marine ich sanitation requirements

[Neptune 555]

From the support of this forum I now understand that my tank died out after a bout w/ marine velvet (not marine ich). What I am trying to understand is a bit more about how I sanitize after this event:

All my buckets / nets / hoses are now contaminated?

1. If they are bone dry will the disease die?

2. Is the procedure to keep tank fallow for 12 weeks to kill marine velvet? I keep reading 8 - 12 weeks for ich and that ich and velvet are similar but velvet worse?

3. How do I sterilize my Q/T? I heard bleach but how much and how do I remove the bleach well enough not to kill the next set fish.

thank you!!

 

[HumbleFish]

1. If they are bone dry will the disease die?

Basically. But it wouldn't hurt to soak everything in a mild bleach solution and then let dry thoroughly.

2. Is the procedure to keep tank fallow for 12 weeks to kill marine velvet? I keep reading 8 - 12 weeks for ich and that ich and velvet are similar but velvet worse?

Velvet is 6 weeks fallow, I believe.

3. How do I sterilize my Q/T? I heard bleach but how much and how do I remove the bleach well enough not to kill the next set fish.

Use a 10:1 water:bleach solution, and then rinse and rinse and rinse some more. Allowing everything to air dry for a week or so should be enough time for any leftover chlorine to evaporate. Some use vinegar instead of bleach, same 10:1 solution. But vinegar doesn't kill as effectively as bleach.

 

[Mrscribbled]

There has been confirmed evidence of viable "dry" crypto cysts. Make sure the bleach is fresh. The jugs are vented and chlorine evaporates.

 

[snorvich]

Basically. But it wouldn't hurt to soak everything in a mild bleach solution and then let dry thoroughly.



Velvet is 6 weeks fallow, I believe.



Use a 10:1 water:bleach solution, and then rinse and rinse and rinse some more. Allowing everything to air dry for a week or so should be enough time for any leftover chlorine to evaporate. Some use vinegar instead of bleach, same 10:1 solution. But vinegar doesn't kill as effectively as bleach.

Exactly. It cannot hurt to be too careful. I soak, rinse, then dry. If you have multiple tanks (I do), keep a set of stuff that is unique to each tank.

 

[maddhugan]

Heat santitation

Heat santitation

Exactly. It cannot hurt to be too careful. I soak, rinse, then dry. If you have multiple tanks (I do), keep a set of stuff that is unique to each tank.

Can heat sanitize a tank? I have a 1000 gallon bucket heater that can rise the temp very high. So let's say I get the temp to 50 or 60 C. Will it sanitize the tank and kill all the cysts?
please let me know

 

[ThRoewer]

Can heat sanitize a tank? I have a 1000 gallon bucket heater that can rise the temp very high. So let's say I get the temp to 50 or 60 C. Will it sanitize the tank and kill all the cysts?
please let me know

Ich will die off if exposed to temperatures of 40°C or above. At 40°C the exposure time needs to be an hour. Higher temperatures may get along with less time.
Not sure what the limit is for velvet, but I would think it is in the same range.

When in doubt and killing off everything else in the system is not an issue, I would go to 60°C (above that many plastics get soft and you may ruin your equipment). Smaller heat resisting items and rocks I would just boil. Nothing but a couple of specialized bacteria (the kind that lives in geysers and volcanic springs) can handle those temperatures.

 

[Deinonych]

There has been confirmed evidence of viable "dry" crypto cysts.

Can you cite a reference for this? 24 hours of desiccation should be sufficient to kill all life stages.

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa164