Carbon (for Medication Removal)

[SuperColey1]

I am heavily planted (The avatar is my tank), and I had a problem in my tank a week or so ago, although the fish are cheaper than the plants, I put the fish first and had carbon in for 2 days.

80% is one hell of a water change and could stress the freshly 'cured' fish out and let the disease in the back door.

Carbon + 40-50% max and the plants won't suffer.

Plants take a while to adapt to changes in nutrients and CO2 and therefore will only have adjusted a little by the time the 2 days are up, and therefore 2 days later will have readjusted to where they were before.

You may have some small algae problem but I doubt it. Even algae needs more than 4 days.

I'd go with Wilder's advice.

Andy

 

[jayjay]

80% is a normal size water change for me. We shall see if it lets the disease back in after me removing a treatment with two 80% water changes today.

I've kept and keep a number of planted tanks and do "huge" water changes every week with no side effects and no waiting for the plants to adapt.

 

[SuperColey1]

80% is a normal size water change for me. We shall see if it lets the disease back in after me removing a treatment with two 80% water changes today.

I've kept and keep a number of planted tanks and do "huge" water changes every week with no side effects and no waiting for the plants to adapt.

You maybe have but if youre doing EI then youre water changes are for the plants.

Wether you like it or not large water changes do stress the fish out a little. Carbon is an awesome remover off many problems although it is 48 hours not the manufacturers reccommended.

Carbon will remove things like NPK FE, CU etc. and therefore the plants are starved of these much needed nutrients, whilst the carbon pad is in there. They take time to readjust to not having what they want before they settle down.

This is where Algae gets to blossom becuase as the plants aren't using any leftovers, the algae will.

Once the carbon is removed the nutrients will start to be used again but the plants will take time to readjust to their previous uptake.

This is why if you use a decent fert like Tropica it will state use half doses for the first few week until THE PLANTS ADJUST.

If you don't believe about plants needing to adjust then go read posts on ~THE BARR REPORT or as in our planted section and maybe George or someone else will say Im wrong (although I doubt)

 

[jayjay]

I don't know if the OP is using EI or not.

You will find that fish cope well with temperature, pH changes etc. Just not too well with hardness, and if your replacing the water with water of the same hardness there will be no problem.

someone else will say Im wrong (although I doubt)

Very confident aren't we

 

[WILDER]

I'm not as soon as jayjay says something I panic.

 

[jayjay]

I'm not as soon as jayjay says something I panic.

Explain please wilder.

To add my backing against "stress from water changes"

Research actually shows that the most stressful change is actually a change in hardness.
..
In general, fish are actually quite adaptable to varying conditions, including temperature and pH change.

 

[WILDER]

Because you no your stuff and a good writer, i know what I mean but find it hard to write down, when you tackle me on stuff.

 

[jayjay]

I just had the weirdest mental image of me rugby tackling someone

Also to add here is where I got the information on fish coping with changes. Bignose I have found is very knowledgeable and uses Scientific literature to back himself up.

 

[SuperColey1]

The problem here is that we are dealing with disease and we should not be worrying about plants. If your water is consistent in hardenss excellent. Don't assume that the person asking has consistent water. I know mine goes up and down Ph, Amm, Phos, Nit etc.

A carbon pad used for 2 days will virtually have no effect on the plants, but to slow their growth for 4 days (2 adjusting to the no NPK and 2 readjusting) Some fish will definately get stressed over water changes of tat magnitude, whereas others will not.

Many use a cold water change to get their plecs to spawn, but this all depends on who the other inhabitants of the tank are.

At the end of the day, if you use the Carbon Pad to remove the meds, then youre up and running again.

p.s.

Todays pic as promised. ooooh what a disaster it looks compared to my avatar

I'm off back to poker now, so I'll reply tomorrow if I can be bothered

 

[Gatorbait]

Large wc's can't be too stressful on fish since Discus breeders do 1 or 2 100% water changes a day to get them to breed. I've never had Discus so I can't say from experience but I've heard these aren't very hardy fish.

 

[jayjay]

Right, now I'm a tad confused, you were the one to bring plants up All we are talking about is removing meds..

 

[SuperColey1]

Breaking away from my poker game and I promise this will be my last post on this thread tonight.

I commented about plants and then you commented about my statememnt on plants, therefore we seem to have gotten into a planted debate. Also I think the OP was talking about plants and the carbon effect, hence my post.

Also to the other poster, I said that some use water changes to temp spawning, but you can only do this if the other inhabitants of the tank will not be affected. Most breeder will do a colder water change with plecs to tempt them to spawn, but if they have species that can't take the change they don't hence why most breeders are doing so in 'species' tanks.

Not digging at anybody, just saying that carbon for 2 days will not hurt the plants, and will do the med removeal job as well