Bleach?Why??

Question

Why would you use bleach,or any chemicals to clean a fish tank?I had a tank that I recently set up,it had been in storage for years,and when I cleaned it out,I used nothing but water and a razor blade to get some of the dried algae off the bottom.
I just read that some poor guy cleaned out his tank with bleach,and now his fish are sick.I'm sorry,but DUH,Why would anyone do this?

I consider myself fairly experiened with keeping fish,I've had them for 25 years,and have never heard of,or can think of a good reason to use any chemicals in cleaning a tank.If they are correctly maintained,they should never have toxins in them.

Answer 1

Believe it or not, there are certain times that bleach should be used (certain diseases, other contaminants entered tanke, really really dirty, etc.) . So, contrary to popular belief (and lack of research), it can and is safe to use bleach, SO LONG AS YOU DO IT RIGHT. There are steps to take to do it the right way so there is no chance of harming the fish that eventually wind up in it. I'm going to provide 2 links that will explain why bleach is safe to use. Lots of times you CAN use just plain water, or people like warm salt water, or even vinegar, and this is fine. It's all up to the person and the reason why they need to use what they use. There is no right or wrong reason to use it, only a right or wrong WAY to use it. It's a personal choice. Here's an interesting article also: http://www.epinions.com/content_1736417412

Here is something that my friend and a contributor here posted in a previous question that helps explain bleach and the reasons it's used:

Bleach is sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), which is a chemical compound of chlorine. While your tap water also contains Chorine (Cl), both are toxic however very unstable and will dissipate if left alone which is why many water districts use chloramines which are much more stable and toxic to fish than bleach/chlorine. Yet we as aquarists still do use tap water with chloramines with proper treatment.
The bottom line is just leaving your tank or other bleached item out in the sun will remove the bleach/chlorine. Using a de-chlorinator (such as Sodium thiosulfate which is instant) speeds this process.

Bleach is commonly used by the professional aquarium maintenance industry to sterilize rocks and more, especially so as to prevent accidental bacteria introduction. If one carries the "bleach should never be used" point to its logical conclusion, then one should never use tap water, especially when vastly more dangerous chloramines are involved, which of coarse is ludicrous.
People here need to do their homework or at least read the resources I sited. Passing bad information that has no factual basis in science is bad for the aquatics hobby.

Most reducers will have some countering effect on an oxidizer. However the main reducers used by aquarists are Sodium Thiosulfate and complexed hydrosulfite salts
(which are commonly found in products such as Prime). However Trisodium phosphate
does not counter the effects of chlorine bleach. Otherwise you would not have suggestions of mixing Trisodium phosphate (also known as TSP) with bleach for cleaning. If you mixed Sodium Thiosulfate with bleach, the bleach would instantly be rendered useless unlike trisodium phosphate.
Also there are no studies showing Sodium Thiosulfate to have any toxic side effects on fish or other aquatic life.
Please see these sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trisodium_p...
http://www.adityabirlachemicals.com/prod...

These two articles will help you understand why bleaching is perfectly safe. It explains how water conditioners work and is very informative:

http://aquarium-answers.blogspot.com/200...

For tap water:
http://aquarium-answers.blogspot.com/200...

I hope this has helped you understand. I'd be happy to discuss it with you more if you'd like, and you can also reach Carl S. through my profile in my contacts if you would like to discuss this with him also. He has been in the aquarium business for almost 30 years, and he REALLY knows what he is talking about. I would not hesitate to put my fishes lives in his hands.

Good luck, and have a great day. ;o)

Answer 2

I used bleach in my tank after mysterious deaths of fish. I wanted to make sure that ANY trace of whatever killed the fish was gone since whatever happened to them wasn't visible. After a year, they all died at the same time. I didn't want that to happen again. Right around the time this happened, there was another question asked about bleach where Mrscrabs and Carl S. gave answers like she just did, and I followed how they said to do it and now my tank is up and running again with no problems at all.

I don't think it's the bleach's fault, I think it's the fault (or failure) of the people using the bleach to use it and rinse it correctly. I hear it's also fine to use soap products too so long as you use a washcloth or paper towel or something to get the residue off of the sides of the tank and/or ornaments. I don't have that particular website marked on this computer, but if you looked it up I bet you could find it. I think it's all just "to each their own". If you don't want to use it, don't, but don't judge other people or down them because they choose to use it. That's just my opinion and how I look at it.

Great question though, and from looking at people's answers, you can see it's all just opinion except for mrscrabs who backs up what she is saying with proof and articles. I would tend to go with the proof over opinions personally. Have a great one.

