how long should i keep my tank empty?

So I bleached the tank this morning. I put the sponge in the 10% bleach solution and wiped down the inside of the glass and let it sit there to dry with the bleach on the glass. I repeated this 3 times and then washed it down with water 4-6 times. I also scrubbed it down with a different clean sponge to get off any left over bleach. Its dried up now and doesn't smell like bleach so I think its clean.

I washed the gravel thoroughly last night with water after bleaching it and its still wet but doesn't smell like bleach anymore. I am kind of paranoid about it because I don't want any bleach left on there. Should I just let it dry and then put in the tank or wash it again?
 
If you are paranoid, rinse it some more. But if you can't smell bleach then it's probably safe. Each rinse will get rid of 99.9% of the bleach. Do that a couple of times and there isn't much left.

Ian
 
I cant believe so many think that sterilizing tank will eliminate the pathogens. Pathogens can be reintroduced as soon one live stock is added.

Whats the point of sterilizing tank? I am sure when one started the initial set up, it was free of pathogenic microbes but illnesses took place. What make anyone to think it wont happen again no matter how well one sterilizes.
What's important is to assess the problem and do whats necessary without destroying well-matured tank.


You already took the tank down so do what makes you feel confortable.

BTW, I would never bleach gravel nor any porous deco/rocks. It is very difficult to eradicate all the bleached soaked up by them. May require many and repeated rinsing procedure. That is if such practice will remove all the bleach.

If you think seterilizing the tank is neccesary, just add salt to salt water. Best way to sterilize in my opinion than bleach. At least any remianing residue is not toxic to fish compared to bleach.
Add all the decos and run the filter. After day or two, drain saltwater and fill with f/w and run the filter. Repeat several times and you should be good to go.

Only times when I consider draining whole tank is when and if some toxins found their way into the tank threatening health of my stocks. Insuch event, most of gravel, even coated gravel, may have be chucked.

Q/T new addtions before introducing to heathy and well stablized tank. It is impossible to know what on/in the new fish as well as lfs water.
By q/t, you will minimize,but not completely, eradicate possible cross contaminations.

Hope all goes well!
 
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I don't smell any bleach on the gravel and I rinsed it thoroughly. I will set up a quarantine this time so the same thing doesn't happen again. I am going to fill the tank up either tomorrow or the day after because everything is dry now.

My mistake here was I bought fish from an online vendor not knowing the fish's health before it came. IMO, it is better to buy fish at the lfs then online. at least there you can observe the fish. Either way, I will be setting up a quarantine tank to prevent future problems.
 
Cerianthus said:
I cant believe so many think that sterilizing tank will eliminate the pathogens. Pathogens can be reintroduced as soon one live stock is added.

Whats the point of sterilizing tank? I am sure when one started the initial set up, it was free of pathogenic microbes but illnesses took place. What make anyone to think it wont happen again no matter how well one sterilizes.
What's important is to assess the problem and do whats necessary without destroying well-matured tank.


You already took the tank down so do what makes you feel confortable.

BTW, I would never bleach gravel nor any porous deco/rocks. It is very difficult to eradicate all the bleached soaked up by them. May require many and repeated rinsing procedure. That is if such practice will remove all the bleach.

If you think seterilizing the tank is neccesary, just add salt to salt water. Best way to sterilize in my opinion than bleach. At least any remianing residue is not toxic to fish compared to bleach.
Add all the decos and run the filter. After day or two, drain saltwater and fill with f/w and run the filter. Repeat several times and you should be good to go.

Only times when I consider draining whole tank is when and if some toxins found their way into the tank threatening health of my stocks. Insuch event, most of gravel, even coated gravel, may have be chucked.

Q/T new addtions before introducing to heathy and well stablized tank. It is impossible to know what on/in the new fish as well as lfs water.
By q/t, you will minimize,but not completely, eradicate possible cross contaminations.

Hope all goes well!
Click to expand...

It will eliminate what was there...not what you add in....
 
My female guppy gave birth to about 30 fry while she was in the hospital tank. I removed the fry right away and put them in my 2 gallon tank. Can I add them to the 40 once its cycled or is there a possibility that they are now harboring the pathogens. As she pushed them out, I scooped them up and put them in a bowl. Acclimated them to the 2 gallon tank and them put them in without dumping the water in there.
 
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