Treating Water Before Adding A New Filter?

[Marijn Lange]

I have an established 100 gallon aquarium with around 30 fish in it. I’m currently running a internal BioFlow 8.0 filter which i’m not satisfied with. Therefore, i’m removing the internal filter and i’m going to add a Fluval FX6 with BioHome Ultimate media.

I also want to change the gravel to sand, remove some driftwood and clean the remaining driftwood.

I can’t do all of this in one day as I will lose al of the benefitial bacteria. I was thinking about adding the Fluval, running it for a month and then remove the internal filter and the gravel etc.

However, there is one problem. I have some sick fish in the aquarium which are currently in quarantaine. The disease (ich) could be spread throughout the aquarium. It would really suck if the water containing the ich gets into the new filter. So should I treat my entire aquarium with ich medicin before adding the Fluval FX6? Or isn’t this a good idea?

 

[Crazycoryfishlady]

if any fish in that tank had ich, and you removed them to a qt tank,
then there is still ich in both tanks
so yes, you should treat the entire tank for ich for a minimum of 10 days before you add the new filter if you don't want to treat it.
Ich is still present even when not visible until new spores complete their life cycle and die.
You're supposed to treat the tank for something like 6 days after you see no more ich on any fish, but usually it's about a total of 10 days since it takes a few days for it to leave off of your fish.

 

[Marijn Lange]

Alright thanks. Can I treat the tank with ich medicine and parasite medicine? I want to be sure all of the fish are healthy before adding the new filter.

 

[Crazycoryfishlady]

I'm not sure if certain parasite meds can or should be mixed with ich meds, since some of them contain formaldehyde, which I have no idea if It's a friendly mixable chemical or not.
Most people also don't like the idea of multI treatment unless they're more general things like prazipro and general cure or something like that.
I think ich meds are fairly lax medications, and can be used semI uncarefully without any damage done since doubling dosing safely is a possibilty for some, but parasite meds are a lot more serious and can go wrong pretty quickly.
I'm not sure if there is research online about using the two together or accounts of people doing it, but I do know some people do what they have to in order to treat their fish and be sure they're healthy.
It's always ultimately up to you and how you feel about treating them.

 

[Marijn Lange]

I'm not sure if certain parasite meds can or should be mixed with ich meds, since some of them contain formaldehyde, which I have no idea if It's a friendly mixable chemical or not.
Most people also don't like the idea of multI treatment unless they're more general things like prazipro and general cure or something like that.
I think ich meds are fairly lax medications, and can be used semI uncarefully without any damage done since doubling dosing safely is a possibilty for some, but parasite meds are a lot more serious and can go wrong pretty quickly.
I'm not sure if there is research online about using the two together or accounts of people doing it, but I do know some people do what they have to in order to treat their fish and be sure they're healthy.
It's always ultimately up to you and how you feel about treating them.

Alright thanks. Aquarium Coöp has a quarantaine pack, but those meds are unavaileble in the Netherlands.

 

[grump299]

Ok you can treat Ich with heat raise your temp slowly to 84f and that should treat the ich in about 6-10 days and if there is no parasite present in the tank IMO do not treat with meds... some can be very hard on the fish and cycle if not broken don’t fix undue stress on fish. Cure ich before changing anything in your tank.
Now with running new filter with old that is the best way or move as much media from old filter into new filter to help keep your cycle... then check parameters every day to watch cycle.

I forgot to remind you with higher temps you have lower oxygen in water so add a air stone and do a complete gravel vacuum to remove dead ich spores and a 75-80% water change after there has been no signs if ich for a week...

 

[Marijn Lange]

Ok you can treat Ich with heat raise your temp slowly to 84f and that should treat the ich in about 6-10 days and if there is no parasite present in the tank IMO do not treat with meds... some can be very hard on the fish and cycle if not broken don’t fix undue stress on fish. Cure ich before changing anything in your tank.
Now with running new filter with old that is the best way or move as much media from old filter into new filter to help keep your cycle... then check parameters every day to watch cycle.

Alright thanks. But I don’t think my other fish nor my plants can handle those temperatures.

 

[grump299]

I’m no expert on treating ich I have been very lucky I haven’t had it in n any of my tanks in years. But I understand any fish with the exception to cold water fish and plants can tolerate high temps for a week or so to treat ich. You just need to raise the temp very slowly and bring back down just as slow as not to shock the fish.

 

[Crazycoryfishlady]

If any fish are temperature sensitive there is a "surefire" way to raising the temp, just 1-2 degrees a day is really gentle on them.
What temp are you at now?
It's not a must to up the temp, but it makes the ich cycle much faster, which means it died faster, I believe 86 is the temp that ich dies at, and the other temps do nothing but make it faster.

 

[Marijn Lange]

If any fish are temperature sensitive there is a "surefire" way to raising the temp, just 1-2 degrees a day is really gentle on them.
What temp are you at now?
It's not a must to up the temp, but it makes the ich cycle much faster, which means it died faster, I believe 86 is the temp that ich dies at, and the other temps do nothing but make it faster.

I’m currently at 80 Fahrenheit.