Starting Again With Main Tank

[julia298]

BIG decision...

After suspecting I had TB in my tank a few months ago, ( bent spines) everything seemed to settle down. I didnt use anti biotics as I didnt want to ruin filter and fish al seemed ok for 3 weeks or so. Then I had 3 guppies die at about 4 week intervals and water stats have been fine all along, Ive introduced no new fish or anything else. (all affected fish have been guppies, maybe dwarf gouramis had TB?)

As the fish I have could be carriers of TB I have finally decided these fish from my main tank will go in a smaller tank and hopefully live out their lives happily. (5 zebra danio, 4 cardinal tetras, 2 cherry barbs, 4 guppies)

So reluctantly, main tank is going to be emptied and thoroughly cleaned.

Just wondered if anyone has TB (I mean your fish) and what you did.

Should I get new gravel or am I ok just cleaning it. Or should I not put anything from tank back in?

 

[julia298]

*bump*

Anybody... any advice?

 

[diademhill]

Bleach all the hardware & scrap any gravel, soft decor, nets, filter media etc. I would buy a new set of buckets.

Milton is reliable as it rinses away easier than some other bleaches.


Empty the tank & rinse/scrub it out. put the powerhead & heater in.
Fill the tank to just over the standard water line add milton (get a large bottle) turn on the filter & leave it overnight or a few days.
Wipe the area above the water line with a slightly more concentrated bleach solution.

Once you feel safe with the tank, emty it & rinse it a couple of times, then fill up again & add a double dose of dechlorinator. Run the filter for a day & then empty & repeat.

You should now have no bleach smell.

I would do yet another rinse & the tank should be ok to set up.

 

[jonny-5]

whilst im still a bit of a novice julia,i recently had them same problem or at least all the signs of TB,i threw my gravel away just incase.However i was told by LFS i could either bleach or steralize decor/gravel and inside tank,then just keep rinsing it over the course of a few hours to make sure its well rinsed but allow the tank and anything else to dry naturally

 

[julia298]

Thanks for the advice.

I have a 180l juwel tank. Would one big bottle of Milton be enough do you think?

 

[WILDER]

Everything new, like plants, gravel, even new sponges for the filter, you will have to cycle the tank again, and sterlise the filter in hot salty water and run it for a while, then pour the water away and rinse in clean water running it again for a while, then leave to dry out for a day or two.

 

[Qays]

Wow, sounds very severe. What is this disease, how does it occur, and why do you have too take extreme cleaning to remove it?

 

[WILDER]

http/www.4qd.org/Aqua/disease/tb.html

 

[julia298]

Everything new, like plants, gravel, even new sponges for the filter, you will have to cycle the tank again, and sterlise the filter in hot salty water and run it for a while, then pour the water away and rinse in clean water running it again for a while, then leave to dry out for a day or two.

When you say steralise the filter, do you mean the filter housing? as I would need new sponges right?

If I fill the tank with water and add Milton wouldnt this be more effective?

 

[WILDER]

Sorry, its a juwel then with the built in filter box, yes just sterlise the whole tank in water, don't keep the sponges throw them away, there is a chemical you can buy to sterlise in that article i left, forgot it's name i will take a look.

tank disinfected with 1:1000 potassium permanganate solution


http/www.fishdoc.co.uk/treatments/potass...ermanganate.htm

 

[julia298]

Thanks.

Anyone know an easy way to get under the filter to scrub - i dont think filter housing comes out of juwel tanks?

 

[WILDER]

Or you could remove the whole box and get a better filter.

 

[Qays]

Wow. scary disease! Would be terrible having too start from scratch.

 

[julia298]

Or you could remove the whole box and get a better filter.

Oh no, not more big decisions!

I would be very nervous of taking it out - I'd probably break the tank.

 

[WILDER]

If you are happy with the filter leave it in, if not you use a stanley knife to break the silcone sealing, just have to be careful not to scatch the glass.