Bacteria And Parasites Without Host Fish

[jonnyf84]

hi all.

OK i am getting rid of all the fish in my community tank so i can keep my breeding NMS's and bristlenose's in there. The ultimate goal is to scale down as i am working increasingly long hours only to come home and spend a hour or two on my tanks - its driving the mrs crazy.

The big bonus to this is that it is a fresh start, i've had troubled with pop eye, cotton mouth and ich in the last couple of months, no fish have died but it has been a lot of work and a constant worry.

So my question is how long will most nasty bacteria and parasites live in a tank without a host fish?

I am willing to start a fresh, new everything from substrate to filter, but if i can use my established filter to speed things up then great but i don't want any diseases to carry over through the filter. This is why i need to know if any nastys will remain in my filter (or the substrate and crevises) without fish in the tank.


Many thanks.

Jonny

 

[Jazzzz]

presumably with no fish the filter would die as well or would you add amonia

 

[jonnyf84]

I was hoping that all the nastys would die before the beneficial bacteria in the filter i will not clean the tank once i'v removed the fish. I know ich dies within 3 days if it cant find a host and i think the filter will last much longer than this.

If necessary i can add ammonia to keep it running.

 

[WILDER]

Whitespot can't survive without a host.
Water changes on the tank for bacteria.
You can keep benefical bacteria alive by adding fish food to the tank.
If you have a bad strain of bacteria in your tank best wiping the benefical bacteria out anyway.

 

[jonnyf84]

do most 'bad' bacteria die without hosts? or do some just lay dorment?

why would wiping out 'good' bacteria help?

 

[WILDER]

Because the bad bacteria takes over the good bacteria.
Bacteria lives in the background in a tank they why important that you keep up with water changes and maintance.
Just do some water changes it dilutes the bacteria down.

 

[WILDER]

http/www.ponddoc.com/WhatsUpDoc/FishHeal...tleBacteria.htm

 

[jonnyf84]

so theres not much hope of a guarantee that i will wipe out the bad bacteria by using my existing filter.

To be sure of totally wiping it out i need to start a-fresh?

 

[WILDER]

Read that link as I know what I want to say but find it hard to write in words.
The mature sponges will fine.
The only time you never want to use mature sponges for another tank is if you have had avery bad strain of bad bacteria in your tank.
Columnaris.
Fish tb.

 

[jonnyf84]

Cheers, the diseases aren't quite in that category (certainly not TB, or i really hope not as its transferable to humans!!!) but it seems to be quite a serious, very persistent strain, i will start a-fresh and re-cycle.

Thanks again Wilder.

 

[WILDER]

I think you will be ok.
If your'e unsure just start again.
Its rare for humans to get fish tb you have to be exposed to it along time.
If you ever suspect fish tb best to wear gloves as it can gain entry through cuts and wounds.
Or if you have a weak immune system.