Total Tank Cleaning Questions

[Devin]

I'm going to do a total break down, bleaching, and restart of my tank. I've
still got some water issues that no water testing kit will show (I think
it's bacteria or parasites), and I just want to play it safe. My big fish
is in a hospital tank going through a medicine regime, and as soon as that
is done, I want to do this cleaning.

I read up on the Puregold website, and it seems straight forward, the
procedure I've followed in the past mostly, but I do have a few questions:

1. How long to let the tank air dry after cleaning and thorough rinsing?
Just until it is surface dry?
2. Brine the tank? Add enough salt that it will no longer dissolve? How
long does this have to run through the system?
3. I'm assuming I need to toss my filter floss/batting as it may have some
of the cooties in it, but what about my Bio-Wheel? Should it be cleaned, or
left alone and assume that whatever is causing the problems is not in the
wheel?
4. After I clean, rinse, dry, brine, drain, refill and install the filter
and bubble bar, how long should it set before I can put the fish back in the
tank?

Sorry for so many questions, but I want to make sure I do this right. I did
a total breakdown 6 weeks ago, but didn't bleach, and it obviously did not
kill the problem. I want to have all of my bases covered this time.

Thanks,

Devin

[OzzMosiz]

Not sure about the salting question but here is my thoughts on it.

Clean EVERYTHING absolutely everything.
Air dry until everything is visably dry, then rinse a few times.
Add double the de-chlorinator when you re-fill with water
Replace filter media and rinse filter
Add one fish for cycling purpose and monitor water levels
(ammonia, nitrite and nitrates) when cycle has completed re-add
any other fish but keep monitoring as you may go through another
cycle depending on bio-load.

[[email protected]]

"Devin" > wrote:
>1. How long to let the tank air dry after cleaning and thorough rinsing?
>Just until it is surface dry?
...... in the sun a couple hours. right, surface dry.
>2. Brine the tank? Add enough salt that it will no longer dissolve? How
>long does this have to run through the system?
..... dont need to do this for tank been used, just for new tank.
>3. I'm assuming I need to toss my filter floss/batting as it may have some
>of the cooties in it, but what about my Bio-Wheel? Should it be cleaned, or
>left alone and assume that whatever is causing the problems is not in the
>wheel?
...... filter toss it, biowheel, I wouldnt do that cause it takes so long to
establish. a good rinse with
>4. After I clean, rinse, dry, brine, drain, refill and install the filter
>and bubble bar, how long should it set before I can put the fish back in the
>tank?
.... run it for an hour to make sure the water is oxygenated and move em back.

>Sorry for so many questions, but I want to make sure I do this right. I did
>a total breakdown 6 weeks ago, but didn't bleach, and it obviously did not
>kill the problem. I want to have all of my bases covered this time.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Devin
>



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[Devin]

Thanks!

Oh yeah, what about the dirt? That was an odd one (to me, at least). Also,
I live in the city, so getting hold of dirt is difficult, and anything I
could get inthe park I can guarantee would be treated with something. Is
this crucial since I'll have the biowheel?

Devin


> wrote in message
...
> "Devin" > wrote:
> >1. How long to let the tank air dry after cleaning and thorough rinsing?
> >Just until it is surface dry?
> ..... in the sun a couple hours. right, surface dry.
> >2. Brine the tank? Add enough salt that it will no longer dissolve? How
> >long does this have to run through the system?
> .... dont need to do this for tank been used, just for new tank.
> >3. I'm assuming I need to toss my filter floss/batting as it may have
some
> >of the cooties in it, but what about my Bio-Wheel? Should it be cleaned,
or
> >left alone and assume that whatever is causing the problems is not in the
> >wheel?
> ..... filter toss it, biowheel, I wouldnt do that cause it takes so long
to
> establish. a good rinse with
> >4. After I clean, rinse, dry, brine, drain, refill and install the filter
> >and bubble bar, how long should it set before I can put the fish back in
the
> >tank?
> ... run it for an hour to make sure the water is oxygenated and move em
back.
>
> >Sorry for so many questions, but I want to make sure I do this right. I
did
> >a total breakdown 6 weeks ago, but didn't bleach, and it obviously did
not
> >kill the problem. I want to have all of my bases covered this time.
> >
> >Thanks,
> >
> >Devin
> >
>
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
> http://puregold.aquaria.net/
> www.drsolo.com
> Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
> compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
> endorsements or recommendations I make.

[[email protected]]

well.. plain old dirt has all the biobugs needed, altho this new Biospira stuff
really cycles a tank fast. it isnt necessary since you have the biowheel. Ingrid

"Devin" > wrote:

>Thanks!
>
>Oh yeah, what about the dirt? That was an odd one (to me, at least). Also,
>I live in the city, so getting hold of dirt is difficult, and anything I
>could get inthe park I can guarantee would be treated with something. Is
>this crucial since I'll have the biowheel?
>
>Devin
>
>
> wrote in message
...
>> "Devin" > wrote:
>> >1. How long to let the tank air dry after cleaning and thorough rinsing?
>> >Just until it is surface dry?
>> ..... in the sun a couple hours. right, surface dry.
>> >2. Brine the tank? Add enough salt that it will no longer dissolve? How
>> >long does this have to run through the system?
>> .... dont need to do this for tank been used, just for new tank.
>> >3. I'm assuming I need to toss my filter floss/batting as it may have
>some
>> >of the cooties in it, but what about my Bio-Wheel? Should it be cleaned,
>or
>> >left alone and assume that whatever is causing the problems is not in the
>> >wheel?
>> ..... filter toss it, biowheel, I wouldnt do that cause it takes so long
>to
>> establish. a good rinse with
>> >4. After I clean, rinse, dry, brine, drain, refill and install the filter
>> >and bubble bar, how long should it set before I can put the fish back in
>the
>> >tank?
>> ... run it for an hour to make sure the water is oxygenated and move em
>back.
>>
>> >Sorry for so many questions, but I want to make sure I do this right. I
>did
>> >a total breakdown 6 weeks ago, but didn't bleach, and it obviously did
>not
>> >kill the problem. I want to have all of my bases covered this time.
>> >
>> >Thanks,
>> >
>> >Devin
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
>> http://puregold.aquaria.net/
>> www.drsolo.com
>> Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
>> compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
>> endorsements or recommendations I make.
>



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[Happy'Cam'per]

> wrote in message
...
> well.. plain old dirt has all the biobugs needed, altho this new Biospira
stuff
> really cycles a tank fast.

So why exactly do we all waste our hard earned cash with Bio spira when all
we need to do is add a handful of dirt from the backyard? Its amazing what
marketing can do these days ;(
--
**So long, and thanks for all the fish!**

[[email protected]]

because that plain dirt will take nearly a month to get up and running while biospira
will get the whole thing going in 5-7 days.
it is all the water changes during the month that can be avoided.
I recommend the dirt rather than buying stuff doesnt work. the reality is tanks will
cycle without "dirt" added, the biobugs are in the air, come in on the fish, etc.
but there are super clean people out there, or those who WILL waste money on useless
preparations. Ingrid

"Happy'Cam'per" > wrote:

> wrote in message
...
>> well.. plain old dirt has all the biobugs needed, altho this new Biospira
>stuff
>> really cycles a tank fast.
>
>So why exactly do we all waste our hard earned cash with Bio spira when all
>we need to do is add a handful of dirt from the backyard? Its amazing what
>marketing can do these days ;(



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.