onlywei Posted February 9, 2022 Share Posted February 9, 2022 Hello, I have a 40g breeder that had 8 corydoras in it. They were the only fish in the tank. Unfortunately they started dying one by one so that I only have three remaining. I moved the last three into a bare 20g long with a sponge filter and dosed it with salt. The sponge filter was cycled in a different tank. I am going to take down this 40g breeder tank entirely. However, it also has a bunch of plants, a sponge filter and a HOB filter. I quite like some of these plants and equipment and I want to keep using them. How can I be sure that whatever disease was killing my corydoras is gone from these plants and filters before I use them in another tank? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Stewart Posted February 9, 2022 Share Posted February 9, 2022 Most diseases that affect fish will die off after about a month or two without fish or other critters to feed on. If you have a UV steriliser, that will also help kill off spores and larvae. Since you plan to rebuild the tank, I would rinse the plants in clean dechlorinated water, and let them live alone in a completely fresh build for a month or more to be sure they won't carry anything over to the new community. Plants don't usually like the salt treatment, and some do horribly with chlorine/bleach dips while others do just fine. i think the time game is the best way to go if you have that time available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlywei Posted February 9, 2022 Author Share Posted February 9, 2022 Thanks @Greg Stewart. What about the filters? Same thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Stewart Posted February 9, 2022 Share Posted February 9, 2022 @onlywei Yeah, rinse any bio media (ceramics, stones, "special" sponges, etc.) gently, and just keep that going. I toss out polishing floss on a regular basis, so I'd recommend just starting fresh with any fiber pads or "poofs". You certainly don't want to kill that cycle, and a lot of the critters living in the gunk in the durable media will help consume certain parasites and bacteria as they collect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggie Posted February 9, 2022 Share Posted February 9, 2022 I had plants in Cosmo's tank which had a bacterial infection. I sterilized everything in the tank except the plants which I rinsed very well several times and then put in a bucket with clean water and a light nearby. I overdosed them with antibacterial meds for 2 weeks and kept them in there another 6 weeks after that. Other than some algae and drooping, they did fine. I now have them in a new tank with no problems. The filter I fear you might have to sterilize and throw out the media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlywei Posted February 9, 2022 Author Share Posted February 9, 2022 How would I sterilize a hang on back filter? Boil it? Soak it in vinegar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Stewart Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 @onlywei Boiling/sterilising your filter will kill your cycle. You can do it, but then you have to recycle the tank. If you are planning to rebuild the tank sooner than one or two months, then you can go this route, but the new cycle could slow you down delay your adding fish. If you do choose to sterilise the filter, just make a 5% bleach solution (1 part plain laundry bleach and 9 parts water), and soak the submersible filter parts for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse well in warm tap water, then soak for 30 minutes in a bucket of water treated with your usual water dechlorinator to deactivate the bleach. You don't need to boil it. I do feel that keeping the biofilter that's already established is a better way to go, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlywei Posted February 10, 2022 Author Share Posted February 10, 2022 I’m not worried about keeping the cycle since I can just stick the filters in one of my healthy tanks for a day or two and they should re-populate with bacteria. Thanks for the info about bleach. That helps a lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy's Fish Den Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 Wash the filter and media out really good with the hottest water you can stand. You can spray some hydrogen peroxide heavy on everything. Do an alum or bleach dip on the plants. Set tank back up and re-cycle it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 On 2/9/2022 at 7:31 PM, onlywei said: I’m not worried about keeping the cycle since I can just stick the filters in one of my healthy tanks for a day or two and they should re-populate with bacteria. Thanks for the info about bleach. That helps a lot! Since you are not worried about cycling hydrogen peroxide kills almost everything. Rinse with hot water and dry.most things won’t survive past 30 days without a host so staging your plants in a bracket with a cheap light works fine I would not keep them because some things will cyst and go dormant (I’m not sure which) but if I had to I would do 60 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlywei Posted February 11, 2022 Author Share Posted February 11, 2022 What ratio of Hydrogen Peroxide vs Water should I use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 For hard scape and filters I just pour standard grocery store (cheap $1/big bottle) hydrogen peroxide which is 3% I believe on right out of the bottle like you would on a cut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlywei Posted February 12, 2022 Author Share Posted February 12, 2022 Thanks. What about for the plants? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted February 12, 2022 Share Posted February 12, 2022 (edited) Plants you're ok soaking in their own bucket as a mini QT changing out water. One post here says they bombed them with meds which could work. IME a couple/few weeks with water changes on their own has worked fine. Whatever you are comfortable with! Edited February 12, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlywei Posted February 13, 2022 Author Share Posted February 13, 2022 Here’s what I did to the plants: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 That should work. I've done that with mine changing water over a few weeks and replanting them in a tank and never had an issue. Sometimes, if they had film or algae I'd lightly scrub it off with a toothbrush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlywei Posted February 14, 2022 Author Share Posted February 14, 2022 Should I put some liquid fertilizer in there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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