Best way to sterilize a tank?

I am completely sterilizing my tank of a parasite. I am throwing out all sand, and cleaning the tank out. Would it be enough to just boil and clean the rocks, or should I also use bleach?

Although I've never done it myself, many would recommend bleaching the tank and its contents.

I had a total tank wipe a little while ago and I soaked every thing in net soak and Im still using it to this day (about 6 months later) with no problem. My gulper catfish is happily cruising around the tank as Im typing this.

I feel like bleach and boil would be the best. Can anyone who has bleached please share your experience.

It's as simple as dumping some bleach in the tank (say a cup or so for your tank)...and letting it sit for a couple of days. Stir the sand, drain the tank, fill and drain again. Then fill and dechlor it (add some extra for good measure)... And you're good to go.

No need to throw out the sand.

Matt

I have a lot if extra sand, and the sand I did use was really cheap stuff from Home Depot. I think I will take out the rocks, and bleach them in a seperate container. The tank I will take outside and completely clean out, dry out, and clean out again. Then I will bleach it over the weekend and clean it out again. That should sterilize everything I think. Am I missing anything?

npbarca said:

I feel like bleach and boil would be the best. Can anyone who has bleached please share your experience.

Click to expand...

boiling is overkill and sounds really labor intensive, just use some bleach. run the tank and filters will the water/bleach for a few days then remove and let everything dry a bit and you will be good. if you want something a little stronger than bleach you can use muriatic acid. that's what I typically use when I get a used tank or equipment.

If you let the tank air dry would this kill anything that infested your tank since this are water bugs or parasites ????


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I thought of that, but I'm not taking any chances.

My one tank was impossible to kill. I had a datnoid in it fine then one day dead.

Took everything out let it dry for a week then i put in a baby peacock bass. Next week dead for no reason.

(This was before i knew alot about fish)

Then i researched about this topic "steralizing the tank" and i simply turned it into a reptile tsnk cause i did not feel like doing the work with boiling.


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You don't have to boil anything. Bleach will work just fine.

I recently sterilized a tank because it had an unknown pathogen that I couldn't eradicate. Here's what I did:

Remove all fish and put in a QT tank.
Remove all wood and rocks from tank.
Remove filter sponges, rinsed out well, let them dry for a few days.
Add a gallon of bleach to tank (90g tank) and let run, stirring substrate in tank.
Dip rocks and wood in bleach water for a few minutes to be safe.
Drain tank and refill. Drain again, refill, and add dechlor.
Add sponges to filter from healthy, established tank.
Add all décor back to tank.
Let run for a day, then add healthy fish.

I did this several weeks ago, the tank is now running fine with 12+ fish, no deaths. Anything you let go completely dry will be pathogen free, it can't survive without water, but I bleached them just to be safe. I didn't bleach the sponges because they will deteriorate quicker. Once I knew the sponges were dry, I put them in the tank I swapped sponges from, and that tank has been healthy during this period too.

I don't think boiling is necessary, but it can't hurt. KISS tells me bleach sterilized everything, and that's all that's needed, but do what you need to for peace of mind.

Just now saw this thread.
Saturated salt solution is easier and better than chlorine bleach. You can use it on sponges and gravel and wood. Nothing can live in saturated salt solution and it need only be in contact for 15 minutes to do the job. Then drain the excess and rinse.

Use a wash cloth or sponge soaked in saturates salt solution to rub down the sides of the tank and things like the electrical lines on heaters and pumps and lids and such.

Saturated salt solution is easier on your skin and has no odor.

You can see how to prepare a saturated salt solution from salt and water at http://aquaticlifefarm.com/web_pages/alf_article_salt.html