Disease decimated my 40g breeder

[Brennan]

I made the idiotic mistake of not quarantining some new fish prior to introducing them into my 40g breeder.  It was a stupid move I know and my tank paid the price.  The new fish brought with them some kind of bacterial infection that left a white film like coating on their dead bodies.  It killed all the bristlenose, angels, amazon puffers.  I noticed the last amazon puffer prior to its death had one fin pinned to itself.  I treated with one of apis products which left a few survivors.  One albino cory, 3 ottos, and a pair of not so good looking plady.  My real question is can the tank be saved? Is saving it an option or do i have to remove all the plants, sand, filter media, rocks, possibly remaining fish and bleach the entire tank? I have never had such a disaster before so any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Minanora]

I'm sorry for your losses. It happens to all of us. Hang in there. I don't think you need to rebuild the tank. I would keep an eye on everyone that remains. Maybe do a course of the co-op trio for a soak. What's going on with the pladys? What do your tank parameters look like?

[Colu]

Sound like Columnaris or mycobacterium infection what I would is treat the remaining fish with kanaplex and jungal fungas clear fizz tabs containing nitrofurazone following this treatment schedule using jungal fungas clear instead of furan2 as it has been discontinued once you get the remaining fish back to full health  I would put your remaining fish in Qarantine and disinfect the tank using 3% hydrogen peroxide solution or isopropyl alcohol  I would bin the substrate or you can bake the substrate.at high temperature in the over to kill any bacterial or viruses I would bin your  plants and disinfect all your  equipment  then I would run your tank for at least 8 weeks without fish just to be on the safe side  that will also give you time to recycle the tank

[Brennan]

I dosed copper yesterday as the week treatment of API was pretty ineffective.  Id hate to lose all the plants and 6inches of substrate but if thats the only way to start the process of rebuilding then i will. Starting a new cycle is not an issue as i have multiple old established tanks that have not been effected (knock on wood). 

[Brennan]

Update:  So the survivors Juvenile Angel, 3 ottos, 2 pladdys, and 3 ottos seem to have recovered.  I didnt empty and nuke the tank however i have done frequent water changes. My last question is there anything i should be doing to prevent accidental contamination of my other tanks?  I have 75g mbuna tank and 4 20g longs with super reds i breed.  I have been careful to keep all equipment that i used on the diseased 40g to that tank and not use it elsewhere but is there anything i should dose the other tanks with?