Disinfecting nets and equipment

[peaches]

What do you use?

I had some infections. Want to disinfect nets etc. I used potassium permanganate, to disinfect tank and items, is it OK to continue to use it and how long does a bucket with pp in last?

 

[jaypeecee]

Hi @peaches

I am a long-time user of potassium permanganate (PP) in the aquatics hobby. As the effectiveness of PP wears off, its colour changes from purple to brown. Take a photo of the solution when freshly made and use this for comparison with used PP. I'm being lazy here referring to potassium permanganate as PP. I could equally well refer to it as KMnO4, which is its chemical formula.

If you haven't noticed already, potassium permanganate can stain anything it is in contact with.

JPC

 

[Zeus.]

Boiling water and/or a domestic 'weak/cheap' bleach solution.
When using weak bleach I will leave it in for some time, then leave to air dry and a good rinse before use

 

[Hanuman]

PP works fine and I have used it to disinfect some plants in the past. I would bath them for 20 minutes in a PP solution. I don't keep the solution as it will degrade.
To disinfect a tank I would rather use bleach because I would be worried that PP stains the silicon.