Bleach Solution for Algae

I was 1 part bleach per 20 parts water.

Just be carefull when you do live plants. I killed some great looking anacharis becase I kept it in too long.

Originally posted by Rocketman
rinse them forever, and replace...

Click to expand...

Even better to let them soak a bit in a doubly strong solution of dechlorinated (or decloraminated) water.

(You will have to scrub them good with a stiff brush - one used just for your aquariums - the algae doesn't just fall off.)

We bleach stuff all the time. We don't measure, tho, just "splash" some into a 5 gallon bucket and fill it up. Use a heavy rock to weigh everything down. Dump out the bleach water when it's clean, maybe rinse stuff a bit, fill up the bucket again, add a healthy dose of dechlorinator and let it sit for an hour at least before putting it back in the tank. You have to be careful not to over-bleach certain things. Silk plants and some plastic decorations can fade.

I also bleach stuff all the time as I am having a problem with BBA at the moment.

For decorations, rocks and anyhting else fake i don't measure. Just dump a bit of bleach into about 3 gals of water(half a 5g pail) and soak for the duration it takes to clean my tank. I then rinse the stuff and let it soak in some water with 2-3X the dose of prime. And rinse some more. I have never had a problem with using bleach.

For bleaching plants i use about 1part bleach -20 parts water and leave the platns in there for 1-3 mins depending on what plant it is. Stuff like java fern can take longer then delicate plants. Then again follow the rinsing and soaking.

Bleaching/sanitizing of plants:
I did this only once on Javamoss - 1:19 mix.
Left it in the water only ONE minute and then rinsed it well.
Small part of J.M decided to turn brown, but the majority showed no ill effects.

Decor, rocks (not Lava Rock), nets go right thru the dishwasher with a good rinse of clear water afterward.
Have done it like this for years.

The dishwasher method... soap or no soap?

This thread is from 2003. I think the op has found an answer by now.