ich and carbon question

hard_hooker · 05-02-2008, 04:32 PM

I read the great Ich article here. One question.....if I go with a store bought med instead of salt I need to remove the carbon from my filter. I have a topfin 30 that uses the filter bag. is that the carbon they refer to? If I remove that won't it kill the biological filtration?

the meds say to remove carbon however the topfin 30 is a cartridge with the carbon in it. If I take out the entire filter cartridge/sponge I will kill the good bacteria no? What do you suggest I do?

joephys · 05-02-2008, 05:18 PM

The carbon is the black stuff. Just dump the black stuff out and stick the floss back into the filter. It will only be an issue with your biofilter if your carbon as been in there for a long time.

hard_hooker · 05-02-2008, 05:22 PM

It's been in there for ever. Tank is only 4 months old. I was told to just shake out the cartridge in some of the changed water and replace it. If I take out the charcoal will my biological filtration be destroyed?

Trixie · 05-02-2008, 05:58 PM

joephys · 05-02-2008, 06:21 PM

It won't be destroyed, but there is a good amount of bacteria growing on the carbon. Its a great place for it to grow. There is also going to be a good deal of bacteria on the floss and other surfaces in the tank. Remove it, and keep an eye on your numbers in case there is a mini cycle. I would guess that you never get any readings of ammonia or nitrite.

hard_hooker · 05-03-2008, 07:44 AM

I did daily water changes for 8 weeks and got the tank cycled. I have zero readings now. I'll go ahead and remove the carbon and replace the floss.

Going to try the salt method first for a week or two and see if that does the trick.

Trixie · 05-03-2008, 08:13 AM

I don't think that you have to remove the carbon for the salt treatment. When you are finished with the treatment, the salt can be taken out gradually with your regular maintenance water changes. Very easy.

Roan · 05-03-2008, 11:07 AM

Leave the carbon in regardless of what method you are using. For meds: if it's been in the tank that long, the carbon properties are used up. It's not doing anything, in other words, so it won't affect meds anyhow. For salt: it doesn't matter if there is carbon in the filter or not. It doesn't affect the salt.

Roan

joephys · 05-04-2008, 05:05 PM

I wouldn't replace both the carbon and the floss, not if it has been in there that long with out being change. Actually what roan said is right. The carbon has lost its chemical filtering ability anyway. I would just leave it in there, since it is now a great bio filter.

johnpeezy · 05-05-2008, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joephys

I wouldn't replace both the carbon and the floss, not if it has been in there that long with out being change. Actually what roan said is right. The carbon has lost its chemical filtering ability anyway. I would just leave it in there, since it is now a great bio filter.

Thats the cool thing about those aqua clear filters.

you can actually replace only portions of the filtration without losing a MAJOR portion of your bacteria, In my aqua clear I replaced the nitrIte removering pack with my own bio culture ceramic stuff, (FLUVAL pre filter) it says it prevents clogging of finer filter media but honestly its just a kick butt place for bacteria to grow.

The reason why the packages tell you to remove activated carbon from your filter is because (good) carbon will pull the meds right out of your tank so you would just be wasting your money if you left the (good) carbon in.

johnpeezy · 05-05-2008, 12:11 AM

Oh I'm sorry I thought you had an aqua clear filter, my mistake.

But if you do wind up replacing your filter I pick up one of those bad boys, there pretty nice IMO.

joephys · 05-05-2008, 05:43 AM

AC's are pretty popular filters for that reason. I use an AC on my tanks. The only media I have in them are two sponges. Just clean out one sponge at a time.

05-02-2008, 04:32 PM	#1 (permalink)
hard_hooker Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 15	ich and carbon question I read the great Ich article here. One question.....if I go with a store bought med instead of salt I need to remove the carbon from my filter. I have a topfin 30 that uses the filter bag. is that the carbon they refer to? If I remove that won't it kill the biological filtration? the meds say to remove carbon however the topfin 30 is a cartridge with the carbon in it. If I take out the entire filter cartridge/sponge I will kill the good bacteria no? What do you suggest I do? Last edited by hard_hooker : 05-02-2008 at 05:04 PM.

05-02-2008, 05:58 PM	#4 (permalink)
Trixie Meow. Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Northern VA Posts: 1,456	No. __________________

05-03-2008, 08:13 AM	#7 (permalink)
Trixie Meow. Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Northern VA Posts: 1,456	I don't think that you have to remove the carbon for the salt treatment. When you are finished with the treatment, the salt can be taken out gradually with your regular maintenance water changes. Very easy. __________________

05-03-2008, 11:07 AM	#8 (permalink)
Roan Baroness von Bowhead Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Herdon, VA Posts: 439	Leave the carbon in regardless of what method you are using. For meds: if it's been in the tank that long, the carbon properties are used up. It's not doing anything, in other words, so it won't affect meds anyhow. For salt: it doesn't matter if there is carbon in the filter or not. It doesn't affect the salt. Roan __________________ Rainbowfish: Know your streams and keep them clean! Got rainbowfish? We do! http://Bowheads.org/forums/ Bowheads! No bull, just bows. It's about bows by the bowheads who keep them.

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05-02-2008, 05:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
joephys Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Location: auburn, wa Posts: 4,384	The carbon is the black stuff. Just dump the black stuff out and stick the floss back into the filter. It will only be an issue with your biofilter if your carbon as been in there for a long time.

05-02-2008, 05:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
hard_hooker Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 15	It's been in there for ever. Tank is only 4 months old. I was told to just shake out the cartridge in some of the changed water and replace it. If I take out the charcoal will my biological filtration be destroyed?

05-02-2008, 06:21 PM	#5 (permalink)
joephys Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Location: auburn, wa Posts: 4,384	It won't be destroyed, but there is a good amount of bacteria growing on the carbon. Its a great place for it to grow. There is also going to be a good deal of bacteria on the floss and other surfaces in the tank. Remove it, and keep an eye on your numbers in case there is a mini cycle. I would guess that you never get any readings of ammonia or nitrite.

05-03-2008, 07:44 AM	#6 (permalink)
hard_hooker Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 15	I did daily water changes for 8 weeks and got the tank cycled. I have zero readings now. I'll go ahead and remove the carbon and replace the floss. Going to try the salt method first for a week or two and see if that does the trick.

05-04-2008, 05:05 PM	#9 (permalink)
joephys Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Location: auburn, wa Posts: 4,384	I wouldn't replace both the carbon and the floss, not if it has been in there that long with out being change. Actually what roan said is right. The carbon has lost its chemical filtering ability anyway. I would just leave it in there, since it is now a great bio filter.

05-05-2008, 12:11 AM	#11 (permalink)
johnpeezy Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 384	Oh I'm sorry I thought you had an aqua clear filter, my mistake. But if you do wind up replacing your filter I pick up one of those bad boys, there pretty nice IMO.

05-05-2008, 05:43 AM	#12 (permalink)
joephys Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Location: auburn, wa Posts: 4,384	AC's are pretty popular filters for that reason. I use an AC on my tanks. The only media I have in them are two sponges. Just clean out one sponge at a time.

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