My Africans Are Going Skinny

[Colin_T]

If you have drained and refilled the tank a couple of times to remove any salt, then you should be fine to start cycling them again.

You don't normally have to replace any of the filter media unless it is carbon or some other chemical based filter media. Sponges, noodles, etc can simply be cleaned and re-used. However, if you have already replaced them it won't hurt anything other than your wallet

How are the fish going, have they continued to die?

 

[australia]

If you have drained and refilled the tank a couple of times to remove any salt, then you should be fine to start cycling them again.

You don't normally have to replace any of the filter media unless it is carbon or some other chemical based filter media. Sponges, noodles, etc can simply be cleaned and re-used. However, if you have already replaced them it won't hurt anything other than your wallet

How are the fish going, have they continued to die?

i have only drained the tanks once but i used a thick peice of tubing to syphon the water out so i got %99 of the salt out the first time i drained it, i cannot see or feel and salt!

im guessing its safe for me to refill and cycle the tanks now?

 

[Colin_T]

I would re-fill and drain the tank at least twice to remove all the salt. This will also help remove any remaining disease organisms that might be in the tank. If there are any bugs left you reduce their numbers by dilution with multiple water changes. Basically drain and refill the tank a couple of times.

Try to gravel clean the tanks each time as well. the cleaner the gravel the fewer pathogens that will be left (assuming there is any left in there). A 2litre plastic Coke bottle (with the bottom cut off) can be attached to most garden hoses and used to gravel clean the tank.

You want to try and have the salt in the tanks for at least 24 hours so it will kill off anything that hatches out during that time. If the water is super saline (no more salt can dissolve), then it should kill most things off in a few hours. But it is still preferable to keep the tanks running with really salty water for at least 24hours.

 

[australia]

I would re-fill and drain the tank at least twice to remove all the salt. This will also help remove any remaining disease organisms that might be in the tank. If there are any bugs left you reduce their numbers by dilution with multiple water changes. Basically drain and refill the tank a couple of times.

Try to gravel clean the tanks each time as well. the cleaner the gravel the fewer pathogens that will be left (assuming there is any left in there). A 2litre plastic Coke bottle (with the bottom cut off) can be attached to most garden hoses and used to gravel clean the tank.

You want to try and have the salt in the tanks for at least 24 hours so it will kill off anything that hatches out during that time. If the water is super saline (no more salt can dissolve), then it should kill most things off in a few hours. But it is still preferable to keep the tanks running with really salty water for at least 24hours.

its a very big job to fill a 6x2x2 and empty it, is there any easy way i can clean it out besides refilling and emptying it again?

i dont have gravel in any of my tanks!

i thought all eggs/disease would be dead after 1 week?

 

[Colin_T]

In big tanks you can fill them up half way (or a bit less) and then drain them. That will dilute any remaining salt. If there is no gravel/ substrate then there will be less problems with removing the salt. You could fill the tank with 6-12inches of water and then drain it out. However, the less water in the tank, the harder it is to get a syphon going.
The other option is to use a sponge and small bucket and soak up the remaining water from the tank. Once all the water is out there shouldn't be any salt left, or the remaining salt will be so minimal it won't be an issue.

The majority of freshwater fish diseases will die if they are dried out for a week. But some diseases (primarily bacteria) can have dormant cysts that remain behind and are designed to survive the drying out period. Once conditions return to normal they can hatch out and reinfect the fish. However, these diseases are pretty uncommon in tanks and if it has been dry for a week, there is unlikely to be anything left that can affect the fish, especially if the tank was exposed to sunlight for any length of time. Sunlight is a great disinfector.

 

[australia]

ok i guess what has to be done has to be done!

i will re-salt the tanks and wait 48 hours.


cheers damo

 

[australia]

my canister filters are empty atm what should i do with them? wash them out with salt? leave them soak as mutch as i can?

im not sure what do to with the main canister heads etc....?

 

[Colin_T]

just hook the power filter up to the tank and let it run while there is salt water in the tank. Then rinse it out with fresh water when you drain the tank.

 

[australia]

just hook the power filter up to the tank and let it run while there is salt water in the tank. Then rinse it out with fresh water when you drain the tank.

okay thanks mate