Hello; First a bit of background. I needed to take down all the tanks in my fish room. I wanted to take up the carpet, both for my tanks and to have a wood burner in the room. I put down commercial vinyl tiles.
I set up spare tanks here and there to house the fish and plants. I decided to try to clean and disinfect my tanks as they are set back up in the fishroom. I have read about using chlorine to do this. After rinsing all the gravel I let it soak in a clorox solution for a time. I also test filled one tank and put a bit of clorox in it while it had only water. I allowed it to run empty for about a week with a HOB going. I put in some gravel and allowed it to run with the HBO and some bubblers for a couple of days.
Here is what I have learned so far. Even with the gravel having been rinsed off and the tank running for some time there was still enough clorox remaining to promptly kill a few snails I tossed in. A few live plants I put in at the same time, however are looking fine so far after three days. That I was suspicious is why I only tried a few snails (ramshorn snails).
The only water conditioner I could find locally is Tetra Aquasafe. I put some in today and a couple of hours later added a few snails. These snails are doing fine. No point in getting in a hurry to add more plants and especially not any fish.
I had not ever used clorox to disinfect anything about a tank before so this is a learning experience. I have learned that the gravel will need more of a rinse and/or a soak in a solution of safe/prime. The next time I make the 60+ mile drive to Knoxville I will try to get a container of safe. Am I correct in thinking that SAFE is the powder form and that it will have a long shelf life?
As the first tank has only water, gravel, some snails and a few plants what might be a good next step? I could drain most of the water out of the tank and then refill it? I could trust that the Tetra Aquasafe has done the job and the tank is ready for cycling?
One thing that may come out of this is a new, to me anyway, appreciation of live plants ability to handle a clorox solution that will kill snails. If the palnts do survive, then a way to kill parasites and pathogens might be in a clorox solution dip for a day or so.
I set up spare tanks here and there to house the fish and plants. I decided to try to clean and disinfect my tanks as they are set back up in the fishroom. I have read about using chlorine to do this. After rinsing all the gravel I let it soak in a clorox solution for a time. I also test filled one tank and put a bit of clorox in it while it had only water. I allowed it to run empty for about a week with a HOB going. I put in some gravel and allowed it to run with the HBO and some bubblers for a couple of days.
Here is what I have learned so far. Even with the gravel having been rinsed off and the tank running for some time there was still enough clorox remaining to promptly kill a few snails I tossed in. A few live plants I put in at the same time, however are looking fine so far after three days. That I was suspicious is why I only tried a few snails (ramshorn snails).
The only water conditioner I could find locally is Tetra Aquasafe. I put some in today and a couple of hours later added a few snails. These snails are doing fine. No point in getting in a hurry to add more plants and especially not any fish.
I had not ever used clorox to disinfect anything about a tank before so this is a learning experience. I have learned that the gravel will need more of a rinse and/or a soak in a solution of safe/prime. The next time I make the 60+ mile drive to Knoxville I will try to get a container of safe. Am I correct in thinking that SAFE is the powder form and that it will have a long shelf life?
As the first tank has only water, gravel, some snails and a few plants what might be a good next step? I could drain most of the water out of the tank and then refill it? I could trust that the Tetra Aquasafe has done the job and the tank is ready for cycling?
One thing that may come out of this is a new, to me anyway, appreciation of live plants ability to handle a clorox solution that will kill snails. If the palnts do survive, then a way to kill parasites and pathogens might be in a clorox solution dip for a day or so.
I clean everything in a bleach and vinegar solution, one part bleach to nine parts vinagar. Only problem I've found is that the more 'sensitive' plants can only handle a 60 second dip, but most are fine in a 3-5 minute dip. Then I rinse them under the tap and place them to soak in a bucket of water overdosed with prime, for one hour for every minute they are in the bleach.
