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Sanitizing tanks with iodine
Hi killitalkers,
I am new to the list, been lurking for a month or so. I have a suggestion
for sanitizing aquaria that comes from my experience with homebrewing
[where one bad bacterium can spoil a whole batch]. I use an iodine
solution (brand name Saniphor 450) to clean both beer bottles and
fishtanks. You can buy the stuff (or some other brand) at any homebrew
supply store (or via mailorder/internet) and last time I checked it went
for about $10/quart. You mix it as one ounce per 5-gal (about 6 ml per
gal, easily measured with a syringe) to produce a beautiful amber solution
(looks like a classic pale ale;-) and the contact time is 1-2 MINUTES. No
soaking overnight, no nasty bleach smell, just get the surface wet, wait 2
min, rinse well, and you are done. Residual amounts of iodine are not
detrimental to biological organisms, and the sanitizing solution is not
concentrated enough to stain hands, countertops, etc. I have been using
the iodine solution for about 2 years on tanks, shoe boxes, glass jars (for
culturing paramecium, etc) and have not had any problems. If you use it to
repeatedly sanitize light colored mops, nets, and clear plastic hose it
will stain them brown eventually. I find the easiest way to clean a tank
is to dump some stock solution into the empty tank, and use a sponge to
wipe the walls down with the solution. Keep the surface wet by wiping for
a couple minutes and then rinse (a hose or kitchen spray nozzle helps). I
highly recommend idodine as a low hassle general cleaning solution.
keep your mops wet and your martinis dry,
Matt
Matt Hirvonen, Ph.D., Associate Scientist
University of Wisconsin, Dept of Psychology, 1202 W. Johnson Street,
Madison, WI,53562
(608)262-0808 office, 262-0852 Lab, 262-4025 Fax
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