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View Full Version : Disinfecting a tank



4x4runner
Fri Mar 02, 2007, 02:48 PM
Hey guys

whats the best way to disinfect a tank?? I have a slightly planted tank which i kept some diseased up discus in. Now that the discus have all died what is the best way for me to start the tank all over again??

I'm thinking i will boil some water and wash the gravel and drift wood in it. But how would i wash the plants so they are disease free???
is there anything else that will likely hold parasites/eggs etc that would need a clean???

I would appreciate any tips on how to prevent any form of disease from living in this tank.

thanks in advance

the german
Fri Mar 02, 2007, 11:21 PM
plats i dont know,i guess get rid of them and get some new ones,better save than sorry.
wood and gravl,you can put it in boiling water or use some bleach,i think i read in here somewhwere the black&gold(cheap woolworths)is good.
dont forget the glass and the filter.

the german
Fri Mar 02, 2007, 11:21 PM
:cry: very sorry about your fish :cry:

Merrilyn
Sat Mar 03, 2007, 01:44 AM
Sorry to hear about your fish.

As we don't know the cause, it's best to be safe and dose the whole tank with chlorine bleach, along with anything that came into contact with the sick fish, like syphon hoses, nets etc. gravel and driftwood.

Get hold of some cheap bleach. The one without any detergent or perfume added. Add four cups of bleach to the tank water and run the filter to get a good dose of bleach through all the filter media. Stir up the gravel, so the bleach gets to all the parts of the gravel, and wipe down the lids and under the supports with bleach.

Leave for 24 hours, then remove the driftwood, rinse well and put out in the sun to dry. Do the same with the gravel, the tank and any other things used in the tank. You will have to discard the plants, they won't survive the disinfecting process.

Pull your filter apart, and replace the soft media, like sponges or filter wool. The hard media, like noodles will be safe to reuse after a thorough rinse.

When you set up the tank again, fill and use double the dose of chlorine remover, cycle the tank again, and you're ready to add fish.

Sorry, I know it's a long process, but you just can't risk carrying over any disease from those sick fish.