanks all

Is rubbing alcohol OK?
I ask because I thought that just evaporates away (in case some is missed with rinsing) and might be safer than bleach and less acid than white vinegar...

29balarangst

Nov 6, 2016

Thanks all
Is rubbing alcohol OK?
...

I'm not sure what your plans are for the bucket, but unless you need to transport transplant organs in it, you are perhaps being over cautious. Alcohol is a great disinfectant, but probably no better than vinegar or bleach. If (and I'm not teasing here, as I have my own quirks that others find hard to understand) you really need the bucket/container to be operating room sterile, try using tea tree oil. Tea tree oil has been proven to be effective even against MRSA.

vilontano

Nov 6, 2016

Thread Starter
#9

but unless you need to transport transplant organs in it, you are perhaps being over cautious. Alcohol is a great disinfectant, but probably no better than vinegar or bleach.

LOL
yes I know sounds perhaps a bit coo coo...
I can't help it!
I see that bucket as "contaminated" and it is in our apartment - in our living room to be precise!!
also
Betta Blue has been ill with parasites and perhaps a bacterial infection - he is getting better now, but don't want to risk reinfecting him...

I thought rubbing alcohol would be "safer" because I think it completely evaporates - no worries of residual chlorine or "acidity" from vinegar - in the event the aquarium vacuum part that goes into the tank with "Betty Blue "herbie" Fishington" touched the part that is in that dirty dirty
LOL bucket

if there is residual Tea Tree could that harm the fish?

Appreciate reply

max h

Nov 6, 2016

I have used a vinegar solution in the past, with and a good rinse. Let it air dry.

s hawk

Nov 6, 2016

I used a vinegar solution against parasites and it's been fine also. I used it on my heater and other decor that is current in my tank now.

vilontano

Nov 6, 2016

Thread Starter
#12

Vinegar? what concentration did you use
Thanks

purslanegarden

Nov 6, 2016

Although some water may have medicine and parasites, but I think the medicine will get diluted if throw into the sink or toilet, and if thrown outside, the medicine may not affect those plants severely. Some bug might think, "hey it's minty fresh" but other than that, he'll crawl away as the water sinks into the ground.

Same for parasites. If they exist in the water, then hopefully the water system takes care of things like that, and if they are out on the ground, then they would probably die soon because of not having a source of water to live in, similar to mosquito larvae that get dumped from a bucket.

So while I think a rinse with water is fine, I do make the habit of using 2 different buckets for old water and new water. Part of that reason is that it's also convenient to have the new water ready to go asap, as well as if I had to do any pre-conditioning to the water, I could prep it earlier.

Aquaphobia

Nov 6, 2016

I have red buckets for the water I remove, and one blue bucket for the water I'm adding back in

Yulia

Nov 6, 2016

Although some water may have medicine and parasites, but I think the medicine will get diluted if throw into the sink or toilet, and if thrown outside, the medicine may not affect those plants severely. Some bug might think, "hey it's minty fresh" but other than that, he'll crawl away as the water sinks into the ground.
Same for parasites. If they exist in the water, then hopefully the water system takes care of things like that, and if they are out on the ground, then they would probably die soon because of not having a source of water to live in, similar to mosquito larvae that get dumped from a bucket.

So while I think a rinse with water is fine, I do make the habit of using 2 different buckets for old water and new water. Part of that reason is that it's also convenient to have the new water ready to go asap, as well as if I had to do any pre-conditioning to the water, I could prep it earlier.

Haha... Bugs getting high on metro and prazi. Just remembered that Metro is considered "potentially carcinogenic... after I stuck my hand in there. Then again my desk lamp is also carcinogenic. And the phone.

jenmur

Nov 6, 2016

I use two buckets for my water changes. One is for the dirty tank water which I dump outside (I will send it down the toilet in winter) and the other is for fresh water treated with Prime. I do occasionally wipe the buckets down with first wet and then dry paper towels

chodovet

Nov 7, 2016

Bleach is really your best bet. Scrub with 10% bleach and let it sit with the bleach for 10 minutes. Then rinse really well and if you're worried about residual bleach, fill with water and add dechlorinator - bleach is just chlorine.

But won't you be using this bucket again for water changes?

vilontano

Nov 7, 2016

Thread Starter
#18

But won't you be using this bucket again for water changes?

Yes for the "dirty" water only

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