2nd question

Question
I wrote earlier and told you I had a 55 gallon tank with fish lice.  I have an infestation and tried killing them several times.  Well, as you predicted they came back.  I took my fish and snail out and poured bleach in the water and bleached everything that is in the tank, as you suggested.  How long do I leave the bleach in?  Do I have to rinse everything and dry it before I start the tank again?  
Thanks,
Mary

Answer
Hi Mary;

I don't remember your case specifically and rarely recommend bleach for anything, but when I do I usually leave it running for a couple of hours and then drain it all out. Vacuum the gravel at the same time so the crud is gone too. Don't forget to unplug the heater and filter so they don't run while dry. Take the filter off and rinse everything very thoroughly. Make sure you get all the parts rinsed, especially the hood and top edges where it may have splashed and left residue. It might be best to just replace all the disposable filter media. They may absorb the bleach too well.

Refill the tank and drain it one more time. Refill and then use a dechlorinator, LOTS OF IT. I use "Weco Dechlor" because it's very concentrated and you only need one drop per gallon for regular dechlorination. Squirt several squirts of it into the tank and let the filter circulate it around for a few hours. If you can't get a cheap plain product that removes chlorine, just use regular water conditioner that specifically says it removes chlorine as well as the other stuff it does. Check the label. I would say...use ten times the normal dosage to be sure it's going to get rid of all the bleach. Stir the gravel around everywhere so the dehlorinator doesn't miss any nook or cranny. Smell the water to be sure it's all gone. If you feel like you have "bleach on the brain" and can't smell anything else at this point, get a neighbor or a friend to come over with a fresh nose to check it all out. I've had to do that myself. Bleach is a strong smell and it may not leave your senses for a few hours.

Your tank will be just like new again, but not necessarily in a favorable way. All the beneficial bacteria is gone now. It will go through the break-in period all over again and it can be deadly to the fish if certain precautions aren't taken;

Monitor the ammonia levels and measure them every day. When ammonia becomes elevated, make a 25% water change to lower them to tolerable levels. The ammonia is from fish waste and is the first toxin that the new bacteria will use as food. Once the bacteria develops colonies that effectively eat ammonia, you will see a rise in nitrites, the second toxin. It happens at about the 3 week mark. Sometimes earlier, sometimes later. It just depends on how messy your fish are from how much you feed them, water temperature, etc. The ammonia will begin to drop and the nitrite will continue to climb. Make water changes during this whole process as needed. It can take up to 8 weeks and you may need to do the water changes daily sometimes. It is worth it to keep your fish healthy and alive though.

Feed the fish very sparingly. The more food that enters the sytem, the higher the toxins will rise. You will need to provide some vegies for the snail to feed on too. All the algae and other yummy natural things he used to feed on will be gone for awhile. I like to give mine romaine lettuce pieces, cucumber slices, squash slices, cooked green beans and cooked peeled peas. Just rinse and drop in. The fish will like them too and they help keep the fish from producing so much decaying waste because vegies have a lot of fiber. It's very healthy for all of your "wet pets". They really should get them all the time in place of 3 feedings a week.

I hope all goes well. Here is a link to my page about new tank syndrome that explains in more detail what will happen in the coming weeks and how to handle it;

http://www.xanga.com/Expert_Fish_Help

Make sure the fish are safe where they are being held temporarily. You may need to change water and add aeration to their container so they will survive with a minimum of stress.

Let me know how it's going...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins