[clerbird321]

Hi everyone!!

So I made a post a couple days ago regarding our betta, Iggy’s, passing over the rainbow fishy bridge😔 Dropsy sucks. I am starting to finally clean out his tank and get it sanitized and had a few questions regarding cleaning and then eventually cycling again. I want to make sure I do everything right! I’d really appreciate advice and tips! Thanks in advance🥰

1. Does a water/bleach solution work fine for sanitizing the tank and decorations?
2. Can I use a water/hydrogen peroxide solution to dip the plants and moss balls?
3. How should I go about sanitizing the filter and heater?
4. I have Seachem Stability for cycling; while cycling, do I fill the tank and place the plants and decor we want, make sure the heater and filter are running, then dechlorinate and follow the Stability instructions? How do I know when the tank is 100% safe? I’ve heard mixed info on this lol.
5. Can I boil the gravel in water to sanitize it?
6. How can I sanitize my siphon hose?

I think that’s it for now!

 

[Betta Nerd]

I can answer 2 and 5
2: yes if you wash good after
5: I would get new gravel

 

[Elena Sp]

Dropsy is usually not transmitable and comes from poor water conditions or comprimisd immune system. I think you don't have to sterilise all that much. U can add the gravel in hot water (at least i did it when I got mine) and for sanitizing the siphone maybe poor alcohol in it? Although I think that if u just dry out the tank and leave it like this for a few days and fill it back up and cycle it, you will be fine. But that is just my opinion.
3 is correct, I was told not to use declorinator while adding stability if no fish are in the tank. Buy an ammonia test kit and tests for NO3 and NO2. The cycle starts when ammonia rises and it is completed when there is 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm NO2 and up to 40ppm NO3. It is unsure how long this takes..Most of the times it is about 4 weeks. Feel free to correct me guys

 

[sparkyjoe]

Hi everyone!!

So I made a post a couple days ago regarding our betta, Iggy’s, passing over the rainbow fishy bridge😔 Dropsy sucks. I am starting to finally clean out his tank and get it sanitized and had a few questions regarding cleaning and then eventually cycling again. I want to make sure I do everything right! I’d really appreciate advice and tips! Thanks in advance🥰

1. Does a water/bleach solution work fine for sanitizing the tank and decorations?
2. Can I use a water/hydrogen peroxide solution to dip the plants and moss balls?
3. How should I go about sanitizing the filter and heater?
4. I have Seachem Stability for cycling; while cycling, do I fill the tank and place the plants and decor we want, make sure the heater and filter are running, then dechlorinate and follow the Stability instructions? How do I know when the tank is 100% safe? I’ve heard mixed info on this lol.
5. Can I boil the gravel in water to sanitize it?
6. How can I sanitize my siphon hose?

I think that’s it for now!

1 Yes. Just be sure to rinse the heck out of it and use at least a double dose of dechlorinator during a final rinse/soak.

2 You can. Yes. There are good resources that will tell you the proper ratio. I might be a little cautious with the moss ball if it’s a true Marimo moss ball.

3 If you’re doing a bleach soak on the tank you could also run the filter, without any media, for a few minutes. But I think I’d be more inclined to use straight hydrogen peroxide on both filter and heater. Since it breaks down into oxygen and water anyway it’s probably safer than bleach for those items with their nooks and crannies that might trap bleach

4 Yes. When you’re ready put everything in the tank, add plants and decorations, add dechlorinator, add the Stability, and then you need a source of ammonia to feed the bacteria you’re trying to grow. That can be in the form of a few drops of plain, unscented, ammonia, or a pinch of fish food, or something else that will create ammonia. It can also be in the form of a live betta fish if you want to do a “fish in” cycle. There are good resources for both methods in the betta care section of the forum.

5 Do NOT boil gravel! You can probably rinse it very well in hot tap water, but personally, I would probably just get new since it’s usually not that expensive.

6 I sanitize my siphons (I have 1 for each tank to limit cross contamination) with a bleach solution after use. When you’re doing the bleach soak on the tank add the siphon to the water and run water through it a few times and let it soak for a while. Then rinse the heck out of the tank and the siphon. Lots of rinsing!!! Then fill the tank again, add dechlorinator and soak again. Be sure to run the freshly dechlorinated water through the siphon several times and let it soak again. Your nose will usually tell you when the bleach is gone.

 

[clerbird321]

1 Yes. Just be sure to rinse the heck out of it and use at least a double dose of dechlorinator during a final rinse/soak.

2 You can. Yes. There are good resources that will tell you the proper ratio. I might be a little cautious with the moss ball if it’s a true Marimo moss ball.

3 If you’re doing a bleach soak on the tank you could also run the filter, without any media, for a few minutes. But I think I’d be more inclined to use straight hydrogen peroxide on both filter and heater. Since it breaks down into oxygen and water anyway it’s probably safer than bleach for those items with their nooks and crannies that might trap bleach

4 Yes. When you’re ready put everything in the tank, add plants and decorations, add dechlorinator, add the Stability, and then you need a source of ammonia to feed the bacteria you’re trying to grow. That can be in the form of a few drops of plain, unscented, ammonia, or a pinch of fish food, or something else that will create ammonia. It can also be in the form of a live betta fish if you want to do a “fish in” cycle. There are good resources for both methods in the betta care section of the forum.

5 Do NOT boil gravel! You can probably rinse it very well in hot tap water, but personally, I would probably just get new since it’s usually not that expensive.

6 I sanitize my siphons (I have 1 for each tank to limit cross contamination) with a bleach solution after use. When you’re doing the bleach soak on the tank add the siphon to the water and run water through it a few times and let it soak for a while. Then rinse the heck out of the tank and the siphon. Lots of rinsing!!! Then fill the tank again, add dechlorinator and soak again. Be sure to run the freshly dechlorinated water through the siphon several times and let it soak again. Your nose will usually tell you when the bleach is gone.

