Disinfect The Tank Or Trash It?

[HomeAtLast]

My husband would like me to try to sell our 3.5 gallon tank set up and heater because it is only 7 months old and he is loathe to throw it out. But I am reluctant to do this because I feel as if there has been some undetected disease that has been killing our fish. Is there any surefire way to disinfect the tank and heater, or is it better to just trash everything? I have already tossed the filter pad, bio-wheel, rock, tank ornaments and silk plants. But can I clorox soak the rest to disinfect it? What about the rubber pads that hold the thermometers and heater to the tank walls?

We have now lost two successive pairs of Balloon Mollies and I can't take the stress of losing more fish and I am weary of constantly testing the water, changing it weekly and just generaly futzing with our tank trying to keep it healthy for its inhabitants. Ergo my conclusion that I am clearly unsuited to fish keeping. And, my original dilemma--do I just throw the tank and filter system into the bin, or can it be cleaned and donated or sold to another?

Thanks for suggestions.

 

[*Fishkies*]

Try cleaning it out with White Vinegar. Just be sure to wash really well with water afterwards.
Also use hot water and allow to dry out completely. This should help kill anything in there.

 

[rdd1952]

Be careful using vinegar if the tank is acrylic as I have read that the acid in vinegar will mar the clarity of acrylic. You can also use a mixture of 1 part bleach to 20 parts water to clean and sanitize everything, inlcuding the odd items you mentioned. I wouldn't soak them as they may soak up some of the bleah and leech it back out into the tank later on. Just scrub the odd items with a brush and wipe the walls of the tank with a soft cloth.

As for losing the fish, what symptoms did they show. How long has the tank been set up and what chemicals were you adding to the water? What are your readings for ammonia and nitrite?

 

[Tolak]

I second the bleach/water mix for disinfecting, I use it all the time on fry tanks between spawns, bbs hatchery, cleaning growout tanks or used equipment I've just aquired, as well as for mopping the fishroom floor. Get the cheapest bleach available, this usually has no soap added.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Weekly water changes should be a regular I third the bleach solution, but remeber to rinse it out good afterwards!

 

[DarkEntity]

4 parts water to 1 part bleach always worked for me in the past.