Problems with tank - dosage for salinity treatment.

[Castryn]

Hello, I'm afraid my 20g planted tank has become infested with various protozoans, arthropoda, nematoda, and other nasty little microscopic critters. Took a sample of it into my marine biology class to look at it in the scope, and my instructor confirmed that the infestation was at a horrible level. All of the fish that had been living in there are dead and there are large clumps and stranks of dark grey, almost black, "gunk" everywhere. Nothing used to attempt to treat it has helped, so I want to just restart the tank and give it a salinity treatment to ensure the microbes have been killed off.

Does anyone know what dosage of salt I should at to the tank and how often? How long should I let it run before dumping and rinsing it out, and how many times should I run and then rinse it? I plan on tossing the gravel and the filter cartridge, I doubt the plants will survive the salinity treatment and I don't want to risk reinfecting the tank by not treating them, but I need to know if I should replace the biowheel as well and if the tank ornaments will be alright. I believe they are plastic, not porus, so they should be fine.

I guess if this doesn't work, then I'll just dump in a gallon of bleach and run in through a couple of freshwater cycles after to clean it out. I rather not use bleach, but I don't want the risk of the tank getting infected again.

Any and all help is most appreciated and if you have any other suggestions or ideas, that would be great! Thanks again.

 

[jlk]

If you are tossing everything but the tank and filter housings and starting from scratch, just give everything a soak in a dilute bleach solution (9 parts water to 1 part bleach). Rinse very, very well then follow with a soak in double dosed dechlorinated water. Allow to air dry completely, preferably in the sun if possible. No sense in even using salt when some creatures can survive various salinities.

Edit: Also realize that with the exception of nematodes, that you eventually wind up with an assortment of microscopic life in your tank again. The majority of what you listed in your other post are harmless organisms that exist everywhere in nature.