Using bleach in display tank to kill ich?

[doubleshot00]

Ok

Excatly

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Running the tank at 86F for 2 weeks should also starve out ich.

Coral/Invert Quarantine Time Frames

I think the overall issue here is that there are no known dips that can kill the trophonts which can attach themselves to stonies. I’m regurgitating what I’ve learned reading this site, but I believe that’s the main issue. On that note, I’ve got some SPS frags in QT, didn’t like idea of 80.6+...

humble.fish

Back in 1985, I would run 86 degrees for 4 weeks. I'm not sure I would risk two weeks. That is the conundrum with fallow periods though - if somebody says "go longer", they aren't wrong (grin).

I started that 45 days fallow thread here to battle the silly 76 days fallow period, but I'm hesitant to go as short as two weeks....

Jay


Jay

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I guess the question can be boiled down to:

What is the best way to quickly make absolute certain that all the Ich has been killed in a display tank with no fish in it? (without replacing all the rock and sand).

Bleach works just fine, and can be neutralized easy enough. However, you need to get the dose right, and you need to use bleach that is 5.25% sodium hypochlorite in water, no other surfactants, perfumes, etc. THAT is really tough to find now days! Seems like every bleach on the market has other crud in it, and they often hide that fact. Since these aren't "active ingredients" they don't have to be listed on the label.

Dr. Yanong lists 60 ppm for 24 hours as being effective, but I prefer to use 100 ppm. Here is his reference:

FA164/FA164: Cryptocaryon irritans Infections (Marine White Spot Disease) in Fish

University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension outreach is a partnership between state, federal, and county governments to provide scientific knowledge and expertise to the public. The University of Florida (UF), together with Florida A&M University (FAMU)...

edis.ifas.ufl.edu

Getting rid of the bleach includes rinsing the tank with freshwater and then using sodium thiosulfate until the rinse water shows no chlorine with a cheap DPD chlorine test (like for a pool). Once gone, there is NO residual issue with using bleach.

Jay

 

[Squidward]

Or you could empty the tank of the water. And fill it up with scalding hot water just enough over the sand. I would assume any leftover ich etc would burn and die from the hot water. Just a suggestion.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Or you could empty the tank of the water. And fill it up with scalding hot water. I would assume any leftover ich etc would burn and die from the hot water. Just a suggestion.

104 degrees for one hour is what Yanong lists.

Jay

 

[Dburr1014]

I thought I saw somewhere that @Jay Hemdal mentioned it was safe to use bleach in an empty display tank and it can be removed through water change/carbon.

You should contact him. I'm having a hard time that some moderators don't read the threads. IMO. No bleach if you want to use the tank soon. No copper at all. Hypo, Eh, going to kill a lot of bacteria imo. Temp raising is probably the best option. Fish in qt and copper is 30 days anyway. Then some extra days to make sure it's good.

 

[Dburr1014]

That’s why I believe in the philosophy of keeping the fish in the DT instead of a hospital tank where they could end up stressed. They are in their natural environment.

Um, a tank is a natural environment?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I have also heard that chlorine will dissapate in a matter of days, but I'm not so sure. Think about city water supplies. Chlorine added to the water stored in water tanks does not loose its potency before being distributed to homes and businesses.

*Chlorine dissipates when exposed to light which is why bleach is sold in solid (not clear) containers.
*Water in municipal systems does not get exposed to light after the disinfectant (chlorine) is added.
(*This is also why chlorinated swimming pools use "stabilizer" to slow the breakdown/ dissipation of chlorine.)
*A lot of municipalities now use chloramine instead of chlorine as chloramine has a longer effective period for water treatment.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I have not seen a formula fore how much bleach to add to a display tank with saltwater in it, probably because that method has not been vetted by anyone.

A complete restart is the only option I would every consider with the use of bleach.
Completely empty the tank.
Add a very strong mix of bleach (e.g. maybe 1 gallon of bleach that has no soap or fragrance additives to 50 gallon of water?) and fresh water to the tank, wash it down and let it soak over a day or two.

A 1:50 bleach to water ratio is very weak and will not be sufficient to properly disinfect anything (including your kitchen counters.)
Recommend ratio of bleach to water for routine disinfection is 1:10.

Here's a quote from one of our experts:

Household bleach at a 1:10 dilution for 3 hours will kill ich tomonts and pretty much everything else except maybe some bacterial spores.

