carbon filter in QT

confusedfishy

confusedfishy

Member
Okay, quick question-I am using a basic set-up for my QT -29g with a carbon filter set-up. When I QT/hypo new fish, especially those more apt to get diseases such as HLLE should I take the carbon filter out sometimes-a certain amount of hours everyday.
I ask this because I have been doing some research on fish diseases and notice carbon can be a cause for some fish to develop some diseases.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
If you medicate, you have to take the carbon out. Fish prone to HLLE, you may take it out, but keep in mind that carbon becomes part of the bio-filter after 2 weeks, so don't rely on it as a biological filter. I like to just use it as needed to clean up, not for regularly maintaining.
 
confusedfishy

confusedfishy

Member
okay, that helps alot and we will take the carbon out ...
to be really specific on what I should do...is this thought process correct...?
I have one fish in hypo right now (ich wasn't our friend), we are in the 5th week (raising salinity each day). I don't want to rip the carbon out right now because it has become part of the biofilter so I will wait until the hypo process is done and the fish is back in the DT.
Then I will take the carbon filter out but what should I put in? Should I just leave it without a "filter" or could I use a piece of the "filter pads" you can buy-just cut a piece and put it in where the carbon usually goes? If so what type of pad-phospate remover, nitrate remover, etc...
Also, since it became part of the biofilter I assume my "cycling" will be effected. It has completely cycled and maintained good numbers for a few weeks now (ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5-10). What would I look for to happen to those numbers once the carbon is taken out, would it totally need to cycle again? Could I leave the carbon in for now but add a piece of filter pad (discussed above) to help build the biofilter bacteria base up to help compensate for the lose of the carbon when it does come out? I hope that makes sense...I don't know what I would do without this website...thank you
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
First it is important to understand why you are using carbon
Chemical filtration is provided by carbon or chemical resins that extract toxins from the water. Activated filter carbon will aggressively remove chemicals from your water until the carbon becomes saturated. It is very important that any activated filter carbon in your filtration system be changed often.
There is no reason to use it in a QT/HT. Until you have treated that tank with copper and you want to remove the treatment chemical.
IMO what Beth was alluding to is that after a while your filter cartridge with the carbon has become a platform for your Bio filtration. Thus when you remove your carbon cartridge you are in fact diminishing your nitrification capacity. IMO if and when you treat with copper the use of a Poly-Filter pad is a much better way to go, Do you have an Eclipse set up
 
confusedfishy

confusedfishy

Member
It's actually an Aqua Tech, 29g. I bought it at my local Walmart. I was in a hurry to get a system because like an idiot I didn't set up a QT when I started the DT and I bought a fish with ich. Once I figured out it was ich I ran to the store and got this small set up. I used the carbon because it was part of the system and I was just trying to get it up and running. I didn't really understand carbon and what it means to the system-I am trying to learn everything quickly and I seem to keep making mistakes...

4 of the 5 fish died in my DT, and I am in the final stretch of saving the last remaining fish. He has been in QT in that tank since I set it up 5 weeks ago. It cycled with him in it. I definately get the fact that the carbon filter has become part of the "system," so with that in mind shouldn't I leave it in for the next week to make sure the fish stays okay? If I do that, and then take it out, what should I expect to happen to the tank? I have a "Odyssea Cut to Fit Filter Pad" that I could cut a piece of and place where the carbon has been, would that work?
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
You are performing hypo, correct? The carbon is used to remove medication. It is fine to use when you are not medicating the tank. Leave the pad in. It has bacteria on it. You don't have the need to remove chemicals from the tank right now. Do you need other help? I noticed that you mentioned several other fish dying. Do you need help with the hypo? You will have to leave the display fish-less for six weeks, to be sure that all ich is gone.
 
confusedfishy

confusedfishy

Member
Yes, I am doing hypo, I have another thread I started weeks ago on finding out how to do it correctly. Those 4 fish died during that first week and the remaining one has been okay. I am in the 5th week in the QT-I am bringing up the salinity this week, next week he will just be in there. The display will have been fishless at that point for 6 weeks. Hopefully, I have done everything correctly with that process, thanks to you and a few others that helped me so much.
I just was reading up on the different diseases to look for and started finding information on the use of carbon and realized I had that in my QT and got worried. I know that I am using the "freshwater" type filter for the QT but I just set it up quickly and couldn't afford a better filtration system which included the carbon, and so now I am wanting to find out my best route without the carbon for that system. I hope that makes sense...
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by confusedfishy
http:///forum/post/2601659
Yes, I am doing hypo, I have another thread I started weeks ago on finding out how to do it correctly. Those 4 fish died during that first week and the remaining one has been okay. I am in the 5th week in the QT-I am bringing up the salinity this week, next week he will just be in there. The display will have been fishless at that point for 6 weeks. Hopefully, I have done everything correctly with that process, thanks to you and a few others that helped me so much.
I just was reading up on the different diseases to look for and started finding information on the use of carbon and realized I had that in my QT and got worried. I know that I am using the "freshwater" type filter for the QT but I just set it up quickly and couldn't afford a better filtration system which included the carbon, and so now I am wanting to find out my best route without the carbon for that system. I hope that makes sense...
What filter do you have on there? What have you seen that is the result of carbon? HLLE? That is a contributing factor of HLLE. Only if you don't do water changes. Carbon removes a very tiny amount of trace elements. If carbon is used and water changes are not done, over time, there would be a deficiency in the water. It takes awhile for that to happen though. No worries.
 
