Drinking Quality Water, Water Filtration Questions & Answers
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My tank started showing signs of ich spots on three fish. I removed the carbon from the filter and temporarily moved my newt into another tank so that I could treat the tank with ich medication. The ich appears to have been eradicated. So now, do I need to do a 100% water change? Or just 50% and let the carbon take care of the rest and let it run through for a day before I put the newt back in?
My external filter has three compartments: the first is where you put the black sponge; the second is a huge bag of active carbon wrapped in some wool; and the third is full of bio rings.
I know that the active carbon is meant to take out odor and water impurities and that it also takes out medicine.
My live plants seem to be dying in my tank so i want to ask -
What is the point of active carbon?
Does it take the plant’s nutrients out the water and end up killing them?
Can My fish live without it?
what can i put in it’s place?
Any knowledge would be excellent!
Thanks!
=D
My 4 inch fantail has been in a hospital tank for about 2 weeks. The nitrite level is 0 ppm, but ammonia is around .25 ppm and nitrate is between 40-80 ppm. This is lower than yesterday – I changed about 1/3 of the water and then got these readings. There is no carbon in the filter, and I am giving the fish antibiotics. Is this because the biological filter is not established? I am concerned that the fish will become even further weakened by the amount of ammonia and nitrate in the tank. I was told to change the water frequently (every day?) but am not sure this is the only solution, and am concerned it will take too long to get to safe levels this way.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Here’s the link to the product: http://www.junglelabs.com/pages/details.asp?item=TB621
It says: Details: Remove carbon from filter during use. Do not use in tanks with live plants, snails or other invertebrates. Repeat treatment when algae growth begins to appear. If algae is already present on sides of aquarium, wipe clean with a Jungle Algae Remover Pad. Not for use in soft and/or acid water with low alkalinity.
Do invertebrates include the fish? Do I need to take then out before I use the tablets?
Thanks
Okay so don’t partronise me because i have only had fish for 4 months. The filter in question is a Hailea (something like that) rated to 250 litres, i only have an 80 litre tank so the filter is quite effective. It is just a standard, internal sponge filter without carbon (i was told it wasn’t necessary because you have to replace it so often, you just suction cup it to the glass and it sucks up water, filters it and spits it out again. So i haev rinsed the sponge in tank water a few times and only one did the rinse water turn brown with stuff. Now nothing gets caught in the sponge (besides it being brown and not blue anymore) so should there be junk accumulating and how often should i rinse it and how often should i get new sponges. Also would there be and benefit in putting 2 sponges in (one where the carbon should go.
Thanks
Tank details:
- Running for about 6 months
- stocked with 1 male and 1 female kribensis but has had other fish prior to just these 2
- gravel substrate
- contains wood, rock and fake log ornament
- Live plants
- Strong heater (25 celcius)
- strong power filter
- Light (tubes probably need replacing)
So since i started my tank i haven’t used the activated carbon in the filter because i can’t be bothered replacing it. Basically my tank is always a milky cloudy white colour. It’s only 20gallon and you can’t even see the other end. There have been times it was basically crystal clear without carbon so i don’t really know what it is. At a lfs down my way the tanks are so clear it’s like you looking through thin air and they use undergravel filters. So what could it be.
It might be over feeding because i still haven’t mastered that yet but my nitrates have never been above 20 and normally they’re about 5ppm.
So what can i do to clear up my water.
Thanks
I was treating my two fish for fin rot. They got their first dose of maracyn two lastnight and I removed the carbon from the filter. Today, when I got home from work their eyes were bulging out and they weren’t moving. This medicine is suppose to treat popeye, as well as fin rot, so why did it cause it? Or could it possibly been because I removed the carbon and the ammonia in the water built up? Any input would be very helpful.
We drink 9.5 ph alkaline water. I asked my daughter to fill the fish’s new 10 gallon aquarium with water to almost 3 inches to the top and she used our drinking water instead of the tap water. Now I’m wondering if I have to dump all that good drinking water or can the fish use it? I know the drops I use for his water when I use tap takes out the chlorine and the 9.5 ph drinking water has no chlorine, but are there other factors I need to consider for the fish’s water? He’s hanging out in a 1.5 gallon tank right now waiting for his new home. Can I use that water he’s in now and dump it in the 10 gallon to regulate? He’s also been floating around on his back and side with a bloated tummy for a few weeks and I just didn’t feed him for two days (I read to fast him) and he seemed better, so I fed him just a little pinch yesterday morning and now he’s floating again. I’m also wondering if I should change his food? He’s eating the goldfish flakes from the pet area at Wal-Mart. I’m reading to feed him peas, but when I try to do that, they sink to the bottom and he can’t get at them because he’s so buoyant. I guess I have two questions in one here, so any help here would be appreciated. Thanks!
I have one of those ole wal-mart brand Aqua-Tech 20-40 gallon filter systems for my 20 gallon, and recently it’s started acting up on me and I need to know what to do! There’s the part where the water flows out the filter and back into the tank, but in between that and the tube that siphons the water out the tank, there is a small opening, and that is where most of the water is coming out of! It’s like just dripping out the main part, but straight up coming out that opening! I know the water coming out like that isn’t going through my filters and don’t want all my fish to die! I Just don’t understand why that opening is even there, it’s on no other filter system I’ve seen. Please Help! Also, if I take both the carbon and bio filters out, the water will start flowing back out the way it should, but as soon as I put them back in, starts flowing back out the opening! And yes I wash off the bio filter once a week and change the carbon filter every two weeks and make sure it doesn’t gunk up in between!
My husband, daughter, and I have been getting sick lately. We have a good appetite but as soon as we eat we have, well, intestional discomfort and problems. I’ve noticed on days that I don’t drink water at home, I’m better. We are all having a lot of…intestional problems…but none of us really have the flu or anything. It’s been going on for a month or so.
We just moved into a new home a couple of months ago. We have well water. This is the first home I have lived in that has well water so I’m not very knowledgable about it.
I know that our water is very alkaline because of our fish aquariums take a lot of maintenance because of it.
We contacted the health department who was able to tell us that our well was tested in 2005 because the owners of the home we are renting had a daycare here and it had to be tested and everything was fine.
Am I wrong to assume that something might be wrong with the water, and if I am, what else could this be?
I hate to get into gross details but the majority of our problems seem to be gas/bloating that sort of thing. No vomiting. A rotten-egg type, very fragrant. Sighs. If it’s not the water, then what else might be wrong with us?
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