Does the amount of activated carbon in a filter, for the purpose of removing medication, matter? How much activated carbon would I need to remove a full 7 day dose of melafix from 1,500 gallons…?
Does the amount of activated carbon matter?
- Thread starter OliveFish05
- Start date
The more carbon you have in the filter, the more medication you can remove before the carbon becomes full (saturated). If you don't have enough carbon in the filter, it won't remove all the medication.
There are 3 main types of carbon used in aquariums.
"Carbon"
"Activated carbon"
"Highly activated carbon"
Plain carbon adsorbs the least, while highly activated carbon adsorbs the most.
The best way to remove medications or chemicals from the water is with a couple of big water changes. Then if you want to polish the water or remove the last traces of medication, add some carbon.
A couple of 75% water changes (I know it's a lot of water) would remove most of the Melafix from the pond and you wouldn't have to add carbon. If you don't want to do a water change, then you will need at least a couple of kilograms (4-5 pounds) of carbon.
There are 3 main types of carbon used in aquariums.
"Carbon"
"Activated carbon"
"Highly activated carbon"
Plain carbon adsorbs the least, while highly activated carbon adsorbs the most.
The best way to remove medications or chemicals from the water is with a couple of big water changes. Then if you want to polish the water or remove the last traces of medication, add some carbon.
A couple of 75% water changes (I know it's a lot of water) would remove most of the Melafix from the pond and you wouldn't have to add carbon. If you don't want to do a water change, then you will need at least a couple of kilograms (4-5 pounds) of carbon.
OP
OP
We’ve done a 15% water changes the last two days, unfortunately it’s all our well can handle at once. Overall we’ve probably changed 30-40% but it still reeks of melafix.
I’m thinking two of these... https://www.chewy.com/marineland-black-diamond-activated/dp/125924
Can you collect and hold a few hundred litres of water each day for a week and then do a big water change? One big water change would dilute the Melafix more effectively than little water changes each day.
The carbon in the link will work but you will need a few containers of it (probably 3 or 4 containers).
When you use carbon, it works best when the water going through it, flows through slowly. You also want a thick pile of carbon for the water to go through so it can clean the water quicker.
The best way to accomplish this is pvc pipe or some sort of tube that is tall and narrow (18-24 inches tall x 3-4 inches diameter). The pipe is filled with carbon and the water flows into the top and drains down through the carbon, and is released at the bottom.
Have a prefilter/ screen on top to stop gunk getting onto the carbon and clogging it up.
Have a flyscreen on the bottom to stop the carbon being washed out.
Carbon should be rinsed before use because it sometimes has a fine black powder in it. The powder is just dust from the carbon but if you don't rinse it out, then the dust ends up in the aquarium or pond and turns the water black.
The carbon in the link will work but you will need a few containers of it (probably 3 or 4 containers).
When you use carbon, it works best when the water going through it, flows through slowly. You also want a thick pile of carbon for the water to go through so it can clean the water quicker.
The best way to accomplish this is pvc pipe or some sort of tube that is tall and narrow (18-24 inches tall x 3-4 inches diameter). The pipe is filled with carbon and the water flows into the top and drains down through the carbon, and is released at the bottom.
Have a prefilter/ screen on top to stop gunk getting onto the carbon and clogging it up.
Have a flyscreen on the bottom to stop the carbon being washed out.
Carbon should be rinsed before use because it sometimes has a fine black powder in it. The powder is just dust from the carbon but if you don't rinse it out, then the dust ends up in the aquarium or pond and turns the water black.
Did the Melafix fix the problem?
I wouldn't call Melafix a medication. It's a "remedy". The active ingredient is a proven anti-bacterial, but the dosages you would need for it to work would also kill the fish many times over. Like many natural remedies, there's a grain of truth to it, but that all important question of how much you need is the issue.
I wouldn't use any charcoal, and would just go on a regime of aggressive water changes to gradually remove it. While it doesn't help much, I haven't heard of it hurting, and the steady diet of water changes over a couple of weeks may cure the problem it was used for.
When I collect killie eggs, often out of 10, maybe 2 will be unfertilized. They decompose and the results can kill the eggs around them. You don't always see the fungus before it's spread, so many keepers use something in the water. I tried melafix there, and it had very neutral results. It wasn't a properly planned experiment anyway - just me dabbling. It didn't harm the resulting fry though.
I wouldn't use any charcoal, and would just go on a regime of aggressive water changes to gradually remove it. While it doesn't help much, I haven't heard of it hurting, and the steady diet of water changes over a couple of weeks may cure the problem it was used for.
