NEED TO DISINFECT BOWFRONT

[Elaine_Bryant]

I have 75 gallon bowfront that I had my discus in. They are now being treated in quarantine tank. What would be the best way to disinfect the tank? Would just raising the temp do it? And what is the best way to keep fishnets etc. disinfected?

[craniac24]

If it were me, I'd bomb it with a high dose of Potassium Permanganate. Or, you can simply use a light bleach solution, drain, then refill with fresh water and some dechlorinator at 5x the normal dosage.

[April]

if you use bleach.. let it dry completely before refilling. bleach will dissipate..
jungle makes pp for ponds. but bleach should be ok. still use extra chlorine remover if your adding new fish soon..

[Elaine_Bryant]

Can you get the PP for ponds at places like petsmart? How much do you think I should put in?

[Harriett]

PP is really strong. Add a few grains at a time to the full tank until you get a dark purple color (probably 1/4 teaspoon?). Run the tank without filter media but with the filter running, for a couple hours. Since you had a problem in the tank, if it was me, I'd just dump any sponge type media and begin with fresh after you sterilize the tank and sterilize ceramic noodles or whatever . PP turns from purple to brown when it has killed all the organics in the water. IF you are feeling real paranoid or if the tank goes brown quite fast, repeat the process. At the end, just keep running clean water thru until the purple is gone. PP will possibly stain the silicone in the tank but it isn't a big deal and fades over time. Hope this will help!
Welcome back to the forum, looks like you are an old-timer, as it goes!
Best regards
Harriett

[White Worm]

Check Sears in the water softener area. Thats where I got mine. Pottasium Permanganate.

[korbi_doc]

Check Sears in the water softener area. Thats where I got mine. Pottasium Permanganate.

DITTO!!!!

[poconogal]

If it were me, I'd bomb it with a high dose of Potassium Permanganate. Or, you can simply use a light bleach solution, drain, then refill with fresh water and some dechlorinator at 5x the normal dosage.
I recently read, and I wish I could remember exactly where, that bleach should not be used in a tank, as it can remove the silicone. I use kosher salt and hot water to disinfect my tanks. Have never had any problems or issues.

[Elaine_Bryant]

If I were to go the kosher salt way, how much would a 75 gallon take? thanks so much from the ol timer that forgot everything she knew about keeping discus LOL

[Graham]

If you want to use salt....just dump a ton of it in ...make it the Dead Sea..a whole pound and a gallon of water and scrub it down...rinse it it a few hours later amd it should be clean.

PP I love the stuff...1 teaspoon does 600 gallons at 4ppm...fille the tank and dump 4 teaspoons in ...let it sit all day...anything in there will be toast!

rinse well It is a chemical and caution should be taken when using it

Go to Roarks...www.click2roark.com and register and read....excellant site

G

[Polar_Bear]

I agree with most above, use PP or bleach. I've used both without any problems. Since you had a problem in the tank I would leave the filter(s) in place with all media inside. Run the tank at high levels (100 ppm) for a full 24 hours. While this will kill your bio-filter it will also kill any pathogens too. If you use bleach use it at a 10-1 ratio for best effectiveness, and as April stated let it dry fully after draining the tank. Bleach is very easy to get rid ot though, just like PP any dechlorinator will deactivate it.

[brewmaster15]

Hi Larry,

If you use bleach use it at a 10-1 ratio for best effectiveness That 10% solution is great for killing anything and what we used in the labs....but its probably overkill on a tank. In the med field its 10% for 20 min....


1 cup of bleach run overnight in a 55-75 gal is still probably overkill... but pretty much what I use.:) rinse well with water, and maybe use a dechlor like sodium thiosulfate if you are paranoid.


hth,
al

[bullheimer]

thanks for these tips guys. i am all over this cup of bleach.

ps. what is best (quickest) way to dry the gravel out? prolly take it out in the sun. (does it ever come out here?)