Penguin Filter

jacknjill

jacknjill

Active Member
I am using an old penguin filter for my QT tank. i am probably going to be using copper for my ich out break. my question is, should i take off the bio wheel? should i take out the carbon filter? cause wont these absorb the medicine? but then what is the point of the filter? help!!!!!!!
 
nas19320

nas19320

Active Member
Why use copper? Hypo would be better. If your going to use copper though I would remove the carbon. You may want to ask Beth in the Disease/Treatment forum.
 
jacknjill

jacknjill

Active Member
i dont have a refractometer. how much would they cost or how much would a glass hydrometer cost?
 
fishy1

fishy1

Member
hi! :thinking:
I'm assuming you have live rock and plants. If you treat your tank with copper, you are sure to seriously hurt and/or kill all of that; a serious loss!
I 've had two breakouts myself, one was ich and I did what you're going to do....it killed EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING!!

I had to start completely over and my fish did not live either.
:mad: DEFINATELY NOT WORTH IT!!!! :mad:
The next time I got a worm breakout and pulled my fish out and put them in a 10 gallon tank.
You're supposed to put them in the same water they're in now, with the same sand and a few ornaments from the old tank. Keep in mind you will not be able to put whatever you take out of your big tank and put into your small tank back into your big tank, so choose simple things that will make the fish feel safe but you can replace easily. You can treat the fish in the small tank with copper. The copper will soak into the sand and ornaments, so you shouldn't put them back into your big tank. Copper is harsh and will kill not only live rock and plants, but also inverts.
Keep your big tank going as usual for at least two weeks (this is also the time frame you're supposed to treat fish with copper). The justation period for ich is one week, but then you have the eggs in the sand, so it takes at least two. I left mine for three and everything is fine and alive. Best of all, I didn't have to start over like I did the first time.

* My plastic hydrometer only cost about $2- at PetsMart.
* Yes, remove the carbon if you treat your tank.
I know you need to get right on this, so I'm posting this now, but PLEASE ask me anything if you choose to do this!
BEST OF LUCK!!
Fishy1 :happyfish
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Fishy, he said he was going to treat the fish with copper in his QT (quarantine tank), where it is fine to dose with copper.
I too would recommend removing the carbon, just not the biowheel.
Treat the fish in the QT and leave them in there for a good 2 to 3 weeks. Ich can live in a tank for 23 days, so make sure that the fish don't go into the tank too soon or you will just give them something to host on again.
 
skrimpz

skrimpz

Member
the bio-wheel should be fine it is just a source of natural benfical bateria, it shouldn't effect the meds
 
jacknjill

jacknjill

Active Member
by the way i am a SHE. i know not to put copper in the tank & im setting up a QT. we're buying the tank today.
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
Yup...generally a QT is pretty bare, but I do recommend some sort of sturcture such as PCV pipe of assorted sizes or LR that you don't need or limestone base rock with holes and things. Just gives the fish places to hide and feel a bit more secure. No need to add additional stress by leaving it out in the open.
 
jacknjill

jacknjill

Active Member
so can i just sacrifice a piece of rock from my main tank and stick it in there?
UPDATE: went to store and bought a 10 gallon tank because the next smallest tank they had was a 20 gallon complete setup which i dont need. bought copper and copper test. put copper in QT tank but could not catch fish. so we are gonna try tomorow morning before they wake up and if we still cant, then well have to break the tank down. my question is, what if i just leave my mandarin in the main tank? i dont see any ich on him and i know he will starve in the QT tank
 
sw65galma

sw65galma

Active Member

Originally posted by JacknJill
so can i just sacrifice a piece of rock from my main tank and stick it in there?
UPDATE: went to store and bought a 10 gallon tank because the next smallest tank they had was a 20 gallon complete setup which i dont need. bought copper and copper test. put copper in QT tank but could not catch fish. so we are gonna try tomorow morning before they wake up and if we still cant, then well have to break the tank down. my question is, what if i just leave my mandarin in the main tank? i dont see any ich on him and i know he will starve in the QT tank
Mandarins are pretty immune to ICH as they have a special toxic coating.
 
fishy1

fishy1

Member
I wouldn't say to sacrifice a whole live rock if you can avoid doing that. That's pretty expensive. Do you have anything easier to replace like smaller open shells? They just need to feel safe and have something to hide in/around. Maybe a peice of coral? The purpose is to keep the same bacteria in the "new" tank and hiding. That's why these tanks are usually almost barren.
I was always told to put ALL fish in the QT tank because even if you don't see it, the fish may have it internally. I would say if you can, put him in there, if not I think you should buy some Anti-Parasite food for him. That's the name on the bottle. it's a dry food that treats fish internally (it's only about $2-). You feed it to them 3 days straight, then feed them their regular food for 4 days and repeat for a month. If you keep everything seperate for this long it SHOULD all be okay.
My strongest suggestion is to treat them all. yOu don't want another breakout as soon as you put your fish back in. :mad:
Good luck!
Fishy1 :happyfish
P.S. I'm a she too. :yes:
 
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