# Do I have to sterilize a planted tank after Columnaris?



## bradac56 (Feb 18, 2008)

If it was me I'd dip the plants and wood in Potassium Permanganate then wash the plants off in tap water and boil the snot out of the wood just to be safe. It's a bit more work but you'll at least know it's gone.

http://www.chemistrystore.com/product.cgi?group=49938&product=67082

- Brad


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## rvel (Sep 23, 2009)

Thanks Brad.
But, is there any other way to disinfect the wood? It has Xmas moss attached to it. And what about the substrate? How do I disinfect it?Also will the porous stuff leech out PP into the water after I do the dip? I have two ceramic fake stones and the driftwood and substrate are porous too. 

How did I get this stuff? I only had the Betta in there.


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## Ariel301 (Sep 7, 2009)

rvel said:


> How did I get this stuff? I only had the Betta in there.


It could have been spread if you had your hands, net, or any sort of tool/equipment in another infected tank and then used them in the betta tank shortly after. Or if you added some new plants that had the disease microorganisms on them. Or it may have been in your water for a long time and your betta's immune system was strong enough to fight it off, but something weakened him and he got sick. It's hard to say sometimes. 

The PP should be fine. If you use it on the wood, it will probably leach back into the aquarium some, but it isn't harmful to the fish. It will discolor your water, but that's what water changes are for.


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## rvel (Sep 23, 2009)

Thank you for your replies.

If I understand correctly then, everything goes into the PP bath. Substrate, driftwood, plants, fake stones, filter, bio-wheel, heater, and the tank itself. After that rinse with tap water. (I'm lucky it's a small tank!)

Just one more question... In a Betta forum I found someone recommending pure ammonia instead of the PP or bleach to disinfect, since it is a byproduct that the nitrogen cycle can get rid of. Is this true? Could this be as effective as the PP?


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## bradac56 (Feb 18, 2008)

PP, bleach, and hydrogen peroxide are all oxidizing agents, we generally recommend PP in the aquarium hobby because it's the least harmful of the three to fish in general as long as it's 2ppm or lower but all three of them can and will harm fish if it's dumped into a live tank above that level. All three are great algicides and can nuke green water and snails better than anything on the market but it will also attack the cell linings in fish gills and kill the good nitrifying bacteria we work so hard to maintain so I'd be careful.

I'd dip all of the plants and then run them under tap water to clean them and then dip everything else (equipment, rocks, etc) and then boil them. For the substrate just dry it out and bake or boil it that should be safe enough.

I keep PP in my fish room for dipping every plant I get (except val's it will wilt them) before it goes into my tanks. Overall it's the strongest disinfectant you can use reasonably safe around aquariums that's stronger than vinegar.

- Brad


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## rvel (Sep 23, 2009)

Thanks again Brad. Hopefully I'll be getting the PP tomorrow and doing the dips over the weekend. 

Thanks everyone.


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## gheitman (Oct 28, 2007)

I use PP myself but you need to be very careful when using it. I'd recommend wearing latex gloves and making very sure that you don't inhale it or wipe it on your skin (especially near any open cuts). You may also find it difficult to obtain locally. I had to have a pharmacy special order it for me.


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## bradac56 (Feb 18, 2008)

Blind fear shouldn't be something to pass around the hobby. PP has been in the hobby since the yearly 1900's when they found it was a great algicides though that was before they realized it was an oxidizer which attack gill cell walls. Tho at 2ppm (.6mg per liter) it can be used to treat fish in a medical tank for anchor worms, fish lice, flukes, ich, cotton mouth, fungus and many types of bacteria but you need to be very carefull when adding it to a tank and never directly to the tank mix it first.

The purple dip used to disinfect fish nets in Pet-Co/Wal-Mart/Pet-Smart is Potassium Permanganate (I use it as a net dip myself) so it's not that dangerous as long as your half-way bright.

PP isn't as bad as Hydrogen Peroxide or bleach they are all oxidizers so treat it just like bleach, keep it out of your eyes and mouth. The vapor isn't anything like ammonia so breathing masks are not needed.

