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So here is my new plan for keeping my 5gal betta tank looking good:

I take out the algie covered fake plants and decor out and replace it with a different set (I actually bought a second set of the same stuff cause my Betta loves his hiding spaces so much.)

Now to clean every leaf, nook and craney of the dirty set, I soaked the whole batch in a 5 gal bucket with about 1/4 cup of liquid bleach (nothin fancy, just the cheap store brand). After a day, I poured out all the water, rinsed the SPOTLESS decorations off under the tap, then let them soak overnight again in the bucket filled with just tap water. Then rised under the tap again, and am now letting them dry.

Now my understanding is the any left over bleach would break down in about 48 hours. These decorations will stay dry for at least a month or 2 before I use them again. So this should be safe right? I would NEVER put bleachy things back in the tank.

Any comments?

thanks,
-Dennis

Beefshank

Yes why fake plants may be you better would be far happier in natural live plants.

Then no need for all that bleach stuff, and besides it will look a lot better dont you think so?

Keith

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I've thought about trying live plants, but haven't tried yet. The first problem is that I have a very thin layer of gravel. Neither myself nor my wife like the look of gravel stacked up against the glass. So I don't think I can grow anything in it.

The other thing is, this tank is decorated the way my wife likes it (I pick the decor for the 46gal tank). And she like the fake plastic looking plants as they match our walls (blue and green). They do look pretty cool with the dark blue gravel and our bright red betta!

My 46gal tank also has all fake plants, but it's got the natural looking ones (about 20 of them!) It also has algie eaters so doesn't need the plants cleaned like the betta tank does. Oh, and it's got the same thin layer of gravel. But maybe someday I'll try live plants.

Live plants are always something that is stuck in the back of my brain.

The first word in your reply was "yes" was that a yes to my question about the bleach?

thanks,
-Dennis

I believe he meant yes to your first question. All of the chlorine from the bleach will have dissipatated/evaporated by then and you should be okay to use them again. Just rinse any dust or whatever off in cold water prior to placing back in the tank.

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

I pretty much did what you did, except I didn't want to take chances. I soaked it in at least a 3x overdose of conditioner overnight, then I let it air dry.

I'm with DIANE!!!!!!!!

I soaked the decor at the shop in dechlor and water for a few hours and rinsed to beat heck for a while, just to make sure

I must confess, it is one of the few times I just squirt lots of my "1 drop per gallon" conditioner into the bucket . That's a lot of ppm of chlorine that needs to be neutralized so I figure what have I got to lose.

After I let it soak a few hours or overnight like that, I then rinse the plants to get all that dechlor off. It usually stinks from the reaction or from so much dechlor

The declor is a good idea.

All the stuff is dry now, and I can't smell any bleachy smell. Maybe I'll put it back in the bucket with the declor stuff....