Disinfecting tank

[caprahircus]

I've imported an amphibian disease from a local pet store killing all my African Dwarf Clawed Frogs. The 60 cm tank they were in is now empty and since my C. Orientlis laid I want to use that tank to raise the larvea.

I'm planning on throwing away of all the plants and substrate (sand) and to clean the aquarium with boiling water. But I want to be 100% sure that the disease is wiped out completely, so I would like to know if I should add someting to propper desinfect the tank.

I hope you can help me. any answers/tips are usefull.

Jasper

 

[Starcraft]

How do you know it was a disease that wiped out all your Dwarf Claws?

Rather than do all that, I'm sure you can effectively sterilize a tank with a plain bleach solution.

 

[esnailme]

You should never use boiling water in a glass aquarium.

A bleach solution consisting of 1 part bleach 10 parts water should be sufficient.

Let the solution sit in the tank for at least 15 minutes.

This should disinfect the tank.

This is totally my opinion....others may advise differently.

I would not pitch plastic plants or aquarium gravel.

These items can be disinfected with the above mixture of bleach solution.

I am more cautious than others when it comes to disinfecting equipment.

I let my tanks, utensils, and other equipment soak for 24 hours in a bleach solution.

I then let the above items soak in tap water with a dechlorinator added for 24 hours.

hope this helps

Felecia

 

[Jan]

You might also find this article, from our Caudata Culture section, helpful reading: Caudata Culture Articles - Quarantine and Disinfection

 

[Star]

If you are like me and can't stand bleach a 50:50 vinegar:water solution is also good

 

[RobM]

Something I have used to clean other animal products in the past is the sterilisers used for baby bottles etc. It is safe for babies, and safe for most animals, however I would prefer someone gave a second opinion before you actually use it though. :-s

 

[Star]

I wondered about using the likes of Milton fluid, be nice if someone could confirm it definitely is safe

 

[Starcraft]

I like to use bleach exclusively because it's wicked cheap, fast-acting, very effective, and can be safely neutralized for sensitive fish and inverts with water conditioner. Bacteria and germs can't build a tolerence to it, either. That's important nowadays.

 

[caprahircus]

Thank you all for the replies, you're all very helpfull. I'll use bleach to desinfect the tank.

And is this also a safe way to desinfect aquarium-wood? I can immagine that the wood will absorb some of the bleach solution.

How do you know it was a disease that wiped out all your Dwarf Claws?

Rather than do all that, I'm sure you can effectively sterilize a tank with a plain bleach solution.

I think it was a disease becouse within two weeks after introducing the new frogs all other died. I've had the frogs for years and never had problems (except for one frog wich wich got bloat/dropsy, but I got that cured). The new frogs were the first ones who died.

 

[Starcraft]

They still couldve died from something else, not necessarily a disease. In the future you're better off housing the newts and frog seperately anyway, it's impossible to house both optimally in the same tank. The dwarf clawed frogs do better at a higher temperature than the cynops.

 

[Mark]

And is this also a safe way to desinfect aquarium-wood? I can immagine that the wood will absorb some of the bleach solution.

We've got articles for everything Caudata Culture Articles - Wood in Vivaria

 

[caprahircus]

They still couldve died from something else, not necessarily a disease. In the future you're better off housing the newts and frog seperately anyway, it's impossible to house both optimally in the same tank. The dwarf clawed frogs do better at a higher temperature than the cynops.

They were always housed in separate tanks. I want to use the former 'frog-tank' to raise the C. Orientalis offspring and want to make sure that that what killed the frogs can´t hurt them. I've always been against mixing amphibian species, even had an argument with someone on the forum who did housed C. Orientalis, ADCF's and fish together. But what other than desease could heave killed them? There were no signs of fungus or injuries and i can't think of any stress they could have been exposed to.

 

[peter5930]

When I need to disinfect a tank, I hose it out to remove any traces of substrate and loose organic detritus, then I scrub it to remove the biofilm and rinse it out again. I then make up a spray bottle with 1 part thin bleach (3-6% sodium hypochloride) to 10 parts water and spray it inside and out, making sure that all the surfaces are thoroughly wetted, put a cover on the tank so that the bleach solution doesn't dry out and leave it for an hour. I then rinse the tank several times, spray it with a 0.1% solution of ascorbic acid to neutralise any bleach residue, wait a few minutes and give it a final rinse. Don't use thick bleach, since it has additives in it which make it more difficult to rinse off.