j-roc, in answer to your question, the tank isn't in contact with sunlight much at all, and never in direct sunlight. I live in a basement suite. The tank is in my kitchen along the hallway wall, right in front of my bedroom door. My door is kept closed because of my daughter, and the kitchen doesn't get much light at all from the window. Pretty much the only light my tank gets is from the tank light itself.
j83, the complete scrubbing is almost exactly what I did. I took everything out (rocks, decorations, etc) and scrubbed down the walls of the tank with that sponge cleaner. I soaked the rocks in boiling water for awhile (I don't have gravel as I said) and I scrubbed the decorations down with a toothbrush I bought for the job.
Thanks for the help
