Removing carbon filter when medicating

Almost every aquarium treatment and medicine clearly states that the
carbon filter should be removed before adding the medicine. However, I
have never come across any guidelines for how long it should be
removed for. It seems such an obvious question, but really I don't
know whether they mean an hour, a day, a week?

If I put it back too soon presumably I may make the treatment
ineffective, whereas if the carbon filter is normally doing some good
(which I think it is) then by leaving it out for too long, say a week
or two, I could be harming my fish?

How long do people normally remove the carbon for when treating?

Peter.

Peter Kirk wrote:
How long do people normally remove the carbon for when treating?

Since the carbon will adsorb the medication, leave it out of your filter
through the entire treatment period. Once you have completed the course
of medications, you may add the carbon back into your filter.

--
Andrew Roberts, Richmond Hill Ontario
royalwulff(at)sympatico(dot)ca

On 4 Nov 2003 05:44:14 -0800, Peter Kirk wrote:
How long do people normally remove the carbon for when treating?

I leave it for the duration of the course, if for example
it's one where you add dose one on a certain day, then another
dose X days later, etc. Then I replace the day after last dose.

If it's a dose you just add and leave, I leave it for 48 hours
if the fish are better and leave for a week if not.

Then I put fresh carbon in and do a largish (30% or so) water
change.


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