Sterilzation
- Thread starter Tracey
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Bleach would be your best option. It's cheap, can be bought in bulk, and degrades naturally fairly fast. It can also be neutralized with Prime making it easy to remove.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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No, it isn't,. pH is very different.
BCSreef
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Its very difficult to sterilize or sanitize whole "systems" and especially large porous objects (live rock, sand, etc.) using chemical means. I would instead bake the rock and sand. You could use dilute bleach or hydrogen peroxide to sanitize the non-porous tank, pumps, plumbing, etc. Be aware that bleach is not kind to certain materials such as some plastics.
I'm curious, what are you trying to kill?
I'm curious, what are you trying to kill?
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Tracey
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I had an ich outbreak, I have already tried the fallow for 2 months but ich was still present so I have decided to start over. The only thing in the tank right now other than water is some sand which I could remove before adding bleach or chlorine. I just need to know what to use and how much of it. Any advice would be appreciated.
BCSreef
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Ich is a major pain! I hope you are able to wipe it out. Although, bleach may be going overboard. But I don't see any harm in being 101% sure its all dead.
Take a look at this https://nippyfish.net/2009/03/30/how-to-disinfect-sanitize-your-aquarium-with-bleach/
Make sure you don't have another tank (even apparently disease-free) or other source to recontaminate after all the trouble your going through.
Best of luck, Bob
Take a look at this https://nippyfish.net/2009/03/30/how-to-disinfect-sanitize-your-aquarium-with-bleach/
Make sure you don't have another tank (even apparently disease-free) or other source to recontaminate after all the trouble your going through.
Best of luck, Bob
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Tracey
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Thanks for the link Bob. I have a source of chlorine that would be a lot cheaper for me than the amount of bleach I would need for this size setup, does anyone see a problem with me using chlorine?
Humblefish, I had ich issues when I started this hobby years ago, then after alot of work and a new setup I had an ich free setup for years and loved having such healthy happy fish. The last time I had fish in QT I either added their ich to the main tank or 8 weeks was not long enough to kill ich in display. I think my mistake may have been having my QT too close to my sump. I now have an amazing QT setup in my garage, no where near my reef tank. To answer your question, I was using cupramine.
I admit I have had enough and this is my last efforts to have an ich free setup again, if after bleach and the expense/time I have put into the new QT setup, if I have ich again I am going back to feeding well and hoping for the best.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Humblefish, I had ich issues when I started this hobby years ago, then after alot of work and a new setup I had an ich free setup for years and loved having such healthy happy fish. The last time I had fish in QT I either added their ich to the main tank or 8 weeks was not long enough to kill ich in display. I think my mistake may have been having my QT too close to my sump. I now have an amazing QT setup in my garage, no where near my reef tank. To answer your question, I was using cupramine.
I admit I have had enough and this is my last efforts to have an ich free setup again, if after bleach and the expense/time I have put into the new QT setup, if I have ich again I am going back to feeding well and hoping for the best.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Chlorine will release chlorine gas if the pH is not adequately high. Definitely not an inside activity.
How do you have cheaper chlorine than bleach? Bleach need not be full strength.
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I use chlorine (well marketed as liquid pool chlorine) for everything but the gas release is something I didn't know about given the active ingredient being sodium hypochlorite..I know there is some added salt but that's about it.
