Cleaning Equipment

[richiestang_78]

How should I go about cleaning nets, gravel vacs+tubing, and other various aquarium equipment? Right now I run them under hot tap water, or I saw somewhere you can use a bleach solution, if so what is it?

 

[exodus]

boiling works as well, but be very careful with bleach.

 

[richiestang_78]

yeah how many parts of bleach to water do you use. I know You just need enough to kill any bacteria.

 

[tropicfishman]

don't boil the nets buy this stuff called Net Soak, it cleans, softens and disenfects nets by soaking, works really well if you have multiple tanks or sick fish

 

[richiestang_78]

Hey sorry to revive this topic but I am battling Ick in one of my tank and Net Soak would work for the nets but how would I clean my gravel vac as well? I have used the bleach method on my nets before and rinsed well and left in the sun, can the same be done to the vac and tubing. I need the vac for another 30gal tank I have as my other little gravel vac doesnt work so well on it.

 

[DeFeKt]

Interesting topic.
I'd say the same can be done, but it would be interesting to research the fact that maybe ich can not survive out of water? Might be worth looking into...

~Matt.

 

[richiestang_78]

Yeah I think somewhere it said ick will die when nets dry out.

 

[Alshain]

Interesting topic.
I'd say the same can be done, but it would be interesting to research the fact that maybe ich can not survive out of water? Might be worth looking into...

~Matt.

I would think the lifecycle of ich would prevent it from being transfered in this method. Even if it could survive out of water, the parasite would have no host to attatch to and die with enough time.

 

[brant]

I have heard from people that salt can kill ich to you might want to make a high salt concentration and run that through your gravel vac after each use. I personaly bought a seperate gravel vac for each tank and keep them stored at each tank. And I run the hottest water out of my tap through the vacs before each use wich is about 170 deg. ferenhieght and have had no problems but thats just me. Good luck with your battle with ich I hope everything works out OK.