Cleanup

[canis_lupus]

hi i believe my fish that just died had TB. she had a sunken stomach, scales fall out, white patches and clamped fins. unless it was ich cuz she did bounce off stuff. anyway how do i go about cleaning the tank and making it free of this disease (for my benefit) the only sugestion on the net that i found was to empty the whole thing and bleach it. there has got to b a better way. all the things i used in the tank r now outside, should i bleach all of those? it's wc day tomorrow and i really don't want to touch that tank btw its a 10 gal and has 3 fry and a guppy and platy.

 

[canis_lupus]

someone please how do i make my tank safe?

 

[platypus]

Hi canis_lupis,

Sorry I can't help much, I've had a look on google and found this article but it only describes the symptoms

Is your lfs any good and could you call them for advice?

P.S. Like your new avatar by the way!

EDIT: Found this as well which suggests treatment.

 

[platypus]

This is the best thing I can find - the good news is it says it's NOT highly contagious.

 

[Alien Anna]

I'd do daily 10-15% water changes for a week and add Melafix to protect the other fish. As you have livebearers, adding some salt can work wonders.

Your fish may have died of TB, but to be honest, it could have been anything. There are a lot of bacteria that can kill a fish in that way. Still, the best way is to prevent the fish getting ill in the first place by ensuring they have a strong immune system.

 

[canis_lupus]

ok i'll get melafix and i already have salt in the tank...i'll try to do water changes everyday but because of school and homework it might b every other day should i worry about contracting the disease? what s teh best way to clean the net and stuff......salt?boiling?

 

[Alien Anna]

ok i'll get melafix and i already have salt in the tank...i'll try to do water changes everyday but because of school and homework it might b every other day should i worry about contracting the disease? what s teh best way to clean the net and stuff......salt?boiling?

A water change should take 5 minutes - if it's going to be time consuming, I'd wonder what you're doing wrong!

You should always wash your hands after handling a fish tank anyway, and wash your hands before handing the tank to avoid contaminating your fish with human germs

Soak your nets and stuff in a bucket of salt solution over-night and that should be fine. Don't forget to rinse them thoroughly. But you don't need to be paranoid. Fish TB has been known to cause a skin disease in humans but that's generally fish farmers and fisherman who handle tons of fish a day, not a hobbyist.

 

[canis_lupus]

thanks alien anna........the reason water changes take awhile it's because my mom is a super clean freak so i have to get the towels out just incase i spill.......buckets and other things then clean it all up again.........it takes some time like 15 mins but that's still not much eh? anyway......maybe i should invest in one of those long vaccum things

thanks again and i always wash my hands