Video - How to sterilize a Quarantine Tank

[Reefahholic]

melypr1985....where in Texas are you?

 

[Connor SKKY02]

I want to set up a QT using a tank which had velvet in the past. Is it enough to kill all parasites just using Tap water and let it dry?. I just used tap water to clean it, and it has been sitting for 3 months in a storage room. The thing is I never used vinegar or bleach, so is it safe? or should I be worried if I use it?

I was wondering if the velvet cyst that maybe I didn't remove properly, they can enter in some kind of "lethargic/sleep mode" in dry environment, and as soon as it comes in contact with water again the cyst releases again the cycle.

 

[FREAKINRICAN69]

Great article and video. I will be seting up my QT before setting up my DT or possible both at the same time so this way everything is cycled before purchasing fish. Does teh same thing apply to coral or just dipping in 3 different solutions fine and then putting in the DT? Please advise and thanks in advanced. This forum has taught me so much and so much information could be a little misleading at times LOL

 

[cracker]

Agreed ! I learned some details I was thinking about.
Vinegar is OK .... Not sure why One can't reuse a sponge .
Is it because the bad parasite can remain alive ?

 

[JBKReef]

I purchased some new equipment recently and scrubbed it all down with a 5% citric acid solution (The one sold in bulk from BRS) Once it has all air dried should I continue to wait any period of time to allow any potential illness to die off that the equipment could carry? (Ich cysts, etc)

 

[GrumpyDaddy68]

Hi all,
I found this old thread and I have a quick question.
What is the correct bleach/water ratio? Here it said 1 teaspoon of bleach per gallon of water but I have seen some other post that have a cup or half a cup per gallon and some others a 10% bleach per gallon.
Could anybody clarify this?
Thanks,

 

[Kyle Bruin]

I'm trying to turn around a second QT tank as quickly as possible. I've got a Kole tang about to finish up 2 weeks in a copper treated tank and need to move him to a second sterile tank (following hotrocks QT plan). The only issue is my second tank is actually housing some clowns for my sister-in-law. She's taking those today. So I plan to sterilize that tank and use move the kole to it as soon as I can.

Aside from, dry completely is there any minimum amount of time either for drying out the remaining bacteria or deactivating the bleach or vinegar? I can setup a very powerful shop fan (ryobi air cannon) and have a heat gun, etc. Happy to let it dry overnight with a fan blowing on it. Any reason that isn't enough time?

Also, for what it's worth I'm using a 10g aqueon tank. I also have a unused sponge filter so in theory if say the HOB filter (Seachem Tidal) might need more time than the tank I have options.

My instinct says lets it dry overnight, maybe pull it out and let it sit in the morning sun for a few hours (San Diego) and I'm good, but the 72 hour statement at the beginning makes me feel like I should ask for some other opinions first. Thanks!

 

[JustinMN18]

Lets say you wanted to always have fish in QT to add to a new tank every month. So 30 days of a fish, add to DT. Then 30 days with fish, DT, etc. Do you need to do this between each batch of fish? Or is a large water change ok to remove the copper down to safe levels for the next guys?

 

[piranhaman00]

Lets say you wanted to always have fish in QT to add to a new tank every month. So 30 days of a fish, add to DT. Then 30 days with fish, DT, etc. Do you need to do this between each batch of fish? Or is a large water change ok to remove the copper down to safe levels for the next guys?

If you are keeping the tank at 30 days therapeutic copper, there is no need to sterilize.

To be honest, if your are QT properly, there shouldnt be a reason to sterilize anything.

 

[Brian Drab]

In this original post it says to use 1/2 cup of vinegar. Is that per gallon??

 

[Enad]

Resurrecting this thread -

I'm curious how to get the copper medication out of a quarantine tank? I just had a Clownfish take a short QT stint in my IM 15 that I converted into a QT tank. I put some PVC tubes and a medium piece of live rock in to get it cycled quicker. In terms of filtration, I just kept the filter sock on. I'm wondering if that filter sock can be cleaned to be rid of any residual copper medication? Same for the live rock?

 

[JBKReef]

Depends on what kind of copper you used I believe, Cuprisorb can absorb the medication… but I think the general course of action is to just do consecutive water changes every couple of days to bring it down from 2.5>2>1.6>1.28>1.02>.82 over a 2 week period of observation.

Once I get the concentration under 1.0; and have done 5-20% water changes I net them into a clean bucket and move them to their permanent home.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Resurrecting this thread -

I'm curious how to get the copper medication out of a quarantine tank? I just had a Clownfish take a short QT stint in my IM 15 that I converted into a QT tank. I put some PVC tubes and a medium piece of live rock in to get it cycled quicker. In terms of filtration, I just kept the filter sock on. I'm wondering if that filter sock can be cleaned to be rid of any residual copper medication? Same for the live rock?

Are you talking about reusing tank equipment after it has been exposed to copper?
As long as the material isn’t calcium based, very often just a good rinse with warm water is all you need. For materials with a lot of surface area, adsorption can come into play - for those materials I just soak in a 10% white vinegar solution overnight.
Jay

 

[Enad]

Are you talking about reusing tank equipment after it has been exposed to copper?
As long as the material isn’t calcium based, very often just a good rinse with warm water is all you need. For materials with a lot of surface area, adsorption can come into play - for those materials I just soak in a 10% white vinegar solution overnight.
Jay

Yeah I specifically mean reusing something like the filter sock or rock where there might be a good amount of absorption. I'll do the 10% white vinegar solution as you suggested.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Yeah I specifically mean reusing something like the filter sock or rock where there might be a good amount of absorption. I'll do the 10% white vinegar solution as you suggested.

If you want to take it a step further, test the vinegar rinse afterwards for copper. If you get a high reading, repeat the rinse and test again.
Jay