Fresh Start Time!

Hello!

Unfortunately the last fish in my 10 gallon died. It's been nothing but trouble since the get go, with mysterious deaths and bloating and a blanket of algae despite my best efforts against both.

Anyway, that's behind me now. I would love the start the tank back up again but only if I know I won't get a repeat of last time. I doubt it was anything I did wrong myself (as I'm keeping a very healthy 5 gallon also) and I had bleached and wrinsed the tank before use. Do you think if I bleach it all it would be safe? I will probably get a new filter and heater and gravel and plants and decor etc but if I bleach the main tank would it be safe?

Also, I have the opportunity to start a fresh stock which is always fun! Feel free to suggest any interesting fish to me but I particularly like colourful and pretty fish, and the more fish the better. Maybe some neon tetra (or green neons as neon tetra in 10gs are controversial) and a couple male guppies? Or I could go for a couple larger fish? I love the look of blue acara but they are way too big for my tank lol

Just thought I would throw this post out there so you all know I am starting my journey a fresh. You're probably all sick of me at this point but I just really love sharing ideas and communicating with you all.

 

I wouldn't use bleach. I typically just clean all my new supplies/things that really need to be cleaned in boiling water. If you really want to use any cleaning agent, the most I'd do is vinegar, and then it would need a really, really good rinsing. Any chemicals for non fish use can be dangers in even small levels.

As for fish, I'd of course say a betta! I'm biased of course because I love them though, haha.

 

I wouldn't use bleach. I typically just clean all my new supplies/things that really need to be cleaned in boiling water. If you really want to use any cleaning agent, the most I'd do is vinegar, and then it would need a really, really good rinsing. Any chemicals for non fish use can be dangers in even small levels.

As for fish, I'd of course say a betta! I'm biased of course because I love them though, haha.

You see, I've been interested in a few types of betta for a while now (and having a singular betta keep a the bioload relatively low so low maintenence) but none of my lfs have good betta's, so I would have to order one online. Have you ever done that and do you know of any good online stores?

 

I know a lot of folks are against using bleach for cleaning anything involved in taking care of their tanks but if used correctly, rinsed well and then rinsed with decholrinated water bleach is the best thing to use to kill off any and all nasties that can lurk on the surfaces of our tanks. One just needs to be sure the beach they use is just bleach....meaning nothing added to it to make it smell or supposedly work better.

The fact that chlorine is added to most of our water sources is because it kills all the nasties. We use a water conditioner to neutralize that chlorine to make it safe for our fish and bacteria. That same water conditioner will neutralize the chlorine in the bleach we have used to clean and kill off unwanted things that can harm our fish. Soaking items in a bleach solution, rinsing well and then soaking in dechlorinated water will neutralize the chlorine residue if there is any left on the item. I triple dose the water conditioner in that final rinse and I have never had a problem cleaning with bleach.

If there is something invisible living in your tank the bleach will kill it. If it is something leaching from something added to the tank (substrate,decorations) bleach won't help with that. If you are sure that your decorations are safe to use and you want to reuse them bleach them before you add them to this tank just in case something invisible is living on/in that item.

 

I know a lot of folks are against using bleach for cleaning anything involved in taking care of their tanks but if used correctly, rinsed well and then rinsed with decholrinated water bleach is the best thing to use to kill off any and all nasties that can lurk on the surfaces of our tanks. One just needs to be sure the beach they use is just bleach....meaning nothing added to it to make it smell or supposedly work better.

The fact that chlorine is added to most of our water sources is because it kills all the nasties. We use a water conditioner to neutralize that chlorine to make it safe for our fish and bacteria. That same water conditioner will neutralize the chlorine in the bleach we have used to clean and kill off unwanted things that can harm our fish. Soaking items in a bleach solution, rinsing well and then soaking in dechlorinated water will neutralize the chlorine residue if there is any left on the item. I triple dose the water conditioner in that final rinse and I have never had a problem cleaning with bleach.

If there is something invisible living in your tank the bleach will kill it. If it is something leaching from something added to the tank (substrate,decorations) bleach won't help with that. If you are sure that your decorations are safe to use and you want to reuse them bleach them before you add them to this tank just in case something invisible is living on/in that item.

I don't really know if it's a disease or something from one of the items in there, as I got the heater, filter and two decor pieces second hand. I will be throwing all the deco out just in case. Thanks on the tips for cleaning with bleach by the way

 

I don't really know if it's a disease or something from one of the items in there, as I got the heater, filter and two decor pieces second hand. I will be throwing all the deco out just in case. Thanks on the tips for cleaning with bleach by the way

That sounds like a very good plan. One can never know how something used had been cleaned before you got them so in this case better safe than sorry. The filter housing and the heater can be cleaned with a bleach solution. That should remove anything lurking on them. Wishing you all kinds of good luck when you get this tank back up and running.

 

That sounds like a very good plan. One can never know how something used had been cleaned before you got them so in this case better safe than sorry. The filter housing and the heater can be cleaned with a bleach solution. That should remove anything lurking on them. Wishing you all kinds of good luck when you get this tank back up and running.

Thank you so much!!

I might keep the heater actually but the filter is an old model and needs updating anyway so I will probably get a more reliable one