I need to sterlise my main tank. Just wondering if anyone knows if sodium meta will kill off my plants. There is no fish in the tank at the moment.

If I do put fish in the main tank they become very sick within 24hrs. Water parameters check out okay, so I think Sterlising is the main course at the moment and start over again. If I can leave the plants in with the sodium meta that would be good, kill off any germ that they maybe harbouring.

Sodium metabisulphite produces SO2 in solution and will kill the bacteria and the plants and the fish. Stick to using it to sterilize your home brew bottles or removing the green stains from malachite green.

Or is there a better why to sterile a tank without killing the plants.

Your problem might be in the gravel itself so you might have to strip the tank to be sure.

Or is there a better why to sterile a tank without killing the plants.

Not really... by definition 'sterile' is 'nothing living'

I would also look at the other items in the tank, gravel, wood, ornaments as one of them may be leaching a chemical into the water. I guess the problem is that you dont know if it's organic disease or an in-organic poison. Do the fish recover when you take them out of the tank? If thats the case I would look at something toxic being in the tank. If it was bacteria or parasite they would carry it to another tank.

Cheers

Ian

What you want to do is sanitize---kill the bad creebies

Do the fish recover when you take them out of the tank? If thats the case I would look at something toxic being in the tank. If it was bacteria or parasite they would carry it to another tank.

It could be that the tank has been assembled using NON-acetic silicon.