When I collect killie eggs, often out of 10, maybe 2 will be unfertilized. They decompose and the results can kill the eggs around them. You don't always see the fungus before it's spread, so many keepers use something in the water. I tried melafix there, and it had very neutral results. It wasn't a properly planned experiment anyway - just me dabbling. It didn't harm the resulting fry though.
OP
OP
Who knows. The fish had bloody streaks on their fins. The water tests for ammonia, ph, nitrite, and nitrate were nothing out of the ordinary, ph 7.5, all else 0. medicated with melafix because it supposedly treats bacterial infections. I was not in favor of medicating, but the streaks did go away.
Apparently they added pimafix too, just before we noticed the fish very sluggish. So we are trying to do as large of water changes as we can each day, to get the medication out. we’ve probably done about 60% by now. We aren’t able to store water in large enough amounts to do a larger water change. We could store… maybe 300 gallons. Of course that would make some difference… though I don’t think the storage container would be fishbsafe. It’s a kiddie pool, likely covered in sun screen and uv resistent chemicals.
Have you bought any containers/ ponds for your plant/ breeding project?
If yes, fill them with water and get enough to do a 90% water change on the pond, then drain and refill the pond.
If you don't have any ponds/ containers for the plant/ breeding project, then get a few containers and use them to hold the water. After the pond has been sorted out, set the containers up for your plants.
If yes, fill them with water and get enough to do a 90% water change on the pond, then drain and refill the pond.
If you don't have any ponds/ containers for the plant/ breeding project, then get a few containers and use them to hold the water. After the pond has been sorted out, set the containers up for your plants.
OP
OP
Ok. I don’t have them yet, but can see about getting them now. Do those 4 foot round plastic wading pools work to store water for a few days? I know you said that after about a week the chemicals would build up... I do have a 40 gallon stock tank, and am grabbing a 110 gallon stock tank too but if I could use the wading pools that would be great. They are like $12 and hold a load of water
I don't know about the wading pools. I used one years ago and it held daphnia for years and didn't poison them.
Cheaper pools are less likely to have chemicals added to stop algae and bacteria so a cheap $12 one might be ok.
Maybe check the packaging and contact the supplier to see if they have any algicides or other things that might leach out of the plastic.
Cheaper pools are less likely to have chemicals added to stop algae and bacteria so a cheap $12 one might be ok.
Maybe check the packaging and contact the supplier to see if they have any algicides or other things that might leach out of the plastic.
OP
OP
HAPPY to report that everything is back to normal! The koi are doing great and we were able to change a very decent amount of water. Right now the plants are coming back and the lilies are reaching the surface! The only troubling thing is Tigress, one of the larger koi, has a red fin. Is this an indication of disease, or more likely injury? She is a little skittish too, it makes me wonder if she was hurt. Although it looks very unlike anything I’ve seen.
OP
OP
This was this fish about 4 days ago, s/he came right up to feed.What were the pectoral fins like before this?
That's a pretty good picture too, beautiful and clear.
When are you going to post a picture of the pond?
Several of the others had some red streaking on their fins at the start of the weather change, though it was MINOR compared to this. One koi, “Bubba the 3rd”, had some streaking, more than the others but still no where near as bad as this one’s (Tigress)
It's either colouration or blood. Blood could be from a physical injury or a bacterial infection, but that is unusual in the fin and doesn't normally spread across the whole fin like that.
It also doesn't look like the right colour for blood, but that could be the picture.
Is the fin splitting or fraying at all?
Are there red lines in the fins along with the fin being red overall?
Is the fish still eating well?
If it's eating well and there are no red lines in the fins, then I would monitor and see how it goes over the next week.
Make sure the water quality is good and give them plenty of plant matter to help boost their immune system.
It also doesn't look like the right colour for blood, but that could be the picture.
Is the fin splitting or fraying at all?
Are there red lines in the fins along with the fin being red overall?
Is the fish still eating well?
If it's eating well and there are no red lines in the fins, then I would monitor and see how it goes over the next week.
Make sure the water quality is good and give them plenty of plant matter to help boost their immune system.
OP
OP
The fish is still eating well. Today s/he came right up to feed, unlike the first day it was there. I didn’t note any splitting, fraying, or lines when I was watching her this morning, though I’ll check again. I DID notice it was considerably smaller this morning. I will get updated photos.
it is a deeper red than the photo portrays
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