Tank and plant disinfection
 

I've had a bad outbreak of a virus (likely) or bacteria (less likely) which
killed several more sensitive fish. I need to disinfect one tank and gravel.
An australian source mentions 200 mg/L of 65% calcium hypochlorite. However I
wouldn't even know where to get that. Regular clorox (Na hypochlorite) is 6%.
What dilution rate would I need to assure I've cleaned the tank - and for how
long? The australian recipe is 200 mg/L for 1 hr or 100 mg/L for 24 hrs. I
suppose the simple solution would be 10 times as much as clorox is 10 times
weaker???

Can the plants be bleached (1:19 dilution given on the KRIB) and be clear of
virus or bacteria or do they need to be destroyed?

Thanks so much for any help you can provide,

Sharon

Tank and plant disinfection
 

You have to take into account that Na Hypochlorite contains only half as
much Hypochlorite per Molecule as Ca Hypochlorite, since Na is only 1+, Ca
is 2+. But since NaClO is almost exactly half as heavy as CaClO, this is
countered out again. By my calculation, you'd need 2256 mg/l of your
chlorox. By the way, I'm not familiar with chlorox, is that a cleaning
agent? If so, it will also contain Chlorite, ClO2, and other cleaning agents
and I wouldn't advise you to use it. If it's only Na Hypochlorite and water,
it should work (at least to kill your germs, I don't know if it's dangerous
to the plants and/or future fishes).

"SLEngst" wrote:
An australian source mentions 200 mg/L of 65% calcium hypochlorite.
However I
wouldn't even know where to get that. Regular clorox (Na hypochlorite) is
6%.
What dilution rate would I need to assure I've cleaned the tank - and for
how
long? The australian recipe is 200 mg/L for 1 hr or 100 mg/L for 24 hrs.
I
suppose the simple solution would be 10 times as much as clorox is 10
times
weaker???

Tank and plant disinfection
 

"Benjamin Munsch" wrote in message
...

SNIP
By the way, I'm not familiar with chlorox, is that a cleaning
agent? If so, it will also contain Chlorite, ClO2, and other cleaning
agents
and I wouldn't advise you to use it. If it's only Na Hypochlorite and
water,
it should work (at least to kill your germs, I don't know if it's
dangerous
to the plants and/or future fishes).

Clorox is a US brand name, for bleach. About 7.5% Sodium hypochlorite I
think.

Bob