Habitat - Indoor :: Used tank cleaning set-up filter help

[rosemary]

Bought diy 95g tank with filter off craigslist, problem is that its FILTHY, guy had turtles in it for past 6 years with 8 inches of gravel that has never been cleaned, how can i sanitize it well enough to be safe for my turtles and plecos? I've read about using diluted bleach, is that ok with acrylic ? what ratio? Also, filter is homemade, was for saltwater so it has flurescent particle remover thingy? which im guessing i can just not plug in, but not quiet sure how to set up the rest, there are 4 drain holes all running through pvc to a 4-5" circular 12"canister , the pump is a model 2 utility pump and at 3ft looks like it gets 200gph (if im understanding the chart correctly) is that good , bad ? my questions are: what filter media do i put in canister? what do i need to know about in case of power failure? he had a plastic grate and screens covering the entire bottom of tank to block the gravel from drains, I wasnt planning on using gravel just some river rock, will the drains have too much suction for my turtles (2-4" res, 1-4" map) ? 2 plecos (8")? also what is the best procedure to set up new tank and let it "cycle" before adding everyone, should i use old internal filter or biomax from it in new tank just to keep some of the beneficial bacteria? just had problems with "new tank syndrome" and dont want that again. any help is appreciated

[Shelldon]

go ahead and throw out that gravel. and if your going to go with a freshwater tank, i would buy a different filter.
to clean the tank, i would take it outside and rinse it with a hose, and then wipe it down with a vinegar on a cloth. some bleaches are okay, but vinegar is still an acid and will clean your tank just fine.

good luck with your new tank!

[steve]

Empty it out... I would be iffy on using a homemade filter with UV sterilizer. Was this tank used with a sump?