Sterilization

[Chewyrat77]

How long would I have to simply leave a tank dry for before it would be deemed "sterile"?  Not reusing any of the contents except the heater and lid. 

[CT_]

what does "sterile" in quotes mean to you.  actually sterile? You'll wait forever.  Many microbes sporulate and can go days, months or year being dry.  If you buy bacter ae for example that's dry but contains viable bacteria for your shrimp to eat.

I think most people who want to make sure a tank is sanitized for the next setup wash with bleach solution and rinse really well and then make sure its dry before refilling.

Edited January 29, 2021 by CT_
fixed bleach solution. not pure bleach

[Schwack]

Would something like Star San (dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid and phosphoric acid) be acceptable for use in an aquarium setting? I use it constantly for home brewing, and don't suffer any ill effects (not from the sanitizer at least.) Would a cleaning and drying with something like that do the trick?

[CT_]

I don't know enough about fish pathogens to know for sure.  Nothing resists bleach.  But if you don't have a specific reason to suspect the tank is carrying something nasty I'd bet 20 tetra's that Star San would work

[Ryan F]

The air won't sterilize the tank on it's own. You'll need to have something else to sterilize the tank. UV in sunlight can accomplish the task. Also heat or steam. Any solid in the tank, like algae or crusty stuff could shield a pathogen from chemical or physical sterilization. So the cleaner it looks, the easier it is to sterilize. 

If using heat or steam, note that some plastics may be susceptible to melting or deformation or discoloration. Glass and silicone seals should be resistant to heat, but be careful about sudden changes in temp as it can cause the glass to crack or shatter.