Soap and fish

[Durbkat]

I had recently washed my hands and forgot that I did and then put a decoration in the tank which is empty because I was cleaning the tank. So do I need to restart the tank or what should I do>

 

[OrkyBetta]

since there are trace ammounts of soap, I would do lots of water changes to dillute the soap and eventually it will be removed. If it is empty then do bigger changes. If you washed your hands and rinsed them off, chances are there is no soap in the tank, and just chlorine from the water. Adding some more dechlorinator will get rid of that.

 

[Durbkat]

Well I did a regular rinsing to get the soap off my hands would that be enough? And would a water test show if their is any traces of soap in it? Also I have The fish which is a betta in a holding container sitting on the inside of my 10g with an air pump in it will he be ok until I get the water strightened out or what should I do? Oh and why would I have to add dechloranator to an already established tank for?

 

[tttnjfttt]

since the fish is out of the tank, I would rinse out the tank really really really well. It can never hurt.

Any time you do a water change, you need to use a dechlorinator. Chlorine is toxic to fish and can kill them. Also, chlorine in the water will kill the beneficial bacteria that break down the fish's waste (ammonia).

 

[Durbkat]

Well I always treat my water before I put it in a tank. So would a water test show if there is any traces of soap in it? And can I do something else to make sure the soap is out because this tank has been cycled for such a long time. I don't really want to start it over again because the first fish I put in a newly cycled tank always seems to die in a few months or it gets sick. So restarting the tank would be a VERY VERY last resort. So will my betta be ok in a holding tank sitting on the inside of a 10g with an air pump for a couple days?

 

[tttnjfttt]

then can you rinse it out with dechlorniated water? fill up a 5 gal bucket, treat the water, then rinse.

 

[Tolak]

You probably rinsed & dried your hands after washing them, so there was probably just trace amounts of soap on them when you briefly put them in the tank. Do a water change daily for the next few days, now is the time to run carbon in the filter.

Honestly, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I work in a shop all day with ink & solvents, it takes some serious soap to get this half way out of your hands. The only way it comes out completely is with a weeks vacation. I don't think twice about putting my hands in any of my tanks after work, and have never had a problem.

If you dropped a bottle of soap in there, it's time for a total tear down & cleaning. Hand cream & lotions are bad because you don't rinse them off. Many people wash, rinse, & dry their hands before putting them in tanks, just so they don't contaminate the tank with some foreign substance. The only other option is never washing your hands.

Animals are more resilient than you may think, aquatics equipment & supplies are not manufactured in hospital sterile environments. I can guarantee there are solvents & chemicals involved in manufacturing plastic filter cases & parts, and they don't run aquarium gravel through a scrubbing & sterelization process.

Tolak

 

[Durbkat]

So all I have to do is water changes? How many days? And how much water do I take out? Will a water test tell if their is any trace amounts of soap in it? Because I am going to the pet shop in about any hour so please let me know SOON!!

 

[Tolak]

If you do water changes fairly often, 50% daily for a few days should be good. If you are only doing 25% every other week, go with 25% daily.

There is no water test I can think of that is available to the hobbyest for soap. I'm sure some sort of lab could test for this, but it could get quite expensive. If thefish are behaving normally I would just go with the water changes & carbon in the filter.

Tolak

 

[tttnjfttt]

I can't believe I just thought of this one. Soapy water bubbles when it is agitated. So when you pour water back in, make sure it isn't bubbling more so than normal. That should be anohter good check on the tank.

 

[IMCL85]

alot of small water change would help to clear it up. Like 15-20 percent daily changes till ur water is clear again.

 

[Durbkat]

The water is clear as a bell. But right now the fish is not in the tank, he is in a holding tank with an oxygen pump sitting on the inside of my 10g tank. I also have a question about my betta. He has been tearing his fins to shreds, literaly! So my question is does my tank need to be heated when I put melafix or bettafix in the tank to treat his fins? And how long should it take for it to regrow. And when they heal and if they start to shred really fast would that be fin rot and if it is will that melafix or bettafix cure it?

P.s. tttnjfttt can you tell me how you got that little clip of that fish swimming near that treasure chest from finding nemo? And how can I get it on mine?

 

[tttnjfttt]

I wouldn't use the melafix or bettafix in this situation. It sounds like he is biting his tail. They do this for several reasons, including boredom and stress. I'll PM you a link, as its to another forum, where there is a really good description of tailbiting and its causes.

 

[Durbkat]

Well two other forums have said to se this melafix or bettafix to help fin growth and keep bacteria away from the fins. So if the lps says thats a good idea to put this stuff in would you recommend it? And what would you suggest to help his fins regrow and keep the bacteria away from the bitten fins?

 

[tttnjfttt]

I would first figure out why the fish is biting its tail, and work on stoping it at the source. Keeping the water sparkly clean will prevent infection from setting in.