# tanks have ich, what to do with carbon filters?



## Junglebetti

There is a long and annoying story involving taking bad advice from a chain pet store employee, but both my 55gal and 20gal now have cardinal tetras with ich. I've raised the temperature to 80 and dosed them with medication and salt. My carbon filters are currently in a bucket of tank water - should I change the water that they sit in daily, or will they be alright for another four days (until I'm done using medication for ich).
Many thanks in advance for advice!


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## cmarti

Hello,
I'd put a little aquarium salt in the bucket, I don't know how long ick will live without a physical host to attach to, but I'd think if salt will help kill ick in the swimming stage in the tank then if there is ick in the carbon filter (don't know if it is or not, but I'd take the safe route) it can't hurt to put a little aquarium salt in the bucket. It may not do anything, but it certainly won't hurt.. 

Some people say not to do water changes in the tank while treating but I'd say do some water changes in the tank. If the ick is in the swimming stage then taking out some of the water will remove some of the ick. Just remember to treat the new water before you put it in.


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## NursePlaty

*Theres a stage of ich called trophonts that falls and sits on the floor on the gravel after breaking off the fish's cysts. I would suggest you gravel vaccum once every day to get rid of these unless you want each trophont turning into a thousand tomites. 

If the fish shows a sign of ich.. what I like to do is giving them a saltwater bath. I think I add about 4 teaspoons of aquarium salt per 1 gallon for about 30 mins. It is very salty I agree and I was very unsure about it at first. I tried it once and it literally knocked the white cysts off the fish. I keep them here as long as I can even past 30 mins if they can tolerate it, but any signs of stress I take them out. It has to do with osmosis breaking the cysts off. After the bath I quarantine all my fish in a 1tsp salt/5 gallon water with Formalin and Malachite Green(Quick Cure). In the main tank I just increase temperature to increase the stages of ich and gravel vaccum. Im sure most will die due to no fish host. Im sure everyone here has there own way to remove ich, this was mine. *


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## dave in Iliamna

I had an out break of ich a while back and I followed the directions on the quick cure to the letter and all my fish survived. I think I did 25% water changes every 2 days.


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## ladyonyx

I agree 100% with the above comments. A little bit of salt in the filter bucket is a good idea


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## Zippy

I throw out the carbon and the bio bag that contains it. I rinse the filter frame with really hot water. I don't want to chance a re-infection. But thats just me.


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## Junglebetti

lots more questions:
1) are my plants now ich-infested? Can/should I medicate them in quarantine?
2) since both my 55 and 20 gal have ich, should I combine what is left of the fish into one tank so I can sterilize the other? I don't mind daily water changes.
3) are my bio-wheels now ich-infested? *grrr!* 

I understand why people give up on fishtanks. Not going to do that, but I understand.


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## dave in Iliamna

The plants will not have Ich but the spores could be sitting on the leaves. Usually with ich it is about treating the tank as much as treating the fish.


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## cmarti

@Junglebetti
I wouldn't combine the fish, because there may be other differences (PH, nitrate levels, phosphate levels) that are different between the two tanks. Wouldn't want to put the fish into shock.

Just keep up with the water changes and remember to treat the new water.

@Zippy
If you put in a new carbon and a new bio bag your tank may go through "new-tank" syndrome because you'd lose the bacteria colony. I sort of did the same when I treated ick in my tank, then I ended up having red algae for a bit..


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## Zippy

cmarti-
You make a good point.

I have had two outbreaks of ich and both times I threw away carbon and bio-bag (I know, such a waste). I monitored parameters carefully as I had thought about the NTS. Both times there was not an issue. I realize it is a gamble though.


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## Junglebetti

regarding bacteria colonies - would the filters (who are put in fresh de-chlorinated water every day) benefit from having an air bubbles in the bucket with them? I've got an extra air pump. . . 
It'd be such a drag to have all three tanks out of order at the same time . . .


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## dave in Iliamna

I am a little worried that you are making things harder then they have to be. When I was treating for Ich I followed the instructions and took the carbon filter out. Then after the treatment cycle was complete I put it back. was I risking things a bit? I guess I don't know but that was what the directions were and I never had any problems afterwards.


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## cmarti

@Junglebetti - I don't think adding air bubbles in the bucket where the filters are will have any affect.

@dave - You were not risking anything taking the carbon filter out. The carbon removes the medication in the water which is why you're supposed to take it out when treating. Putting it back in after treatment is ok also. Junglebetti had asked if changing the water in the bucket is necessary. Putting salt in the bucket can't do any harm and if it's beneficial to treat the tank like this the bucket can be treated also. Now with that being said I do not know how long the ick parasite will live without a "host" to attach to. So after the two weeks of treatment is up the parasites in the bucket in the carbon filter may be dead anyway without the salt.


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## James0816

My advice is to toss the media. 

Luckily, I have only had to deal with this once in my 46g tank.

Turn up the temp to ~ 80 (depends really on what you have in tank as you could go higher. I had a goldie in there so pretty much maxed him out). Pull out media and toss away. After day two of the treatment, 25% water change. After last day of treatment, 50% water change. If no signs of ich present, add new media and fresh carbon. Tank wasn't stocked very full so I didn't even have a mini-cycle.

Smaller tanks and heavy stocked tanks may experience a mini-cycle but will be ok.


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