Re: [gecko]Cage Cleaning Solutions and Plant Fertilizer

[Doug Johnston]

Sam... Don't mean to be rude or anything, but the point Julie and the vets are making is hydrogen peroxide does not "get the job done"! You've been lucky that you weren't dealing with some nasties it won't kill. It is probably fine for normal periodic cage cleaning with healthy animals (slightly better than plain water), but when dealing with sick animals or cleaning a tank for reuse with new animals, I'd go with the 10% bleach every time!!! A good application for hydrogen peroxide would be cleaning up chlorine residue after using the 10% bleach solution to disinfect. I guess the main point is that hydrogen peroxide is not a disinfectant... it is an oxidizing agent. While it can inhibit microbial growth (note I said inhibit, not eliminate), it can also accelerate microbial growth depending on pH, temp, etc.. [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi Julie, I guess every vets got their own opinion, as two of my very well known vets here in Ontario have recommended hydrogen peroxide over the 10% bleach solution. They're who introduced me to it in the first place. I myself really enjoy using it as a disinfectant, it's quick and easy and gets the job done. No heavy lifting of the tanks to the bath involved. :) To each their own i guess. Thanks for the info however, always welcomed :) -Sam Subj: Re: [gecko]Cage Cleaning Solutions and Plant Fertilizer Date: 1/22/2004 11:58:37 AM Pacific Standard Time From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent from the Internet Sam, I just checked with a non-domestic vet I know about this and she said hydrogen peroxide was a "poor microbiocide overall compared to most others (chlorine, quaternary ammonias and other commonly used disinfectants)."  Quatricide is a quaternary ammonia.  She did say, however, that folks keeping aquatic terraria are using it to "reduce potential toxicity issues with other disinfectants (for example in amphibian terraria)."  She thought the best thing out there was the 10% bleach solution. Just an FYI! Julie B. [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Many people use 5 or 10% bleach/water solution to clean out their tanks, and love it. For the past 7 months now, I however have been using hydrogen peroxide, and am so happy that I found out about it! It saves me loads of time, and it gets the job done with no problems! Seems that this disinfectant is catching a lot of herpers attention recently :) All I do is spray, wait 30 seconds, and wipe dry! -Sam Subj: Re: [gecko]Cage Cleaning Solutions and Plant Fertilizer Date: 1/2/2004 11:32:18 AM Pacific Standard Time From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent from the Internet That depends, are you doing a clean with the gex inside or a sterilization? For a  quick spot clean with the gex inside (gex you cannot easily remove like Phelsuma) or a quick overall clean I use Quatricide (generic equivalent from Smart and Final). It is about $6 for a gallon of concentrate. This is the same stuff sold by the brand name reptile folks, just read the label, it is even the same concentrate. For that complete sterilization nothing beats a 10% bleach to water solution. After that is all rinsed out then I got for the vinegar to get rid of the hard water spots. Julie B. Mark &Robyn Rivera wrote: Was wondering what cage cleaning solution people are using out there? Also does anyone use Miracle Grow fertilizer on their tank plants and would that have any vapor that might be harmful to geckos? -- Doug Johnston http://pages.sbcglobal.net/scubadug