To sanitize or not sanitize?      7/21/14
Background: I have a 50 gal freshwater tank (with a 70-gal canister filter)
that happily housed three goldfish until we moved about a year ago. When I set up the tank again, I struggled with water quality issues/bacterial infections (I assume, based on the symptoms) and ultimately lost the goldfish.
<Yikes; am wondering what the cause/s were here>
I know goldfish have their challenges--which is why when I decided to start again with new stock a few months ago, I went for tetras to start. Things were stable for a while, then I started losing them with similar symptoms: general lethargy followed by difficulty swimming, no signs of external parasites. On advice of the local aquarium shop guys, I treated the whole tank with a broad-spectrum antibiotic to try to kill whatever bugs were lurking.
<Mmm>
That worked until a few days ago, when another tetra died following a similar pattern. This is getting to be pretty crazy-making for me, and I imagine the fish aren't especially thrilled either.
At this point, I'm contemplating breaking down the whole tank and trying to sterilize everything, which brings me to my question: should I?
<Possibly; do have some fish-friends come by and look... am wondering if there's something toxic in your system. Perhaps a geode... or metal containing something>
And if so, what method would you recommend to make sure I really, really get all the bugs--
<Bleach washing... here is an SOP: http://wetwebmedia.com/clnornart.htm
The same procedure applies for sterilizing a complete system. DO read through this thoroughly and get some help... Take CARE to not splash bleach on you or the surroundings>
because the only thing that might make me crazier would be going through that monumental effort and then having the problem crop up again.
Final note: current stock is 7 tetras, one angelfish, water parameters are good last I checked, and I do 25% water changes every 2 weeks.
Thanks!
<Ah, welcome. Bob Fenner>
Re: To sanitize or not sanitize?      7/21/14
Thanks for the quick reply-- a couple more questions (below in red):
<Ahh, the webmail program removes such (color) coding>
> Subject: To sanitize or not sanitize?
> Background: I have a 50 gal freshwater tank (with a 70-gal canister filter)
> that happily housed three goldfish until we moved about a year ago. When I
> set up the tank again, I struggled with water quality issues/bacterial
> infections (I assume, based on the symptoms) and ultimately lost the goldfish.
> <Yikes; am wondering what the cause/s were here>**I was having trouble
> getting the tank to cycle when I set it up again, though the system had
> been stable before. I assume that had something to do with it**
> I know goldfish have their challenges--which is why when I decided to start
> again with new stock a few months ago, I went for tetras to start.
Things were stable for a while, then I started losing them with similar symptoms:
> general lethargy followed by difficulty swimming, no signs of external
> parasites. On advice of the local aquarium shop guys, I treated the whole
> tank with a broad-spectrum antibiotic to try to kill whatever bugs were lurking.
> <Mmm>
**I'm willing to try that again as an alternative to bleaching. I don't want to lose any more fish, but (aside from the epic work of taking apart the tank) I'm a bit concerned that I'd just be swapping one problem (possible bacteria) for another (non-cycled tank, stress of moving fish).**
<<Okay>>
> That worked until a few days ago, when another tetra died following a
> similar pattern. This is getting to be pretty crazy-making for me, and I
> imagine the fish aren't especially thrilled either.
> At this point, I'm contemplating breaking down the whole tank and trying to
> sterilize everything, which brings me to my question: should I?
> <Possibly; do have some fish-friends come by and look...**Guess I need to
> make some fish friends?** am wondering if
> there's something toxic in your system. Perhaps a geode... or metal containing something>
**Interesting thought. I have had the same things in the tank the entire time I've owned it (4+ years) with the exception of the heater and thermometer I bought when I got the tetras...unless something was
introduced inadvertently during the move (can't think what that would be?). Any input on what sort of symptoms would I be seeing in the fish if this was the case? Would they be any different than what I might see with an internal bacterial infection?**
<<Not necessarily... and there are such things as "olde tank syndromes"...
What seems to happen as systems age, they become more depauperate (less speciose) and even toxic; with some few microbes overpopulating and poisoning their own world w/ metabolites... An important human lesson as well>>
> And if so, what method would you recommend to make sure I really, really get all the bugs--
> <Bleach washing... here is an SOP: http://wetwebmedia.com/clnornart.htm
> The same procedure applies for sterilizing a complete system. DO read
> through this thoroughly and get some help... Take CARE to not splash bleach
> on you or the surroundings>
**Thanks for the link, a couple additional questions about bleach washing an entire system: Would you recommend bleaching the gravel I have for the tank bottom, or dumping it? What about the ceramic rings in the canister filter?**
<<I would bleach all, in place... sans livestock... filter, media, all>>
> because the only thing that might make me crazier would be going
> through that monumental effort and then having the problem crop up again.
> Final note: current stock is 7 tetras, one angelfish, water parameters are
> good last I checked, and I do 25% water changes every 2 weeks.
> Thanks!
**I checked the water parameters again and notice that the pH is a bit elevated (7.6 maybe?). Could this be the issue?**
<<Not likely; unless it's wildly vacillating (too little alkalinity).
BobF>>
> <Ah, welcome. Bob Fenner>