Carbon (for Medication Removal)

[Sibelius]

I've finished a course of medication for whitespot. Is it essential that I put carbon in my filter, (I don't want to because of my plants) would it be ok to just let the medication get out through dilution, (water changes 2-4 times weekly.)

 

[WILDER]

I would add the carbon if it's only for two days.

 

[jayjay]

Water changes would be better than carbon in my opinion. Just the fact that the carbon can "release" back what it's "collected" puts me off it. A would do a few large changes around 75% personally, but I do large water changes. Even a change of 50% would be a good start, then another one in a few days, then again a few days after.

The carbon wouldn't do a lot to the plants but I still wouldn't use it.

 

[WILDER]

A new carbon block won't release back into the tank, they say carbon only works for two days anyway.

 

[jayjay]

I still don't see how carbon will be any more use than water changes. At least if you do the water changes you know a certain percent of the medicine has gone completely from the tank. With carbon do you know how much it's removed? Or how much carbon you'd need to remove a certain amount of medicine?

 

[WILDER]

Nope.
But I like to get the med out as fast as possible, gravel vacs helps as well.

 

[geo7x]

gravel vacs helps as well.

couldnt you just do waterchanges while youre at it?

 

[jayjay]

How will gravel vacs remove medicine... You need to remove the water and dilute the rest of the water with fresh, clean water.

I get the med out as fast as I can, by doing a huge water change, in the region of 80% then later that day doing another. Carrying on doing that for a few days if I can. You also have to make sure the disease is gone, so leaving even a small amount may help for just a few days more in some people's cases.

 

[rob newland]

If your using a gravel vac - you are doing a water change?

 

[WILDER]

A gravel vac helps more with a water change.

 

[jayjay]

Ah Rob, you can get those silly little things, with the bag on the end, so it just removes the solid waste not the water. Though I don't know specifically what wilder refers to as gravel vacs.

A gravel vac helps more with a water change.

Do explain.

We are trying to get rid of medicine in the water, not clean the substrate. But to help with a water change and as you think it's best to get it out faster, just draining the water would be the quicker option.

 

[WILDER]

Well I had gill flukes and did a water change.
More of the blue med came out of the gravel.

 

[jayjay]

So that would mean most of it settled, not very diluted, in the substrate instead of being in the water, where it was needed? The water circulation couldn't of been great or something went wrong as I've heard seen that happen with a medicine if it's added correctly etc.

 

[WILDER]

Two filters and an airstone so there was plenty of circulation in the tank.

 

[jayjay]

Two filters and an airstone? It could be a huge tank with two tiny filters and a weak air pump for all I know. Though I normally mix the medication in a bucket of water and tip it in, in front or my filter output, after doing a large water change.