To mix it up add 10mg of crystals to one liter of water or until the water turns dark pink almost purple. Then dip your plants or equipment in it then run it under tap water to wash it off.

It's easy to get the cheapest place I've found is [ http://www.chemistrystore.com/cart.cgi?group=49922&child=49938 ]

- Brad


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## SeasofChz (Aug 25, 2009)

*alternative?*

Whoa there internet! Dismantling everything...at what cost. Tear down(time), tossing plants($/life), tap water rinse, boil, soak in pp(work/losing biological filtration)...an option, but consider alternatives first. Ariel301 referring to the health and or stress level the Betta fish: was it old? Did you recently make any significant changes? You said the tank was small, water quality okay? What about doing water changes and removing any decay from gravel, plant matter(bacteria fuel) then wait a few weeks and add another fish, think hardy. Try to acclimate the fish well in tank water. Worst case scenario is a reinfected/dead fish. I dont like killing fish but plant are living things too plus the tank might cycle again and kill the new fish. If that doesnt work, I would agree with Brad that PP should be fine if you are careful, but I don't know about referencing Pet-Co/Wal-Mart/Pet-Smart for their lack of diseased through the use of the purple dip is reassuring. icon_lol: I am kidding)


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## bradac56 (Feb 18, 2008)

I agree with all of that SeasofChz, but I was talking about the little bucket of purple water those places keep there fish nets in that's PP not that the store clerks would know what that is or how to clean there tanks properly, or what a central water reservoir system is.


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## SeasofChz (Aug 25, 2009)

Right on Brad, I hope you didn't take offense, i can tell from your posts that you are very knowledgeable about this stuff. It just sounded funny but I totally agree. Also, I don't want anyone thinking that I was going against posts on this forum if I came across that way.


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## bradac56 (Feb 18, 2008)

No problem SeasofChz I was just trying to clarify what I wrote no hard feelings. And even if you disagree with me completely its worth the time to debate the topic as it always helps form opinions and I never stay mad at anyone. 

I tend to blather at times, it's a hazard of a semi-OCD researcher (the informal meaning)  So making me clarify my thoughts is never a bad thing.

- Brad


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## rvel (Sep 23, 2009)

Sorry for my delay, I had to put my fish down so it hasn't been a nice weekend. He was special little guy... :frown:



bradac56 said:


> ...at 2ppm (.6mg per liter) it can be used to treat fish in a medical tank for anchor worms, fish lice, flukes, ich, cotton mouth, fungus and many types of bacteria but you need to be very carefull when adding it to a tank and never directly to the tank mix it first...


If I had known that before I would have give it a try... :frown::frown:



SeasofChz said:


> ... Ariel301 referring to the health and or stress level the Betta fish: was it old? Did you recently make any significant changes? You said the tank was small, water quality okay?


The water quality was ok, and I didn't make any major changes to his tank, but adding a plant. 1G was changed every week, so that was on check too. Everything was in between what's considered good, still he got sick. As for age... that's a tricky one, have no idea. He was already and "adult" when I bought him, but don't know how old. 



bradac56 said:


> ...It's easy to get the cheapest place I've found is [ http://www.chemistrystore.com/cart.c...22&child=49938 ]


Thanks Brad for the website for the PP. It will help me since I wasn't able to find it locally. 

How is Val usually disinfected if the PP can kill it?


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## bradac56 (Feb 18, 2008)

I haven't found a really good disinfectant for Val's but they like to wilt in my tanks if I even look at them but then grow back so it's probably dependent on allot of things. I just wash them in tap water as good as possible (I actually scrub them with my fingers) and then plant them in one of my extra plant only tanks for awhile.

As for Betta's if you buy them from a reputable IBC { International Betta Congress } member you'll get them at 6 months old and they will last another two to three years normally. But if you get them from Wal-Mart, Pet-Smart, etc or a LFS they could already be a year or more old.

- Brad


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