RIP Phineas...

[farmgirl598]

I lost my beloved Betta Phineas this evening. He had a swollen gill which I had been treating, and thought he might have a chance, but he just got weaker and weaker, and he passed tonight right after I got home from work. I cried like a baby, and buried him out in my small rose garden. My next question is how do I properly disinfect his tank? I'm not sure I am going to get another betta (I have 5 others), but might move some of my male guppies into his old tank eventually. I also have some small snails in Phineas' tank that I don't want to kill, but I am afraid they might spread his disease on to any other fish I put into the tank in the future. Any ideas for how to make everything safe again? Thanks in advance. Rest In Peace, Phineas. You were a special boy, and I will always love you.....

[callistra]

It really depends on what your betta died from.. the only symptom was swollen gills? That's either parasites or water issues.

More info might help determine which: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=49233

But basically, to be the most safe, I would not house the snails with any bettas. The tank I would toss everything porous (gravel, ornaments, filter media, etc) and bleach everything else inside the tank (filter itself, thermometer, heater) in 10% bleach solution for 10-15 minutes. Then rinse everything like crazy until there is no bleach smell at all. Then refill everything once more and add a super dose of conditioner, and let that soak Then rinse everything once more and let sit out dry 24 hours before you add anything new.

[farmgirl598]

I agree his symptoms were "sketchy". He had an inflamed gill on the right side, more noticeable under his chin. He got lethargic and stopped eating yesterday. ALL my bettas get at least a 30 percent water change at least once a week. My others are doing just fine. They are all in 5 gallon tanks with filters and heaters, and Phin's tank was about 6 gallons or more! I Pride myself on taking good care of my animals, and his illness and death makes me feel TERRIBLE! I was hoping to be able to disinfect his things with something besides bleach. I don't mind replacing the gravel and such, though.

[MattsBettas]

Bleach is actually quite safe and effective. It sanitizes well and if you rinse well, let dry for 48 hours, and if you want you can do a super condition (water conditioner is meant to neutralize chlorine aka bleach anyways). Drying it converts the bleach (NaClO) into salt (NaCl), effectively making it safe for fish.

[farmgirl598]

I'd LIKE to set up my third Hawkeye Aquarius 5 gallon again. It's perfectly fine, except the LED lights won't work anymore. Anyone have experience repairing/replacing LEDs? Also, is there any way to make live plants safe again? They were in Phin's tank, and brand new, gorgeous anacharis!