Re: Marimo Balls
This is unfortunate and worrisome news. I have a reasonably new but cycled tank that I've added a mess of fish and a bunch of plants. Understanding the situation, I've removed the Marimo Balls from my tank. The Marimo Balls have been in my tank since the beginning February 2021 (impulse purchased from a local pet store while getting dog food). The second part of this equation is disinfecting the aquarium and equipment. Taking the cautious approach, I will proceed to disinfect my tank and equipment. I've placed the Marimo Balls in a container to observe. If Zebra Mussels develop, the disinfection was the right choice, and I'll advise the appropriate government agency; if not, I have peace of mind. Anyway, I've heard that chlorinated water will do the job. However, this leaves me with questions, and I'm hoping someone with excellent knowledge may be so kind with advice/answers.
Question 1) I assume people are not talking about Clorox but a particular type/brand of Chlorine, which would be what?
Question 2) What would be the ratio of Chlorine to water that works, or would the local city's chlorinated water work?
Question 3) If the local city's chlorinated water works, what would be the PPM of Chlorine needed to be effective?
Question 4), How long does the chlorinated water need to run through the aquarium to be considered disinfected from the Zebra Mussels?
Question 5), Once disinfected with chlorinated water, how long will a dechlorinator take to make the tank safe for a new fishless cycle and returning the fish to the tank. I doubt they will care for their temporary quarters?
Question 6) Will the fish carry any Zebra Mussels, reinfesting the tank once returned, and what to do about that?
Question 7), What will happen to the aquarium plants in the tank while soaking in chlorinated water? Is it good bye to these beautiful plants? In particular: Staurogyne repens, dwarf hair grass, Anubias nana "petite," Java Mass, Java Fern Windelov, Marsilea Hirsuta, and Cardinals. A few of these plants are freshly planted while others, have been in for about a month.
Any help with these questions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Dan