Newly aquired aquarium

I just bought a used 46 gallon bowfront aquarium to add to my new hobby of cichlids! There are a couple things I was wondering about. What's the best way to clean out a tank. The previous owners had turtles in it and the tank is pretty smelly. It also has some algae on the silicone. Also, does anyone know where to get a glass lid for it. It came with one but it has a crack.

use pure distilled vinegar and a non abrasive sponge or an aquarium scrubber if you hv one. always be careful when scrubbing glass, make sure there are no sand or hard particles that can get in between your scrubber and glass. Once you get a scratch in glass, you can never get that scratch out again. as for glass lids, go to homedepot/lowes and have them cut you a custom sized piece. after all that just hose out the grime and the vinegar with a hose.

Good info, Kasshan. I might add, ask for double strength 1/8" glass. If Lowe's or Home Depot doesn't do it, a local glass company will. They will also smooth out the edges for you. Take good measurements allowing room for filter, and wires for heaters etc. Personally, I like the one piece idea on each side of my 55s and other tanks with the reinforcement strip in the middle. The fishstore bought hinged lids, reduce the light. The hinge is 1" wide by 48" long, thereby depriving the tank of 48 square inches of available light produced by the tank lights.

Thanks! I wouldn't have thought about getting one made. On cleaning the tank, would I need to dilute the vinegar at all or just use it straight?

use the vineagar straight. I've ordered a glass hinged top, then took the piece that would be the curved side and took it to a glass/mirror shop with a paper pattern to show the curve and dimensions to have them cut the piece to shape and size, as well as round out the cut edges.

I might try that. The lid works for now, so I need to start cleaning it out and get some fish in it! I thought I would only have one cichlid tank, but one isn't enough!

multitank syndrome got to you!