Quote Originally Posted by mrzoggs View Post
when doing a "total cleanout", i would use only bleach and water. It is safe if used right, cheap and easy to obtain, and is more effective in killing germs, bacteria, mold, etc than anything else available. There is no problem with using bleach. Do not spray your frogs with it or put your frogs in a tank that has bleach in it. That is common sense. It is not for just getting rid of parasites for QT, the frog can also get bacterial infections from inproper cleaning/sterilization of a tank. So whether or not my frogs have or do not have hookworms, the cleaning process would be the same for me.
This is going to sound bad to most people, but is the truth. Some exposure to bacteria and other pathogens is actually good. Now I am not saying that people should improperly cleanse their frogs enclosure. Like us the build up immunities through exposure. Parasites of course don't quite count because the only immunity to them is something that is found to be inedible or a deterrent. Kind of like how Garlic and Hot pepper eating prevents mosquitos and ticks, but bacteria and viruses have to be present to create resistance. This is what strengthens the frogs immune system. If the entire tank is always germ free(which is impossible) and the frog never gets exposed to such things then it will be at a disadvantage when it actually does get sick. Wipe Out contains alcohol which can be smelled unmistakably when sprayed. Alcohol is a disinfectant with killing properties that don't cease until the alcohol evaporates. Bleach loses its disinfecting properties the very moment it comes in contact with organic matter, but is still toxic to animals. It could be argued that both are equally as good as the other in disinfecting as the y both kill in the same way and both lose the ability to do so rather quickly.

Either could be used in a serious scrub down. Just one is more messy than the other. Germs of course mutate and build up immunities as well(ex. the Flu) People who use hand sanitizer all the time can become sick and are more likely to due to the fact that they don't actually get exposed to pathogens like someone who just washes their hands with soap and hot water. Super germ are created all the time because they must adapt like we do to survive.

I hope this is understood and not taken as me saying that its ok to not clean your frogs home properly, but there is no one picking up behind them nor washing their environment down with antibacterial and fungicides in their natural setting. It all comes down to when you come in contact with your frog. Make sure you're hands are clean and YES definitely disinfect, but either cleanser is just as good as the other as long as used directly and of course while using common sense.