Should I tear down my tank or try to salvage it?

[JD3P]

My fish has had fin rot for sometime now and I have him in a quarantine tank for treatment. I don't think I'm going to put him back in the large tank at least not for a month. So I was wondering if I should tear down the tank he was in and redo it. It has sand (not live), driftwood that is splintering, and live plants only. How should I go about doing this? Do I throw the plants away or just scrub them really well? What about the sand, and the driftwood? Also should I just rinse the filter out with tank water or just replace it with a new one and restart the cycle?

[1fish2fish]

Why do you need to tear down the tannk?
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[JD3P]

Originally Posted by 1fish2fish

Why do you need to tear down the tannk?
Posted via Mobile Device

I know fish end up with fin rot because low water quality, but I always kept this tank quite clean so I know it's not that. I just want to make sure that if there is anything that could harm another fish in this tank that I avoid it. I just wanted to know the best way to go to prevent this from happening again. And I wasn't sure if re-doing the tank would be the best option or not.

[fishman12]

A thorough scrub and a new cycle or a entirely new inventory?

[Littlebittyfish]

I wouldn't tear the whole tank down. If the driftwood is splintered though it might be a good idea to remove it. If your fish tears his fins on the splinters it can easily turn into fin rot.I would personally take out the driftwood rinse the plants and do a few 50% water changes

[JD3P]

Originally Posted by Littlebittyfish

I wouldn't tear the whole tank down. If the driftwood is splintered though it might be a good idea to remove it. If your fish tears his fins on the splinters it can easily turn into fin rot.I would personally take out the driftwood rinse the plants and do a few 50% water changes

Thanks a lot. I'll do what you suggested. (And it's okay to leave the same filter cartridge in? It's been in there for a few months.)

[tokala]

I am no expert of what the proper protocol is for fin rot. But I just did a big tank tear down too (possible velvet). My boy is in a 2.5 QT for a while and decided to disinfect his 7.5G. and it also has sand. I soaked it in a vinegar mix, then rinse rinse rinsed it, then boiled it. Maybe over-kill, but I feel confident that it's clean! Good luck with everything!

[roypattonphoto]

i would tear down, a good scrub and clean in the tank, rinse and slight scrub on any silk and decor with hot water.... replace the driftwood...

start with new substrate and go from there... the main decor should be fine...

as far as the filter go i would change it out to make sure theres hidden parasites hanging around....

also when u change everything out i'd add some aquarium salt ( think its 1 tsp per gal not sure) run it through for a day or so and then do a complete water change and you should be good to go ...

[Littlebittyfish]

In my opinion..If it is just finrot..I don't believe you would have to tear the whole tank down.Carbon filtration is a personal preference, it is not 100% necessary. It does however help with odors and helps get rid of unwanted chemicals and impurities that may end up in the water. I use a piece of aquarium sponge stuffed into my filter to help hold good bacteria.If you decide to get a new filter cartridge just to be on the safe side..I would leave some of the old in your filter for a week or two so that it can help feed the beneficial bacteria.


However...I am not 100% sure how long the beneficial bacteria will live in your tank without a fish in it?...So you may go into a re-cycle anyways once he is added back..

How are you treating him for his finrot? I have had good luck using aquarium salt on minor cases and very good luck using maracyn 2 on severe cases of finrot. Hope your fish heals up nicely!

[JD3P]

Okay so I started working on the tank earlier today before I got the last few responses. What I did was clean the sand really well (still not sure if I should just replace it...it just takes hours to clean the stuff before hand and days to get the tank cloud free which is why I'd rather not change if it I don't have to. But if I must, I must.) I scrubbed down the inside with a sponge and took out the driftwood and plants. I literally cleaned every leaf on the live plants I had in the tank ran them under hot water. They are now soaking in a separate bowl for a few days. I also was able to remove all the splinters from the driftwood and will keep an eye on it. I only took the filter and put it through the tank water to rinse it off, and I already have carbon in the tank. I've had carbon now for about 3 months, just recently changed it. I guess I will change the filter out though. I'll add the aquarium salt and let it run through as well.

About the fin rot right now he is in a quarantine 3 gallon tank which I filled half way so he can get air easily. I put an air stone and a small heater. But it keeps raising the temp to 80-82 degrees so I've left it off and it's somewhere around 75. I have been using aquarium salt for the past few days...but his fin rot is severe. I'm really not sure he will live much longer if I don't find something for it. I tried maracyn but it didn't do anything. I guess it wouldn't hurt to give maracyn 2 a shot. Thanks for all the advice everyone.