My tank had Neon Tetra Disease – all my fish are now dead. How do I sterilize my tank and how do I sterilize ?
June 29, 2009 by admin
Filed under Questions and Answers
My tropical fish tank was infected by Neon Tetra disease, all my fish have died. Apparently the spores can live in the water without a host. How can I sterilize my tank, ornamnets, bog wood, thermostat etc., before starting again?
Also is there anyway to sterilize my weed and gravel or do I have to replace the lot.
tikitiki on Mon, 29th Jun 2009 11:39 pm
Before anyone says-don’t use bleach it’ll kill the fish….yes, it is safe to use-as long as it’s rinsed properly and you use a dechlorinator after wards. I would use a bleach/water mixture to sterilize just about everything. Only thing I wouldn’t use it on, is the wood and gravel, and maybe the ornaments. I would boil those for a bit instead because the wood definitely is porous, and not knowing what material the others are, they may be porous as well-which will absorb the bleach/water and be difficult to remove. After using the bleach, I would scrub and let it soak a bit. Rinse it thoroughly till you don’t smell bleach anymore. Then be sure to use a dechlorinator when you fill the tank back up to remove any residue bleach that may be on there.
The weeds/plants, they can usually tolerate a dipping in a mild bleach water mixture as well. Not sure how well that quick dip will remove any potential disease causing materials though.
Good luck! And don’t buy your fish from the same place, at least not for a long while. Might even be a good idea to travel a ways from there to make sure you get a place that uses a different breeder.
Neon tetra disease isn’t specific only to neons. And usually it’s transmitted/fatal because a dead fish is left in the tank and the others eat it.