Starting over

[adkjoe]

So all of my fish died recently, fish I've had for 7-8 years. I have no idea what happened. I put in a couple new plants and a convict cichlid from the pet store and everyone got sick and died. fish got covered in white spots which I originally thought it was ich then there eyes got cloudy and puffy. They all died within a matter of days, some growing large patches of white.

Anyway I'm pretty upset about it but I'm not giving up, I've never had to start over after a disease so I don't know where to begin. How do I get whatever disease killed the fish out of the tank so it's ready for new fish? I'm guessing it needs to be completely sterilized and re-cycled? How do I go about this? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[stevedocs]

Sounds like it could of been ich, if that's the case just wait a week or two as the ich will die off without a host. Keep the BB feed with ammonia while you wait. Some heavy gravel vaccing wouldn't hurt. I'm sure some other members will chime in

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I was following your other thread. To me it sounded like you had ich along side a bacterial infection. I would completely strip the tank and sterilize everything just to be on the safe side. The convict you added could have brought in any number of diseases and infected your other fish.
To disinfect submerge everything in a bleach and water solution. 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. Make sure to use a bleach without fragrances. Rinse everything in 3x dosed dechlorinated water to neutralize the bleach. I would replace the filter media and possibly the substrate.

 

[Riane22]

So all of my fish died recently, fish I've had for 7-8 years. I have no idea what happened. I put in a couple new plants and a convict cichlid from the pet store and everyone got sick and died. fish got covered in white spots which I originally thought it was ich then there eyes got cloudy and puffy. They all died within a matter of days, some growing large patches of white.

Anyway I'm pretty upset about it but I'm not giving up, I've never had to start over after a disease so I don't know where to begin. How do I get whatever disease killed the fish out of the tank so it's ready for new fish? I'm guessing it needs to be completely sterilized and re-cycled? How do I go about this? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Dont use bleach!!! That will kill every thing. A vinager and water solution would be the best.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Dont use bleach!!! That will kill every thing. A vinager and water solution would be the best.

That's the idea. Bleach will kill any lingering disease preventing the infection of the new fish. The tank will need to be cycled again but that's better than potentially going through the same ordeal.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

No, vinager willnot work in this case.
Mumma is right. Because of the bacterial or fungal infection, bleach in the ratio she stated is best.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

The OP already is aware they have to start over. "Sorry to hear it, I don't envy you a bit"
Just to be safe i would replace the substrate also. On a brighter note though, now you can restock!

 

[adkjoe]

The substrate was only pool sand so at $5 a bag I don't mind replacing it.

I will soak everything in a bleach solution and also wipe the whole tank down with it.

What about filter media? I know it will also have to be disinfected, however I just purchased new media for an AC 110 literally a week ago. Can I just soak that in the bleach solution as well and just start from scratch with cycling again or do I have to replace the media? It's just the sponge and bio max.

On a side note, how do you guys keep your python clean? Mine gets black mold in the tube and I have no idea how to keep it clean. Thanks!

 

[Soccerfish]

i run bleach water threw mine and then flush it with tons of fresh water, then i let it dry for a few days and flush more fresh water

 

[Cichlid Kid]

In your situation with an undetermined illness infecting and wiping out all your stock like it did, personally i would clean the foam and biomax in the bleach solution as well. I realize it will kill all your good bacteria and starting over with no seeded material is time consuming but it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

[adkjoe]

^ I agree completely. I am in no rush.

I have some stuff I got at an auction that says cycles tank fully in 24 hours but I would never believe that. Anyway I don't mind waiting but if I knew someone who has an established tank what would be a good choice to get from them to help get the tank started again? A bag of gravel, what?

 

[Cichlid Kid]

If you happen to have a friend in the hobby willing to help then try to acquire some media directly from their filter. This is where the most beneficial bacteria will be because of the waterflow and oxygen level inside the filter. Then simply add whatever material directly to your own filter. Using "seeded" media such as this will greatly reduce your cycling period, in fact if you can acquire enough of it you could possibly instantly cycle the newly cleaned aquarium. Just remember what mumma.of.two said about soaking the cleaned items in a 3× solution of dechlorinating agent such as seachems PRIME.

 

[adkjoe]

I'll see what I can get. I bet someone in the local fish club would be willing to share.

A side not: How the heck do you guys keep your python clean? Mine get's black mold inside the tubing, how do you clean it and keep it clean?