lambo Posted September 18, 2005 Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 Ok well my tank rack has 5 2ft tanks that are half empty. Why? Because i had fish in there that all died (faulty plug in point for heaters!). Now that i have some money i plan to refil these tanks and put fish in them once aged. MY Question is how do i disinfect the tanks? I don't want to be passing on illness to any new fish. Also wondering how long cycling takes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figure_8 Posted September 18, 2005 Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 I think bleach is the best way to disinfect a tank. I usually give them a good scrub in a mix of bleach and water (never measure it exact, but I'm heavy handed with the bleach) a really good rinse and then let dry outside in the sunshine. In general a tank takes about 4 weeks to cycle properly. Its a give or take thing though, some take a bit less, some take a bit more depending on how big they are, what the setup is and what cycling method you are using. HTH :lookaround: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callatya Posted September 18, 2005 Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 Bleach takes approx 11 mins to work, so leave it longer than that. It is deactivated somewhat by organic matter, so make sure the tank is cleanish before you start. you can cut cycle time by using old filter media from a healthy tank, or adding Nitrovec or Cycle ( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
najrick Posted September 18, 2005 Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 All of the above Liam. Bleach is the best. I use a good strong dose of bleach. I'd say about one cup to 20 litres of water. Then soak for about an hour. Then rinse it out like you've never rinsed anything before. I then fill the tank up again and throw in a heap of salt (any old salt at this stage) to help draw out the bleach from all the silicon etc. Leave that for an hour and then rinse like mad again. Then fill and soak with clean water, add a double dose of dechlorinator and soak it over night. Next day I'll sit the tank out in the sun and leave it a few days. I usually do all my nets and hoses etc at the same time to give them a good clean. If I'm in a rush I'll skip the suntan but never miss the other steps. I'm very particular about the rinsing. Cycling a tank properly is best done over time but aged water with an aged sponge filter will work fine with regular small water changes. Pat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishchick Posted September 18, 2005 Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 To clean the small show tanks we use Betadine scrub and a sponge. Rinse well aferwards. Use old filter medium, or gravel from an established tank to start cycling. In the meantine you can also run sponge filters (if you plan to use these) in an established tank. Cheers, J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted September 18, 2005 Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 Liam, did the fish that died have an illness? Do you really need to sterilise the tanks? Just wondering, because it sounds from your post like they just died from the cold ... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted September 18, 2005 Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 Just to add too what JL said. If you have a cannister filter, It's great to stash a heap of floss in them, I use this when starting up new tanks, the filter floss and the water from the 4ft tank :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lambo Posted September 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 Liam, did the fish that died have an illness? Do you really need to sterilise the tanks? Just wondering, because it sounds from your post like they just died from the cold ... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Probly not ill but the tanks stink! Myaswell be safer than sorry Thanks for the advice people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted September 19, 2005 Report Share Posted September 19, 2005 eww, well in that case, go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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