Thank you thank you thank you!!! This is perfect, I really appreciate this. And yeah I’m thinking I will just get new gravel, I don’t wanna fuss with it. How would you personally sanitize your Marimo moss balls? And is Stability fine or should I invest in Dr. Tim’s One and Only or Fritz Zyme 7? I will buy the Dr. Tim’s ammonium chloride for sure.

 

[Betta Nerd]

I like to use half hydrogen peroxide and half water then you soak the plant for a few minutes

 

[clerbird321]

I like to use half hydrogen peroxide and half water then you soak the plant for a few minutes

That’s what I was thinking of doing as well! Do you leave the roots out of the solution? Do you do the same with Marimo moss balls?

 

[Betta Nerd]

I throw the whole plant in the solution nothing bad has ever happened but you can leave the roots out if you want

 

[sparkyjoe]

Thank you thank you thank you!!! This is perfect, I really appreciate this. And yeah I’m thinking I will just get new gravel, I don’t wanna fuss with it. How would you personally sanitize your Marimo moss balls? And is Stability fine or should I invest in Dr. Tim’s One and Only or Fritz Zyme 7? I will buy the Dr. Tim’s ammonium chloride for sure.

Marimo “moss” ball is really a misnomer. It’s actually a form of algae so it probably won’t do well with any sort of hydrogen peroxide or especially a bleach dip.

Personally, I don’t have my Marimo in any of my betta tanks because they really prefer cooler water.

I keep mine in a French canning jar on my kitchen counter. It gets swirled around occasionally and I change it’s water whenever I remember. It’s the easiest pet I own!

As for your bacterial starter culture, I used Stability. It’s good stuff that does the job. Others prefer other brands or types. They all will usually do the job, with only slight variations in timing, so I’d use what you have.

 

[Maxwedge]

If you use Dr Tim's make sure you get the freshwater type. They make a couple of saltwater / reef formulas also.

 

[clerbird321]

Marimo “moss” ball is really a misnomer. It’s actually a form of algae so it probably won’t do well with any sort of hydrogen peroxide or especially a bleach dip.

Personally, I don’t have my Marimo in any of my betta tanks because they really prefer cooler water.

I keep mine in a French canning jar on my kitchen counter. It gets swirled around occasionally and I change it’s water whenever I remember. It’s the easiest pet I own!

As for your bacterial starter culture, I used Stability. It’s good stuff that does the job. Others prefer other brands or types. They all will usually do the job, with only slight variations in timing, so I’d use what you have.

Okay perfect, thank you!! I will prob just use Stability then so I don’t need to buy something else. So Stability doesn’t say on the bottle to use ammonia, do you do so anyway? And I am going to buy the AquaClear 20 filter, do I keep all three components (sponge, carbon, biomedia) in and running while I cycle? Do I do water changes once a week like I usually do while cycling or something different? Sorry for all these questions😂 I really appreciate your and everyone else’s help!!!

 

[clerbird321]

@sparkyjoe

hey another question for you!! What % concentration sodium hypochlorite should I be looking for in the bleach I buy?

 

[Maxwedge]

Wow, you're really getting scientific on this. Just scrub everything with peroxide or vinegar. Both are strong anti-nasty cleaners and both are totally safe after a quick water rinse. Unless your fish had Ebola or something I think you're overthinking this.

 

[clerbird321]

Yeah sorry, I know I overthink everything. That’s my bad. Thanks for your advice @Maxwedge

 

[Maxwedge]

Do you know specifically what made your fish sick? Did all the tank inhabitants get sick? Bleach is strong stuff and chlorine is toxic to fish. Even diluted bleach, you need to rinse, and rinse, and RINSE everything so it doesn't poison your new setup.

Peroxide or vinegar are both anti microbial, anti fungal, anti "bug" cleaners that basically self-nutralize and rinse away easily. I would never put bleach anywhere near my tank (even though others do). Don't ever use soap or detergent either.

So again, I'm sorry if I missed it, do you know what your fish was actually sick with?

If you're totally breaking down a tank and starting over, rinse all the gravel in water, then plain vinegar (let soak) then a few good water rinses. Scrub the tank down with vinegar and rinse well. Rinse the plants in water. Maybe use peroxide or watered down vinegar, but I wouldn't. Boil any driftwood, sticks, rocks, leaves.

The less-invasive, less-drastic route you go, the better.

 

[clerbird321]

@Maxwedge

Nope no idea unfortunately. He had no other tank mates. His dropsy and clamped fins came on SUPER fast, like out of the blue he was suddenly sick, it was wild.

That’s fair. I’ve heard a lot of differing opinions on bleach which is why I always ask so many questions. I’m using hydrogen peroxide on my decor. I used a 50/50 peroxide/water solution and soaked my filter, heater, and decor in it for a few mins each and rinsed really well. Is that enough to disinfect?

I thought about using peroxide for the tank too but just wasn’t sure on the ratio and efficacy to be honest.

 

[clerbird321]

@Maxwedge

No, he didn’t have Ebola or the bubonic plague🙄 I don’t know what he had that caused his dropsy. I’m just a confused and overly cautious fish owner😅 Thank you for your advice.

 

[Betta Nerd]

If your cautious and worried about dropsy happening again you can have kanplex on hand

 

[clerbird321]

@Betta Nerd
Yep I do have Kanaplex! Unfortunately it did not work for Iggy or Mr. Feesh but I do have it on hand for sure

 

[Betta Nerd]

Sometimes dropsy is untreatable because of the disease but I'm not even that cautious don't worry I'm sorry for your recent losses of fish I've only experienced dropsy once in 7 years and it was horrifying