What To Do After Fish Death?

[NightPhoenix]

Hi everyone. I'm sure this has been asked before but I'm going to ask again, I hope no one minds.

My Betta (Mystic)came down with Dropsy about 2 weeks ago and I ended up having to put him down (clove oil/vodka method). The little guy was my "writing buddy" as his tank is in my home office, so I miss the little guy. However, I know that eventually I will decide to get another Betta in hopes of saving one from life in a glass bowl -- my question is what do I need to do with Mystic's tank? It is a 5 gallon tank with filtration and heat. I have no other fish or aquariums (though I am now fishless cycling a new 29 gallon setup).

I have read ALL SORTS of conflicting information from tearing the tank down and starting over to that not being necessary. I can't imagine Mystic "caught" anything from another fish since I don't have any. I was thinking of putting a new carbon filter in (to remove the meds) doing a few BIG water changes and rinsing all the silk plants under tap water, but I don't want to destroy the biological filtration which so many others seem to feel is needed after a fish death. To me, this seems contrary to everything I've read about bio filters etc for most of my fish keeping life. (though I took a LONG hiatus for about 15 years until I got Mystic).

I was also thinking of upgrading to a ten gallon tank but using the same filter (since it's a 5-20 rated system) thinking the 10 might be more stable.

Do I need to start over or can I keep my biofilter (sponge filters and "floss" filter media)?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

BTW I feeding the 5 gallon fish food every day to keep the cycle going.

Thanks,

edited to change "sick plants" to SILK plants

 

[soybean]

If you haven't had a fish in the tank for two weeks your bacteria will have really started to vanish anyway, if not altogether by now.

I would get the fishless cycle finished on the other tank, wait til it's a bit established, then take a bit of the media and use it for a new betta. In the meantime I would give the tank a rinse out and start again.

Edit sorry just missed the part where you feed the filter food.

D you have a test kit? If the readings suggest the filter is still functional I would keep it as it is but still give the tank a bit of a clean out.

 

[NightPhoenix]

If you haven't had a fish in the tank for two weeks your bacteria will have really started to vanish anyway, if not altogether by now.

I would get the fishless cycle finished on the other tank, wait til it's a bit established, then take a bit of the media and use it for a new betta. In the meantime I would give the tank a rinse out and start again.

Edit sorry just missed the part where you feed the filter food.

D you have a test kit? If the readings suggest the filter is still functional I would keep it as it is but still give the tank a bit of a clean out.

I have the API master test kit. In fact I just did a 70% water change and added a new carbon filter to remove the meds. (I still have 2 sponges for bio filter left untouched.) Once everything settles I'll do some testing again and see where everything is.

On a side note one of the tank decorations (a fake log) I cleaned was one from wal-mart and as I began cleaning it I noticed that some of the "paint" (or whatever) flaked off very easily. I almost wonder if that was a contributing factor to my betta's ill health. Maybe not but I pitched it none the less and will get something else for a new resident to hid out in.

 

[Winterliu]

no idea. If the fish was the only inhabitant of the tank, after it's death the tank usually gets a good scrubbing down unless I'm 100% sure that it simply died of old age and not some infection or disease. oh, It's really
hard to raise them.