Post Ich Filter Replacement

I have cleared a minor case of ich out of my tank, and since I removed the filter cartridge over a week ago for meds it has been sitting in treated water. I'm wondering if any bacteria that were on it would now be dead and if I should put a new cartridge in (it's an Aqueon that takes those flat paper-covered cartridges with carbon inside.) There's also a sponge filter running in there. Parameters are 0/0/20-40.

Thanks.

 

First thing that the best to do with those types of cartridges is to take the carbon out from the start... just cut a little slit and remove it...
the problem with those types of filters is you have to replace them and people usually just throw them away and therefore throwing out their cycle basically... I have an Aqueon on one of my small tanks for my African clawed frog... the best thing to do with them if you don’t want to empty the carbon or even if you do... is when your old cartridge looks ready for the dumps and you can no longer get it clean enough, is to place another cartridge right behind it (not in the blue thing but behind it) this will allow your new cartridge to get seeded after about a week or so... (depends on what you are stocking and how dirty they are) but just keep an eye on it... when it looks like it’s seeded from your old one... throw away the old one and place the new one in the blue holder... that’s how I have always done it and it never interrupts my cycle...
I would guess that yes most would be dead but probably not all of them... the problem you are going to face is that your carbon was probably already exhausted... therefore putting it back in won’t remove the meds from the water anyway...
So it’s kind of a catch 22... I would put it back in... just Incase... and seed a new one (hopefully) at least the new one will pull the meds out....
That’s about the best info I can give with my experience with those filters

 

First thing that the best to do with those types of cartridges is to take the carbon out from the start... just cut a little slit and remove it...
the problem with those types of filters is you have to replace them and people usually just throw them away and therefore throwing out their cycle basically... I have an Aqueon on one of my small tanks for my African clawed frog... the best thing to do with them if you don’t want to empty the carbon or even if you do... is when your old cartridge looks ready for the dumps and you can no longer get it clean enough, is to place another cartridge right behind it (not in the blue thing but behind it) this will allow your new cartridge to get seeded after about a week or so... (depends on what you are stocking and how dirty they are) but just keep an eye on it... when it looks like it’s seeded from your old one... throw away the old one and place the new one in the blue holder... that’s how I have always done it and it never interrupts my cycle...
I would guess that yes most would be dead but probably not all of them... the problem you are going to face is that your carbon was probably already exhausted... therefore putting it back in won’t remove the meds from the water anyway...
So it’s kind of a catch 22... I would put it back in... just Incase... and seed a new one (hopefully) at least the new one will pull the meds out....
That’s about the best info I can give with my experience with those filters

Thanks very much. Definitely the old one's carbon is exhausted. In fact I wondered if I even needed to remove it when I medicated....
For now, I just wanted to be sure no harm could come from putting it back in. It looks pretty gross.
Also, someone gave me an AquaClear ammonia remover filter insert, which I know is designed for a different brand of filter, but would it be a good thing to throw in behind my cartridge for more media? I don't have ammonia, but am guessing adding anything for bacteria to grow on is good.

 

If its been out if the tank for over a week and your parameters are from today, you’re still cycled, so just throw it away. The blue plastic with holes all over it on the front of the filter is designed to grow bacteria, and you have a sponge.

 

If its been out if the tank for over a week and your parameters are from today, you’re still cycled, so just throw it away. The blue plastic with holes all over it on the front of the filter is designed to grow bacteria, and you have a sponge.

Just put in a new cartridge. Thanks.

 

While the blue plastic things do hold bacteria the filter bag itself can hold quite a majority... that’s why I empty my carbon out (very easy to do) and then before I throw the old one away I always seed a new one... then I replace the old one... just makes life easier then accidentally going into a minI cycle...
the way I have removed medications in the past from that filter is exactly what you are talking about with the ammonia remover... you can buy those little blocks but they are carbon ones (and cheap!) I think I paid like 4$ Canadian for 8 of them lol... so I keep my filter bags empty of carbon... seed a new one before ditching the old one, and if I need to remove meds I throw in a block of the carbon and take it out after about 2 weeks or so...
Also I wouldn’t add the ammonia block unless you need it.. (have ammonia lol) but it seems you don’t so I would leave it or put the carbon ones in... they make all kinds... phosphate removers... etc
Hope that helps and makes sense

 

Its good to be cautious, but she’s also running a sponge filter, which are loaded with bacteria.

