# Cleaning a coccidia quarantine tank?



## wbeavers (Jun 7, 2007)

I had coccidia come up in a fecal. I am now looking to clean the tank for reuse. The tank was a 20 gallon high. I scrubbed it clean, and filled it with ten cups of bleach, and water to the top. That set for about six hours. Now the tank is drying out. If left dried out for several weeks will the tank be safe for reuse?


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## hopalong (Sep 19, 2005)

Did you rinse it really really really well? Coccidia is a beeeatch to get rid of. Good luck!

Cheers!


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## Roadrunner (Mar 6, 2004)

I`m pretty sure coccidia dies by drying. It`s impossible to get rid of in dart frogs, I`m not sure how well it does in the environment. Bleaching well and air dry for 24 hrs should be fine.


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## wbeavers (Jun 7, 2007)

So letting it dry for a week will be a backup to the bleach?


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## hopalong (Sep 19, 2005)

Coccidia does not dry up in the enviroment. It is rediculously hard to get rid of. A coworker of mine (we both work in an exotic vets office) is anal about cleaning. I mean *anal!* She had coccidia in her bearded dragons cages (vision cages) and she battled it for months.

It is hardy and can live in the enviroment for a long time. I would recommend repeat bleaching on the tank, but I'm paranoid... 8) 

Cheers and good luck!


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## Rich Frye (Nov 25, 2007)

Coccidia does not 'dry up in the environment' if the environment is substrate, plants , organic and such. A bleached then totally dried glass tank should be coccidia free after two weeks. Nasty stuff but not bulletproof.


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## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

Please excuse me if I am wrong, but doesn't natural sunlight help kill everything in the tank?

I have heard this suggested by many as one of the only ways to rid it after a very through cleaning.

Melissa


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## Rich Frye (Nov 25, 2007)

Hi Melissa,
UV will kill almost anything given enough time. 
But coccidia is a protozoa and needs at least a small amount of water to survive more than small amounts of time. A good bleaching followed by a good drying will do the trick.

Rich


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## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

Thanks for the info Rich.


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## wbeavers (Jun 7, 2007)

So my pseudo-hypothesis (uneducated guess) was correct. Thanks, Rich


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