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Problem

newtkidontheblock

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Recently my paddle tail newt died of a fungal infection I could not cure. So anyway, he died while I was out and it made the tank all cloudy. So anyway, I made a little coffin and put him in there and buried it. Anyway I'm going to get 2 chinese fire bellied instead, so I wanted to know what I do to cleanse the tank, and snails, and plants, and feeder guppies, before I get the new newts? I know I sound like a noob, but I really need help. I can't get a straight answer anywhere I ask.
 
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evut

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Considering that your newt died of a disease, I would suggest getting rid of everything in the tank, disinfecting it and starting again before putting new animals in.
Non-porous ornaments and the tank itself can be cleaned with a mild bleach solution. Make sure you rinse everything very well afterwards, you can use dechlorinator to make sure there's no residue. Read this:
Caudata Culture Articles - Quarantine and Disinfection

Regarding your new newts, I would recommend waiting until you have the tank set up for them and cycled (Caudata Culture Articles - Cycling) before getting them - you could try to find some captive bred ones in the meantime - pet shop newts are often very sick because they are caught in the wild and then transported and treated very badly throughout the process.

Have a look at this caresheet so that you can prepare a nice suitable home for them:
Caudata Culture Species Entry - Cynops orientalis - Chinese firebelly

Also read the articles in the housing section here:
Caudata Culture Articles
 

evut

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Some people use potassium permanganate to get rid of algae and other pests. I'm not sure what else it's effective against. Try looking around the internet to see some more advice. Some people use a very mild bleach solution but the bleach will most likely kill your plants anyway.

The best thing really would be to get new plants (sorry). I'm sure you wouldn't be very happy if your new pets went the same way as the old newt.
 
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