Disinfecting Q- tank

[Ichthys]

I'm tearing down my Q-tank and was wondering what would be the best thing to use for disinfecting everything that was in there (plastic plants, heater, thermometer, and the plastic tub itself)? How long should you microwave a sponge heater (Hydro 1)? Also, what do ya'll use to disinfect your fish nets? Thanks!

 

[Menagerie]

You have raised some interesting Qs. What disease was being treated in the QT tank?

 

[QTOFFER]

This will work for all aquarium equipment, including sponge filters and nets:
Dilute regular household bleach (no detergents or fragrances added) 1 part to 9 parts warm water. Soak for 15 minutes and rinse with water. Rinse again. Rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse. Rinse one more time. (Actually, I just throw the stuff in the tub and let the shower run on it for about half an hour while I do something else.) If you want to use the disinfected item immediately, rinse it off one final time in water + dechlorinator. Otherwise, allow it to air dry, and the chlorine will decompose and evaporate.

Some people rinse off the sponge filter in clean water, squeeze it out, and microwave for 30 sec. This works fine, but I'm just squeamish about putting fish stuff in my microwave.

 

[gheitman]

I use Potassium Permanganate to disinfect my quarantine/hospital tank. This stuff is trickier to deal with than bleach so it isn't for everyone, but it does the job. I had difficulty finding Potassium Permanganate locally and eventually had to get a pharmacy to order it.

You just fill your tank with water and add enough Potassium Permanganate to turn the tank dark red and let it sit 24 hours with the filter running. Anything else you need disinfected (i.e. nets, siphons, plastic plants, etc.) can be put in the tank as well. When you are done you need to empty the tank and rinse it thoroughly.

Although I haven't done this myself, you can also use Potassium Permanganate as a dip to kill snail eggs and algae on new plants before putting them in an aquarium. You get a bucket of water and add enough of Potassium Permanganate to turn the water pink and then soak the plants for 10-20 minutes. Then thoroughly rinse the plants under tap water and add dechlorinator to the tank you put the plants in.

If you do decide to use Potassium Permanganate you need to be careful handling it because it will stain whatever it comes into contact with (i.e. clothes, carpets, etc.). Rubber gloves and glasses should be worn whenever using it. Potassium Permanganate is an oxidizer and should not be used near an open flame or heat source.

 

[Ichthys]

Thanks for your inputs! gheitman, why do you use Potassium Permanganate rather than bleach? Do you think it does a better job? Menagerie, I had 3 month old Dalmatian mollie fry in the Q-tank. Some of them had curved backs and 2 others just seemed weak (sick from I don't know what and they eventually died/were euthanized). The ones with curved backs were weak and lethargic (something was wrong besides a curved back) except for one fry that seemed perfectly fine except for his curved back and rather large (bloated?) stomach. So I was dealing with fish tuberculosis or just a sick fish with a curved back and/or just deformities. As you can see, I'm not to sure what I was dealing with :? I'm keeping a close eye on the 6 remaining fry and also 2, one month fry (from the same female molly) that are in a different tank. I just hope they all stay healthy
Thanks again for your suggestions!

 

[gheitman]

I use Potassium Permanganate instead of bleach because I read about using it in a couple of books. One of them was "The Manual of Fish Health". I haven't used bleach myself although I think it is more frequently used than Potassium Permanganate.