confusedfishy

confusedfishy

Member
It is a Aqua-Tech Power Filter 20-40. It came with the tank as a whole set-up. Really basic.
I haven't seen any effect on the fish I have now in there. It is a hawkfish and he has done amazingly well through the ich and the entire hypo process, especially considering how fast the other fish went down at the beginning from the ich. My questions stem from wanting to ensure the tank is set-up okay for the long term now and if I need to fix/change something I can figure it out before I make another mistake.
As soon as I can move the hawkfish over to the DT I want to beable to buy some more fish to QT, hopefully begining the process of refilling my DT again. My fish of choice will be tangs and I saw that HLLE can stem from the carbon, so anyway...I am really just trying to avoid a problem by learning beforehand...
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by confusedfishy
http:///forum/post/2601682
It is a Aqua-Tech Power Filter 20-40. It came with the tank as a whole set-up. Really basic.
I haven't seen any effect on the fish I have now in there. It is a hawkfish and he has done amazingly well through the ich and the entire hypo process, especially considering how fast the other fish went down at the beginning from the ich. My questions stem from wanting to ensure the tank is set-up okay for the long term now and if I need to fix/change something I can figure it out before I make another mistake.
As soon as I can move the hawkfish over to the DT I want to beable to buy some more fish to QT, hopefully begining the process of refilling my DT again. My fish of choice will be tangs and I saw that HLLE can stem from the carbon, so anyway...I am really just trying to avoid a problem by learning beforehand...
Carbon in a Qt will not cause HLLE. It won't effect fish in a display, unless there are no water changes. People try different things. You would be surprised at how many try to skip doing water changes at all. You do not have to worry about the carbon, unless you do not replace the trace elements every now and then. HLLE is caused by lack of nutrition and improper water quality/environment. If you are planning on tangs, only buy one at a time.
 
confusedfishy

confusedfishy

Member
Thanks, that makes me feel better about the carbon. I do water changes every two weeks in both of the DTs I have, enless the nitrates are running high and then I do once a week.
I had planned on trying to buy two tangs, but very small, that way they would be introduced together so they would be less likely to fight. If I don't introduce together how would I do it? My hope is to have a Powder Brown and and Kole. That is what I had before they got sick and they kept my 92 spotlessly clean from algae, it was great and quite amazing to watch!
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by confusedfishy
http:///forum/post/2601699
Thanks, that makes me feel better about the carbon. I do water changes every two weeks in both of the DTs I have, enless the nitrates are running high and then I do once a week.
I had planned on trying to buy two tangs, but very small, that way they would be introduced together so they would be less likely to fight. If I don't introduce together how would I do it? My hope is to have a Powder Brown and and Kole. That is what I had before they got sick and they kept my 92 spotlessly clean from algae, it was great and quite amazing to watch!
Those two don't need to be introduced together. The Kole will be fine, introduce him first, after the QT time. Be sure to watch the fish very carefully. You have to look closely, every single day.
 
confusedfishy

confusedfishy

Member
I was actually thinking I would go ahead and do the hypo on him when I got him home, since tangs seem to get ich alot easier then some other fish do. I had planned on leaving him in there for 4 weeks anyway so I thought I would do the hypo, does that make sense?
 
confusedfishy

confusedfishy

Member
what about hippo tangs? I guess I have found that tangs are a favorite of mine so the larger tank I have I seem to want several. Definately Powder Brown, my favorite... and hoping for a Kole and Hippo? You think Kole first? I definately don't mind doing them all seperate or some together, which ever way I could get them all in there safely...
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by confusedfishy
http:///forum/post/2601705
I was actually thinking I would go ahead and do the hypo on him when I got him home, since tangs seem to get ich alot easier then some other fish do. I had planned on leaving him in there for 4 weeks anyway so I thought I would do the hypo, does that make sense?
Yep, many people do hypo tangs, just to be safe. There is nothing wrong with that.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by confusedfishy
http:///forum/post/2601712
what about hippo tangs? I guess I have found that tangs are a favorite of mine so the larger tank I have I seem to want several. Definately Powder Brown, my favorite... and hoping for a Kole and Hippo? You think Kole first? I definately don't mind doing them all seperate or some together, which ever way I could get them all in there safely...
What sized DT do you have? I must have missed it.
 
confusedfishy

confusedfishy

Member
Well I have a DT that is 65 but the one I have been talking about for the tangs is a 92. Other than the hawkfish I already have for it the tangs are the only thing I really know I want for it.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by confusedfishy
http:///forum/post/2601728
Well I have a DT that is 65 but the one I have been talking about for the tangs is a 92. Other than the hawkfish I already have for it the tangs are the only thing I really know I want for it.
Calm down on your want for tangs. Some of the tangs that you are talking about get way too large for a 92. A YT and a Kole would work. A powder brown and a hippo would be alright for a while, but you would have to get a larger tank. The 92 is your larger tank. These fish deteriorate in health if their needs are not met.
 
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