Edit: I still don't think the OP should bleach their tank, just posting to give accurate information.

Second edit: I had not seen Jay's replies when I posted this, lol

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

You can use bleach but the sand needs to come out. Your better off taking the sand out and tossing it. Take the rock (if it was dry rock from the beginning LIVE ROCK DONT DO THIS) and soak them overnight in bleach. Then rinse rock and let sit outside for a few days. Then fill the tank with water and add bleach. Run the tank with pumps on for a few hours. Then drain and refill and wash out well. Ive done this before and so far so good.

Complete overkill! Why completely disassemble the tank??

 

[doubleshot00]

Complete overkill! Why completely disassemble the tank??

Maybe but im certain its gone now and its not like the OP has a lot invested. Just sand and water.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Maybe but im certain its gone now and its not like the OP has a lot invested. Just sand and water.

I'm glad it worked for you.

 

[Sean W.]

@Jay Hemdal

I that's the plan then:

86F + fallow for 30 days

 

[MnFish1]

Have read several of the recommendations - sort sure - any are correct - I'm not going to add my opinion. best of luck.

 

[Dav2996]

Um, a tank is a natural environment?

If you put in Quarrantine tank versus rocks with algae hiding spots that are more natural it will feel more at home then a PVC tube or an empty tank where the fish can’t hide and panic and stress more and die

 

[Jay Hemdal]

@Jay Hemdal

I that's the plan then:

86F + fallow for 30 days

I'd go a minimum of 45 days...

Jay

 

[MnFish1]

I thought I saw somewhere that @Jay Hemdal mentioned it was safe to use bleach in an empty display tank and it can be removed through water change/carbon.

You can use bleach in an empty display tank. You can also let it dry out. You can also soak it in fresh water for a couple weeks - or you can just leave it fallow - if you want to be sure do it for 76 days. But - I'm confused - you said 'your scape is still there' - so it's not an empty display tank.

Since you asked - I would leave it fallow. It will avoid having another cycle, and all the hassles.

EDIT - When I read the thread - my other post was not listed - nor were Jay's. So sorry for repeating some of the comments

 

[MnFish1]

If he doesn’t get the UV up velvet could kill his second fish. I have every disease in my tank, where I bought my fish put all their fish in the same dam tank. That tank also has coral so they don’t use meds. It’s literally a disease fest haha and my fish are fine.

Unfortunately, you can't be sure that you have 'every disease in your tank' - unless you've sent a DNA analysis. And there are lots of variables that go into keeping that kind of tank - and for as many people who 'think' they have the key to this process - there are an equal number (or more) - who have lost their entire tank while thinking all of their fish are immune, and all it took was adding one more fish.

 

[Tonycass12]

Edit' I saw the comment I was replying to has been answered multiple times no need for extra input

 

[MnFish1]

I have not seen a formula fore how much bleach to add to a display tank with saltwater in it, probably because that method has not been vetted by anyone.

A complete restart is the only option I would every consider with the use of bleach.
Completely empty the tank.
Add a very strong mix of bleach (e.g. maybe 1 gallon of bleach that has no soap or fragrance additives to 50 gallon of water?) and fresh water to the tank, wash it down and let it soak over a day or two. Empty, soak and rinse with fresh water for several days, and dry the tank and it should be like new. Wear gloves and do this outdoors.
Remove any rock and sand and clean in buckets with the same fresh water bleach mix.
Then soak the rocks and sand for several days in fresh water.
Same process for any filtration, skimmers, etc attached to the tank.
Everything that was in the tank will be killed, bacteria, ich, etc. So you will be completely starting from scratch.

I have also heard that chlorine will dissapate in a matter of days, but I'm not so sure. Think about city water supplies. Chlorine added to the water stored in water tanks does not loose its potency before being distributed to homes and businesses. Chlorine testing might be a good idea if you are not doing a "complete" restart.

Chlorine degrades in light as well as 'time'. Much like H2O2 - but not as quickly. There are multiple articles out there recommending various 'percentages' - but you're correct they are in fresh water - I would not add bleach to a saltwater tank. Additionally, if you are going to use bleach in a tank with some organics - you would be best to do the entire procedure - including the rinsing, etc - outside - to avoid any issues with vapors, etc - when the organics are broken down. When you're done - just use a highly concentrated form of sodium thiosulphate and rinsing - and as others have said - make sure you're NOT using the fragranced products.

EDIT. I could not see Jays nor many of the other posts when I posted this