Buggie transfer!

[Caper]

I have seperate buckets, vacuums, nets for my tanks.

I use the same cloths for them all, & I only wash them in hot water, no detergent.

I have one small glass pitcher, one small plastic scoop, and one teaspoon (tsp. never goes in tanks anyway). The pitcher & scoop are usually used when I get new fishies and add water to the bag.

Does rinsing in cholorinated hot water kill any "nasties" that maybe on things?

Also, if you're not using these for a period of time (let's use a couple of hours or so as an example) would any nasties die, I'm wondering this because they wouldn't have any "live" hosts to live on?

[Anthony]

i use all the same stuff for all my tanks never had any problems

if your really worried about bugs and such boil it at 126degres C and that will kill of anything living on there

[Caryl]

I do too but you are supposed to have separate stuff for separate tanks, or sterilise in between.

[sharn]

learn from my mistakes... it aint comforting to know you have the possibility of having one bug spread through out all your tanks and could possibly lose hundreds of dollars worth of fish, and have to start all over again especially when you could have spent 50 and prevented it

[Caper]

Ok...I do have separate stuff.

But, still confused :-? . Example, tank has Ick. When I finish doing the water change, I rinse the vacuum and bucket with hot water. Now, I do not use these items for other tanks, and I just put them aside till the next night.

Shoot, darn...what I'm trying to ask is:

1) Is the hot water (cholorinated too) killing any nasties?

and/or

2) The fact that the items are just "sitting" there won't the nasties just die with nothing to feed of off?

Sorry, trying to explain :-? :-?

[Caryl]

I think you need to sterilise as bugs are hardy little buggers, hot water isn't enough. Either boil or use bleach (rinsing very well after of course)

[whetu]

Some bugs will die after a time without a host, others die as soon as they dry out. BUT this is different for every bug, so sterilising the gear is the only way to be sure.

If I had a tank with any kind of disease I would sterilise the equipment, rinse it really well and DRY IT OFF before storing it.

hope that helps

[Caper]

But can you boil a vacuum, it won't ruin the...ah...um...the "whatever" it is made of???

I can't boil the bucket

I'm really nervous about using bleach, I tried it once before on a poly resin ornament and could never get the smell out so threw the ornament away rather than taking a chance on putting it back in tank.

I do dry everything, but of course can't get inside the vacuum dried.

[Faran]

Heya Caper,

With sterilization it's best to use a 10% bleach solution (90% water) and after you're done, simply dose the water with dechlorinator with the stuff in there and you'll remove the bleach from the water and equipment and make it safe to put back in the tank. Simple enough, right?

[sharn]

yes, boiling does warp your plastic siphon :lol: :oops:

[Caper]

With sterilization it's best to use a 10% bleach solution (90% water)

Okay, that sounds reasonable, I wouldn't have known what percentage to use :-? Am I understanding you correctly, by putting water ager in the water it will remove any remaining bleach???