# Solutions for a TB infected tank?



## Jeff232 (Nov 4, 2006)

My tank has been going strong since 2006 with the notable exception of fish Tuberculosis claiming all of my non-snail tank residents one at a time, it has taken 5 years to kill off my original batch of fish and now a small darter fish that hitch-hiked in with a bunch of ghost shrimp has come down with it, if his disease progresses the same as all the others, he will be dead shortly, since his twisting spine has now become noticeable. He is the last fish in my 100 gallon aquarium.

I am undecided on how to go about breaking down this tank. If it wasn't for my plants I would just simply bleach everything, replace the gravel and start from scratch. Is there a way to disinfect the aquarium and plants well enough to kill any traces of this disease without killing the plants?

As far as I can tell my options are:

1. Clean the tank up, do a few big water changes and buy more fish to probably have the exact same thing happen.(this is the solution that requires the least work)

2. Dismantle everything and bleach it, mulch up the dried up and withered plants when i mow my yard; start from scratch, and pray I can find a new source for uninfected fish and plants.

3. Learn how to use a high dose of potassium permanganate directly in the tank that would be mostly plant safe and kill anything else; do a big cleaning; start the nitrogen cycle over; and then buy more fish.

4. Use some sort of dip for the plants that would totally disinfect them without melting them and then put them back in the tank after its been bleached.

The thing is, I have never used potassium permanganate and I don't know if it will kill TB. It takes a super long time for this disease to show up so I could end up in exactly the same place by buying fish that are already infected(i likely wouldn't know for years). 

I'm not totally against buying new plants and starting over but if there is a way to save my current tank-full i would like very much to hear it. Opinions on this from people that have successfully dealt with it would be much appreciated.


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## Silvering (Jun 10, 2011)

I haven't ever dealt with that issue, but I do remember reading a bunch about it here and there in one of my "read-the-whole-internet" link binges. XD Try starting here: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...682-my-talk-presentation-fish-tb-disease.html


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## Jeff232 (Nov 4, 2006)

Thanks for the link, looks like I need to pick up a UV sterilizer someplace.


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