How should I treat internal parasites???

[cataze]

Thanks for your advice, sunlight.

Is there anyway I could sanitize the tank with vinegar instead of bleach? I have chemical sensitivities...we never keep bleach in the house.

What about my Marimos? Do you think letting them sitting in chlorinated tap water for a couple of weeks would sanitize them?

[lvandert]

oh yeah you can use vinegar. I think a 25/75 vinegar to water solution will work. The moss balls you can squeeze out, put them in the dechlorinated water for a few days and then squeeze them out again before putting them into a new tank.

[cataze]

Thanks Ivandert! That's good to know! Will the vinegar affect the seal in the aquarium at all? I'm assuming the vinegar and hot/boiling water should only be in there for a certain amount of time...?

I have the hospital tank soaking in 25% vinegar and 75% scalding water right now. It's a kritter keeper, so I don't need to worry about a seal. Just letting it sit there for a while with the heater and thermometer in there.

[lvandert]

It shouldn't. I would leave it in until its cool enough to handle. At that point I would swish it around and grab a rag to wipe/scrub the sides.

[Basement Bettas]

Best way to totally sterilize anything fish related is a lysol solution for an hour. Then rinse the heck out of it and let soak in a bleach solution for an hour. Rinse, rinse, rinse then setup with heavy prime or dechlor.. or let it sit and air dry for a while. This reccomendation for people with phd's and work with commercial fish farmers. I do this with EVERYTHING. Nets, hoses, tanks, filters and even my hands between tanks.

The lysol kills everything.. even tough stuff like mycos [fish tb]. the bleach neutralizes the lysol and you rinse and dechlor to get rid of the bleach. Have not lost one fish from the use of lysol in my fish room.

[Myates]

Sorry for your loss...

Originally Posted by lvandert

+1 Lebron. 10 days is the max you can do a salt treatment before it starts to affect organs

Actually, Epsom salt is very gentle and safe for bettas, and they can live in it indefinitely.. it's AQ salt, where 10 days is recommended amount of time, can be safely in there for 14 days... but it takes longer then that before it actually damages the organs, you just don't want them in there longer then 14 because it is hard on the fish in general, etc.

[sunlight]

Basement Bettas cataze has sensitivities to the chemicals so he can't do it :)
I would afraid to use the plant again, but it me, i am not an expert. But if you going to use it put it in the water with NO water conditioner for a few weeks.
If he indeed had parasites then it easy to disinfect everything because they die without host any way. But i was thinking just in case it he had something else going on like bacteria infection....

I know one girl who wash everything with soap , so if she does it and if you can use clorox then i am sure soap will be fine. I mean anti-bacterial soap from the bottle.

I you afraid to do it then just use solution that you have but it should be 50/50 with hot water. Make sure you wash really thoroughly and put it out site in the sun for a few days or inside. Let it completely dry out.

I never disinfect the stones. If it has a lot of holes and ridges make sure you wash it and soak in the water so nothing left in there. And i would also put everything you disinfect out side ...

Good luck i feel bad i can imagine how difficult to disinfect 20 gallons unless you can take it outside and wash it with hose..

[Basement Bettas]

Originally Posted by sunlight

Basement Bettas cataze has sensitivities to the chemicals so he can't do it :)
I would afraid to use the plant again, but it me, i am not an expert. But if you going to use it put it in the water with NO water conditioner for a few weeks.
If he indeed had parasites then it easy to disinfect everything because they die without host any way. But i was thinking just in case it he had something else going on like bacteria infection....

I know one girl who wash everything with soap , so if she does it and if you can use clorox then i am sure soap will be fine. I mean anti-bacterial soap from the bottle.

I you afraid to do it then just use solution that you have but it should be 50/50 with hot water. Make sure you wash really thoroughly and put it out site in the sun for a few days or inside. Let it completely dry out.

I never disinfect the stones. If it has a lot of holes and ridges make sure you wash it and soak in the water so nothing left in there. And i would also put everything you disinfect out side ...

Good luck i feel bad i can imagine how difficult to disinfect 20 gallons unless you can take it outside and wash it with hose..

LAcking the lysol a good bleach soak for at least 2 hours. Potassium permanganate is also a good soak. But not always easy to get. Can check lfs. Watch seals on a tank with bleach. Make sure nets, hoses and decor gets nuked too. I love bare bottom tanks.. lol. Even then filters and such take a lot of time to disinfect completely.

[sunlight]

i know it such a pain to disinfect everything. If i ever need to disinfect i would just buy new gravel. I love bigger stones and they are not expansive. And i don't use filters so for me it would be easier. All i have just thermometer,heater, gravel and plant.