Contaminated Tank

[Kou3]

Hello..

I have recently posted here that my fish got sick with either Ich or Velvet, i lost many of them so far and others are being treated.

While they are treated, am thinking of sterilizing and sanitizing the main tank, it is around 300 litres with a canister filter, i have seen many videos online doing this thing but mostly for small tanks, my question is, how to do it?

Can i run Mythelene blue for days in the tank and get it sanitized? Is it enough? Shall i add Bleach to the tank while it is empty from plants and fish but other materials are still there? What shall i do with my filter media it is not cheap to be replaced in my country? soaked in bleach maybe or running bleach in the aquarium will do the job? How much i can leave the bleach running through the filter? Well i am trying my best to get it sanitized without removing everything but if i have to i will do it. And it is ok for me to start a new cycle, i have done it many times with other tanks..

Thank you..

 

[Byron]

Generally, no. If the issue actually was either ich or velvet, keep the tank water at or above 30C/86F for two weeks, a week longer if no fish are present. Bring the temp down to normal. If you do not add fish after this for a while, it will further ensure the ich/velvet is killed off, as these cannot live without a host according to the life cycle.

I would never use anything like bleach with substrate, filter media or wood present. I believe methylene blue can kill some bacteria.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

If you have the space, you could also take apart the tank, spread the components out to dry, and let it all bake in the Jordan sunshine for at least two weeks. That wouldn't completely sanitize the tank but should kill off any fish pathogens present.