Recycling and Restart of system - Chlorine wash???

[Christine]

I pretty much have lost all of my fish now and I am going to recycle and restart the entire system. It was recommended to clean the entire system out and do a chlorine wash to kill any bacteria or parasites in the system......has anyone done this and is this a good idea? HELP....at my wits end!! 

[Rob Tolette]

I would be careful about using chlorine in the system.  I'm afraid the residue might hurt the fish and prevent your bacteria from growing.  I would clean it with a solution of H2O2 instead.  The solution breaks down into harmless state. Also, make sure that when you fill up your system you remove the chlorine from your water with either dechlorinator or a filter.