Answer 3

Most experienced fish keepers and breeders use bleach to clean out their tanks. There is a right way and a wrong way to do it, though. It kills all bacteria and other nasties that may be living in the tank, waiting to infect your fish. To properly clean a tank with bleach you need 1 part bleach to 20 parts water. After it's clean then you rinse rinse rinse and use extra dechlorinator. It also helps to have the tank dry in the sun to get all the extra chlorine evaporated.

Answer 4

Bleach is a disinfecting agent, and a useful item for anyone with multiple tanks. Cleaning equipment with the previous 20:1 bleach/water solution is a way of preventing diseases from spreading from tank to tank. This is a concern with larger workingfishrooms, as one disease can spread, and destroy years of work breeding.

I was wondering some time ago why folks had such a paranoia about bleach; http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=119809&hl=

Answer 5

I've kept fish for 30+ years, and it's possible and even appropriate to use bleach in certain situations.

In your situation just having a tank that was in storage (assuming no major disease or algae problems beforehand), it wouldn't have been necessary to use use anything but water to rinse out the dust.

As a former biology instructor, with some microbiology experience, I can say with 100% certainty that this isn't always enough. Many parasites, bacteria, and algae are capable of encasing themselves in a hard shell which is capable of withstanding changes in temperature, moisture (drying), pH, and other conditions that occur in nature. If not for being able to protect themselves this way, they wouldn't be as successful as they are. Bleach (surface sterilization) or full sterilization using an autoclave (uses both high temperature and pressure) are the only way to ensure that these are completely destroyed. When you're dealing with expensive fish, or disease/parasites on a regular basis, especially those becoming resistant to medications and those which are difficult to eradicate in "normal" conditions, bleach may be the most effective way to clean tanks.

While bleach sounds harsh, realize this is just the "mix" and "strength" of the chemicals used. The major chemicals in bleach are chlorine and sodium hydroxide. Chlorine is in tapwater and will dissipate in 24 hours or can be removed chemically. Sodium is necessary for metabolism, water/ionic balance, and it's used in active transport of other necessary minerals across cell walls(see how this works in transporting potassium in an animation: http://www.brookscole.com/chemistry_d/templates/student_resources/shared_resources/animations/ion_pump/ionpump.html ). Hydroxide (OH-) is 2/3 of the water molecule and can either neutralize acidic water (add an H+ to OH- and you get water, H20) or raise the pH. All ingredients in bleach are safe for use in tanks as long as the tank receives limited exposure of about 15 minutes (letting the bleach sit for too long will damage the silicone sealant) and is rinsed well (2-3 times) following treatment. The amount of bleach needed is only a 5% solution (1 part bleach to 19 of water). It's only when the ingredients are in a high concentration that they become antiseptic. The tanks/contents can be allowed to air dry, but I've also used them immediately following treatment, just adding a few extra drops of dechlorinator as a precaution. When I was teaching at a university, this was the standard treatment for tanks between uses (for fish, reptiles, and amphibians) to prevent harmful organisms from spreading and prevent losses in new inhabitants. I treated tanks in this way for over 15 years, and haven't had any deaths from fish being added to a tank treated in this manner as long as they were properly rinsed (this applies to tanks treated with regular bleach, it's possible the person who's experience you read may have used a type with added fragrances or detergents). I've also been treating my home quarantine tanks the same way if I've bought fish that have come down with ich or especially velvet within a few days of purchase.

Another additive that you'll hear mentioned for cleaning/disinfecting is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) which is water with an added oxygen, yet this can also be lethal if used inappropriately. It acts as a cellular poison and will also kill parasites, bacteria, and algae, but not in their encysted/encapsulated forms, so it's not as effective as bleach.

Again, although I support the use of bleach and even use it myself, it's not necessary to resort to it's use in all situations. But if someone is having recurring problems with disease or algae, and uses it appropriately, it is probably the most effective remedy for most aquarists.

Answer 6

I only use salt water or hydrogen peroxide and good old direct sunlight to disinfect a tank. I don't know why people keep insisting on using bleach. You can never really be sure you got it all out, the only way to test for it is with a pool test kit for chlorine.
Hydrogen peroxide is harmless to fish and once dry its gone. even if it got into the water the only thing it does is add a little oxygen. Bleach is total over-KILL.

Answer 7

Some people, especially new fish owners, do not realize that even if you scrub and wash out the tank after using cleaners- that the fish will still die because the chemicals are still present. It's an obvious thing for most people, but some people just don't think about it I guess.

Answer 8

I had a Pet store tell me i could use bleach to clean my tank. I never did it so I have no idea if it works or not. But I asked around at other pet stores and they said if your careful. Most places didn't recommend it but said your could.

Answer 9

i use bleach for my tanks when i clean them out you just use like a cap full of bleach to every 10 gallons, bleach does kill the bad ickies, but be sure you rinse and rinse good i rinse my ten gallon about 6 time and if i cant smell the bleach then its good

Answer 10

Inexperience a hard lesson learned