Red Algae question

[davisni]

My dad gave me is Reef Octopus skimmer, its been dry for a while. He had a red algae issue in his 55 gal tank so the skimmer has hard dry algae in it. Ive been scrubbing it with a toothbrush to get as much as possible off but there are some areas with even the smallest tools i just can't get clean. Since its been dry for months, I'm assuming its all dead. Is there any risk to me now getting red algae in my brand new tank, or is there something I can use to ensure its all been killed off. I would hate to set things up all new and then mess it all up from the beginning. Any advice on what to do would be so helpful as I cannot ask him right now.

Thanks!
Nicole

 

[Chichas01]

throw it in a five gallon bucket with 2-4 cups of white vinegar and fill it up with water. let it soak over night and all that nasty stuff will rinse right off

 

[davisni]

thanks! I will get right on that. After its rinsed, i should allow it to sit for a full 24 hours prior to hooking it up to my tank, correct?

 

[Chichas01]

no need, once its clean of all the gunk, rinse everything in fresh water and your ready to go.