If Its Dry Is It Disease Free

[Jazzzz]

If i let a tank go completely dry will it be disease free as the bacteria will die yes?

 

[Corleone]

It's the method I use. Most disease bacteria won't last long without a host. Any time I have a fish die in quarantine, I dry everything out and leave it for a week or so before using it again.

 

[nitro7]

If i let a tank go completely dry will it be disease free as the bacteria will die yes?

bit of a sticky one this,i would think it would depend on the disease
myself i would wash it in a mild bleace and give it a good rinse or wash it with salty water

 

[Syphoniera]

The dry-out Q tank thing will certainly polish off anything like ich - but it turns out many little nasties can survive extended dry-out periods.
And apparently bleach doesn't get everything either, which I found rather disconcerting.
But if concerned about mycobacterial ('fishTB') or other particularly resistant organisms, the bleaching can be followed up with a wipedown with a strong rubbing alcohol solution, which apparently will get many things otherwise missed.
Life just keeps getting more and more complicated.
But I suppose it's better than not having any at all.
Especially in a tank you thought it was safe to put fish in again...

 

[Behold]

If you knew what the illness was it might help ease your mind as to what kills it.

 

[celaeno]

wouldn't adding antibiotics to the tank after the fish are taken out kill most or all of the bad bacteria?

 

[Corleone]

wouldn't adding antibiotics to the tank after the fish are taken out kill most or all of the bad bacteria?

The problem with this is that a great many bacterial strains are antibiotic resistant, and misuse of antibiotics tends to promote those strains. If there's no fish to harm, it's safer, not to mention cheaper, to wipe them out by brute force, chemically (bleach, alcohol, etc) or environmentally (drying, boiling, etc). Strictly speaking, a wide spectrum antibiotic probably would work, but they aren't cheap compared to other methods - they are meant to kill the bacteria without causing undo harm to the host animal.

 

[Jazzzz]

so after a week it would be pretty clean yes?