Got an empty tank

[ger87410]

Got a recently emptied 55g tank that had fish with ick. How can I make sure that any fish I put in it don't get ick?

 

[totalbolshevik]

Get new gravel, new filter media, new decorations... And rinse everything out very thoroughly.

 

[tstenback]

wash with vinegar and water, or a mild bleach solution. Then rinse very well. then do like totalbolshevik said.

 

[heyimeugene]

Had a friend with almost same situation, we dumped everything, filter media, gravel, and then took it to his back yard, filled it with water (hose) and added like 2 cap full of chlorine. Stir around have a smoke.. waited an hour and dumped it all.

Next we rinsed it several times and let it dry. We also rinsed the decorations with some chlorinated water and rinsed with hose water.

After all that we bought new filter media and added a new bag of gravel and he was all set.. going good for a few months now.

Good luck!

 

[ger87410]

My bottled water dealer is real heavy into using hydrogen peroxide to kill everything. What's peoples oppinion on using that?

 

[Bol]

Being an old brewer, I'd have to sing the praises of bleach

Also, to clean an entire tank and contents, I would think that you'd need a LOT of peroxide, as compared to a few ounces of bleach. (Most 'disinfectant' mixes I've seen are usually 1:3 for peroxide and water vs. 1:19 for bleach and water).

And, for what it's worth, I've read that ich (in the cyst stage) can survive much, including drying out. So, disinfecting (rather than just rinsing) is a good idea.

 

[ger87410]

How long does it stay in it's different stages? If I just left it alone for a week or 2 shouldn't it clear up on it's own without any fish to infect? Or does it feed on something else?