 

While the blue plastic things do hold bacteria the filter bag itself can hold quite a majority... that’s why I empty my carbon out (very easy to do) and then before I throw the old one away I always seed a new one... then I replace the old one... just makes life easier then accidentally going into a minI cycle...
the way I have removed medications in the past from that filter is exactly what you are talking about with the ammonia remover... you can buy those little blocks but they are carbon ones (and cheap!) I think I paid like 4$ Canadian for 8 of them lol... so I keep my filter bags empty of carbon... seed a new one before ditching the old one, and if I need to remove meds I throw in a block of the carbon and take it out after about 2 weeks or so...
Also I wouldn’t add the ammonia block unless you need it.. (have ammonia lol) but it seems you don’t so I would leave it or put the carbon ones in... they make all kinds... phosphate removers... etc
Hope that helps and makes sense

Thank you. I don't need the ammonia control right now, so will hang onto it for the future.
If I hadn't done meds I would have seeded the new filter as you say, but since my readings were all good without the old gunky thing in there for over a week I figured it was safe to go ahead and put in the new one without seeding.

I just set up a new quarantine tank so I hope I will never need meds in my 20 again as I plan to qt from here on out. I lost two fish during ich treatment and I'm pretty sure it was the meds that killed them.

 

Like I said next time you need to remove them just buy the carbon blocks then that way you don’t have to touch your filter or anything else... they just slide right in the other blue part where the ammonia one would have went...
that’s another reason why I empty the carbon out of my prepackaged ones... then you don’t have to fiddle around with all of this... and if you decide you want carbon for whatever reason just throw in one of the blocks

 

Like I said next time you need to remove them just buy the carbon blocks then that way you don’t have to touch your filter or anything else... they just slide right in the other blue part where the ammonia one would have went...
that’s another reason why I empty the carbon out of my prepackaged ones... then you don’t have to fiddle around with all of this... and if you decide you want carbon for whatever reason just throw in one of the blocks

Thanks, that makes sense.

 

On a side note... you seem very experienced however if you ever do notice ich again... there are MUCH easier ways to control it without meds at all... all you need to do is use either aquarium salt or even table salt (they are basically the same thing) just DO NOT get it mixed up with marine salt lol

Give your fish that has the ich a salt bath/dip...
(You can literally see the spores fall off the fish)

In conjunction to this turn your heat up slowly to a temperature that won’t fry your fish... I’ve has mine close to the high 80’s but it depends on what you have stocked... this will speed up the life cycle of the ich...

Also if you are like me and inspect every fish everyday... you will notice that ich generally always starts on the fins before the body... so check there first... if you catch it when there is only a couple spores on one fish you can just salt bath/dip him and it’s often gone right away because the spores haven’t had a chance to “pop” yet

 

On a side note... you seem very experienced however if you ever do notice ich again... there are MUCH easier ways to control it without meds at all... all you need to do is use either aquarium salt or even table salt (they are basically the same thing) just DO NOT get it mixed up with marine salt lol

Give your fish that has the ich a salt bath/dip...
(You can literally see the spores fall off the fish)

In conjunction to this turn your heat up slowly to a temperature that won’t fry your fish... I’ve has mine close to the high 80’s but it depends on what you have stocked... this will speed up the life cycle of the ich...

Also if you are like me and inspect every fish everyday... you will notice that ich generally always starts on the fins before the body... so check there first... if you catch it when there is only a couple spores on one fish you can just salt bath/dip him and it’s often gone right away because the spores haven’t had a chance to “pop” yet

Ha, not very experienced at all really. I've had two tiny tanks for over a year, but have only had my 20 since May and it's been a clinic on what not to do the way I got through my cycle. When the ich showed up it was only on a couple fish and I followed the lfs advice and used Nox-ich for two rounds. Two fish died who didn't even have spots. Then I talked to a different aquarium store and they suggested salt and heat. I think the heat stressed the fish as much as the horrible blue stuff and I only lasted a couple days, but I did use salt. Then I also used the herbal Kordon product, which I know gets some bad press, but I didn't feel like I was poisoning the tank, and the ich is gone....at least for now. I do inspect every day and would definitely try a salt bath next time, too. Thank you!

 

It’s much better to only treat the fish showing signs... net them out and you put them in a bucket (with an airstone but not necessary)
Try and match the bucket water to the temp of your tank and mix the salt in the water good (before you put the fish in lol) I recommend apI salt or just common house hold salt... leave the fish in there until it shows signs of stress or depending on how bad the ich is (I’ve sometimes only had to leave mine about 5-10 mins.... all the way up to an hour) if they are in there for a longer period of time take a small cup or co gainer and agitate the surface to give them oxygen... you just have to scoop up some water and pour it back in a couple times.. every now and then... meds are always my last resort... because like what happened to you if your fish are sensitive or already stressed or sick it can kill them... and adding salt to the aquarium can be harmful to certain fish (like Cory Dora’s etc)
When you increase the temp you must do it very slowly over time- no more than a couple degrees (1 or2) every like 4 hours minimum... and you have to make sure that whatever else is in the tank will not be effected by the temp increase... like you don’t want to crank it up to 86 degrees with a goldfish or something silly like that... but MOST fish should tolerate it as long as you do it slowly... the same with turning it back down... do it the same way just the opposite...