New dumb question

Did you put the whole filter through the dishwasher? Just wondering if it would work after that because of the motor. I've always been careful not to wet the motor.

If you didn't use soap you should be o.k. I did lose shrimp this way before. I put a fish breeder through the dishwasher without soap and the residue killed the shrimp - or at least I assumed that's what killed the shrimp. Fish are another story. They can tolerate alot and I know that some people put driftwood through dishwashers without soap with no harm coming to the fish. If you ever want to disinfect something that's small like a sponge you can boil it or soak it in a bleach - water solution and rinse well with the final process being soaking it in dechlorinated water and then rinsing well under the tap.

I've put the tubing from my filter through the dishwasher without soap to get rid of algae and I've never had a problem. I've even done it with gravel which I placed in a collander and put through the dishwasher. Always rinse well even though you're not using soap. That's just me being extra careful....

If you think about it - you likely wash your hands before sticking them in the tank and there's got to be some soap residue there.... Just make sure all of the equipment you use in your tank is fish only - especially your pail.
 
Just wanted to be clear about my post above. It's assuming you didn't use soap in the dishwasher or on anything including the tank itself. If you washed anything including the tank with soap I'd be rinsing it like crazy.

There are a couple of things you can do to speed up your cycle but get past the soap issue first.
 
Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm thinking about just replacing the filter - it's underpowered and I'd have to replace it anyway once my readings got too high. I'll drain the water and rinse the whole thing out tonight. It's a shame, I did really like one of the little guys, he was a bright orange with white finnage.
 
also you can try active carbon in your new filter as that should help absorb any harmful chemicals
 
I love feeder goldfish. They live a long time and grow up to be so beautiful and have a great personality. It's great to see them interact with each other. Since they grow to a foot long I wouldn't put it in anything less than a 75, and that would be the bare minimum.

I had mine for 10 years and then a racoon ate them, it was heartbreaking.
 
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