Can I Filter, With Meds In Tank?

[pablosolo]

If I have been informed corectly, you are not supposed to run carbon filtration while medicating your tank because it removes the meds. Is it safe to leave my tank with no filter for 7 days? My Nitrites are sky high and I want to do a partial water change, maybe 25% but I recently added salt and Nitromax. I have a 20 gal. tall with two Angels and two snails. My angels were sick and are looking better now, but the water is getting cloudy and I dont want to stress them any more than they already are.
p.h. 7.1
ni 5.0
na 10
am 0
Pablo

 

[Davo86]

If I have been informed corectly, you are not supposed to run carbon filtration while medicating your tank because it removes the meds. Is it safe to leave my tank with no filter for 7 days? My Nitrites are sky high and I want to do a partial water change, maybe 25% but I recently added salt and Nitromax. I have a 20 gal. tall with two Angels and two snails. My angels were sick and are looking better now, but the water is getting cloudy and I dont want to stress them any more than they already are.
p.h. 7.1
ni 5.0
na 10
am 0
Pablo

hey, no its not safe to remove the filter, this will just make the levels of toxins increase at a faster rate, What type of filter are you using? is there not foam or polyester or similar in the filter?

I would personally do a water change regardless of what you have added,

 

[Mikaila31]

Yep. Do a water change ASAP about 50% would be best. A nitrite reading of 5 is very high and very toxic too fish. Your tank is probably cycling, so you should do large water changes every day until you can bring the nitrite down to less than one.

 

[pablosolo]

There is a small black filter in front of my carbon filter, it is a whisper internal for 20 gal. tanks. Unfortunately I did not know about removing your filter before hand and now my filter is dried up which removed the bacteria, which is probably why the nitrites are so high, uugh! I will do a water change now and put the filter back in, and will test when I get back from company dinner. Thanks for the input.
Pablo

 

[Mikaila31]

You can instantly cycle a tank if you can find filter media from a friends or a pet store's already cycled tank. Depending on how much you get it may completely cycle the tank or you may just experience a mini cycle.

 

[pablosolo]

I did a 25% water change last night and nitrites still sky high, white angel has whitspots now, fins and coloration not looking good. I will do a 50% change and vac the gravel, then add more meds and nitromax. I guess I will find out if it will get better or have a fatal learning experience. By the way, I have a couple of fake plants that have a rust colored substance on them, could that be an issue. You have all been helpful, thank you very much.
Pablo

 

[Johndus656]

it sounds like your angels have ick/ich. Do a water change still and make sure those nitrite levels go down, its prolly stressing the fish out and their amunne system is weakening. get some cik/ich meds and also sounds like you have red algae.

 

[pablosolo]

Welcome to my Nitritemare. I have done a 25% water change and vacced the gravel 2x and tested the water the next day to find that I still have nitrites off the chart, I mean seriously purple. My white Angel is no longer white and looks like his clock is ticking. What is red algae? and is it causing some of these problems? I dont want to buy water from my LFS if the problem is coming from something in the tank. I have one gold and one black snail, is it possible they are causing problems? I have put my carbon filters back in and will buy some ich meds tomorrow, I hope it is not too late.............
Pablo

 

[pablosolo]

My white angel is no longer with us I hope I can save the spotted, he is the last of four fish in my tank, uuuugggghhhh!
Pablo

 

[rabbut]

Welcome to my Nitritemare. I have done a 25% water change and vacced the gravel 2x and tested the water the next day to find that I still have nitrites off the chart, I mean seriously purple. My white Angel is no longer white and looks like his clock is ticking. What is red algae? and is it causing some of these problems? I dont want to buy water from my LFS if the problem is coming from something in the tank. I have one gold and one black snail, is it possible they are causing problems? I have put my carbon filters back in and will buy some ich meds tomorrow, I hope it is not too late.............
Pablo

Hi,
sorry to hear about your loss.

Nitrite is bad for fish long-tearm in any detectable quanities, and bad short-tearm above 0.25. My advise is a series of 50% waterchanges, three a day if possible, untill you have the nitrite below 0.25. dose the meds for the amout of water you are adding to the tank after each change. High nitrites are likely to be the caurse of the whitespot outbreak, thus you will only cure the infection once the caurse has been remidied. Waterlife Protozin is the best med for whitespot IMO, with interpet no 6 (check number at the LFS when purchasing) also being a good medication to try.
The stuff covering you plants is normal in a cycling tank. It is a type of algea linked to abnormaly high ammonia and nitrites. Try to find some foam for those filters, as carbon will remove the meds form the water when added. Are you using liquid or dip strip test kits? Liquid ests are more accurate if you can get them, and most people recomend API. I prefur Tetra, but each to their own..

HTH
rabbut

p.s. any more questions, just ask. Any chance of up-to-date water stats?

 

[Mikaila31]

Sorry about the angel . Like rabbut said new water stats would help. Also I suggest you pick up a bottle of prime to help get the nitrites down

 

[pablosolo]

I did a 50% change last night and dumped a whole bottle of Nitromax in with 2 capfuls of Paraguard for the ICH. I am beyond happy in reporting that I may have finally won Ph-7.0, NITRITES-0.0, Ammonia-0.0, Nitrates-5.0. And yes I am testing with liquid API. I awoke this morning to find my spotted Angel covered with slime, not sure if that is the meds working or if the water change was too late, I guess time will tell. If he is the lone survivor of my inexperience, that would be great, if not live and learn I suppose. I want to thank everyone that replied for their help, much appreciated. Maybe some advice on some new fish in a week or two.
Peace out girlscout.
Pablo

P.S. You all know how to fix a Dishwasher??

 

[rabbut]

I awoke this morning to find my spotted Angel covered with slime, not sure if that is the meds working or if the water change was too late, I guess time will tell.

The slime is either a responce to the disease or waterquality, made by the immuesystem of the fish, or it is a further complication of the waterquality over the last few days. The only way to tell will be to allow it to stew for a while, if it gets worse, comsider adding melafix by API, to ease the symptoms. Melafix is herbal baced, thus will not react adversly with the other med. Take care if you choose to use a substitute, as mixing chemical baced meds gives a 1 in 4 chance of success, 1 in 2 change of nuking the tank and a 1 in 4 chance of counteracting each other and not fixing either problem. Whenever mixing meds for the first time, do it at a point where you are in for a few hours, and thus in a position to waterchange like mad if things go wrong. Melafix is herbal baced, and you have my word that is safe to mix woth other meds.

HTH
rabbut

 

[pablosolo]

Spotted angel is gone. I am now fishless and will let my tank stew for a few weeks before introducing any new fish. Should I continue to do water changes if my chemical balance is ok? If so how often? I do still have two snails left, the lone survivors. My son and I started this tank a little over a month ago because we cant have pets here in our townhome. He is very sad about losing the fish because he had named them and is only seven getting his first lesson on death. Therefore he is anxious to get started with some new fish asap, the right way of course. Any advice greatly appreciated.
Thanx
Pablo

 

[rabbut]

Spotted angel is gone. I am now fishless and will let my tank stew for a few weeks before introducing any new fish. Should I continue to do water changes if my chemical balance is ok? If so how often? I do still have two snails left, the lone survivors. My son and I started this tank a little over a month ago because we cant have pets here in our townhome. He is very sad about losing the fish because he had named them and is only seven getting his first lesson on death. Therefore he is anxious to get started with some new fish asap, the right way of course. Any advice greatly appreciated.
Thanx
Pablo

Hi,

sorry for your other loss. In these circumstances, I would do a 100% and go on to start a fishless cycle, see the link [topic="113861"]here[/topic] if you haven't already

HTH
rabbut