# Ick - small tank - why remove charcol?



## jimsz (Oct 11, 2011)

One of my fish caught Ick and I noticed spots on another fish.

I pulled them out of the tank and placed them elsewhere.

I'm treating the tank and the quarantine with tablets recommended by the local pet store

Tetra Ick Guard Tablets 

Since the tanks are small (10gal) I called the manufacturer to confirm how to do this the best way. They told me to dissolve the tablets in a cup of tank water first and slowly pour it into the tanks when dissolved.

They also told me to remove my filter bio-bag (with the charcoal in it) and do a 25% water change each day. Done and done.

I removed the filter bio-bag put it in a baggie with some tank water to keep it wet - after a couple days the water was simply a mess so I bought a new bio-bag, emptied the charcoal and inserted that into the filter to at least catch the debris/waste, etc from the water. The water quality has improved a bit and the fish seem happier.

Was removing the bio-bag a step to retain the beneficial bacteria or would the charcoal cancel out the benefits of the tablets or was a fed a line of BS?

My tank is 10 gal and has 8 small fish. It has been difficult but manageable to keep the water in shape. It's checked nearly daily with the API master test kit for ammonia, etc.

Ideas/Suggestions?


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## JDfishguy388 (Nov 26, 2010)

They say remove the charcoal because it will filter out the medication. You best bet would be to throw away all the media if you didn't treat it with the rest of the tank for there my be ich still in the media. 

I'm not sure why you removed the ich infected fish thought shouldn't you have treated them along with the tank?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Welcome to the site.

For treatment of ich it is best to treat the entire tank. Isolation of the fish is okay, but the ich is in your tank and it needs to be treated as well. Isolation will mean that you need to treat 2 tanks.


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## jimsz (Oct 11, 2011)

JDfishguy388 said:


> They say remove the charcoal because it will filter out the medication. You best bet would be to throw away all the media if you didn't treat it with the rest of the tank for there my be ich still in the media.
> 
> I'm not sure why you removed the ich infected fish thought shouldn't you have treated them along with the tank?


I removed the infected fish because I was not sure what I was dealing with (never had ick before). I moved them to another container and they are being treated as well.

Nobody has said to throw away the old media before - I just finished cycling! Nuts.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Can you post a picture of your fish? Are you sure it is ich?


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## jimsz (Oct 11, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> Can you post a picture of your fish? Are you sure it is ich?



I'll see about taking a photo tonight when I am home. From all the photo's I have seen and the info I read it sure seems like ick.

The fish that had it the worse looks much better after a few days of treating with the tablets.


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## JDfishguy388 (Nov 26, 2010)

Just suggesting to throw it if you did not treat it with the tank as it could hold eggs or ich larva.


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