Filter Confusion.

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CaJa

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Feb 27, 2014
Messages
10
Hi all. Since I'm new to all of this, I wanted to ask the experts. I searched for an answer but couldn't find one, so here goes...

I treated my 55 gallon tank with melafix due to a new addition who had some problems that I didn't notice until adding him. I removed him as soon as I noticed and in order to treat with the melafix i put my crabon filters in a bucket of new water that had been treated with Prime and StressZyme.

Now, I'm not sure if I really should replace with the same filters or if I need new ones. Do the filters I took out have a chance of holding the same harmful bacteria that the new addition brought with him? Should I just get new ones to be safe?

Thank you in advance.
 
Yes they hold the chance of having whatever you had but that's where all your bacteria live that keep your tank cycled. I would not replace them. Just add them back and treat the tank again if needed
 
Thanks for the help! i will put the old ones back in.
 
might i ask whats wrong with your fish and what kind? Melafix and primafix are pretty useless. I would invest in a quarantine/hospital tank if your deciding to go the big community tank route. Find some better meds too. I could help if you asked.
 
Since you put them in a bucket with new water I am assuming it was tap water and this will have killed of all beneficial bacteria. I would go with new filter media. Better safe than sorry.

If you already put them back in then I wouldn't worry about it but I would monitor the fish closely. What was the original problem?
 
Since you put them in a bucket with new water I am assuming it was tap water and this will have killed of all beneficial bacteria. I would go with new filter media. Better safe than sorry.

If you already put them back in then I wouldn't worry about it but I would monitor the fish closely. What was the original problem?

No, op stated they used new water that was primed
 
Easy question first.

I did treat the tap water in the bucket with Prime and added StressZyme BEFORE adding the filters. And I do have a small 5 gallon "hospital' tank, which is where I immediately moved the sick Danio. Sadly, he died shortly after.

Here's what happened:

I always test my water before adding fish. I tested my 55 gallon and everything was good, so I bought two Zebra Danios. After adding them, I noticed one's mouth was white. I moved him to the hospital tank as soon as I noticed, where he died within 30 min (ammonia/pH/trite/trate/temp were all fine in hospital tank and no other fish had been in this hospital tank previously). That night a Black Phantom Tetra died. That's when I called the store and they told me to use pimafix and melafix daily on the aquarium after removing the carbon filters. Within a day an existing Platy had white around it's mouth and she died overnight. I tested the water again and everything was fine.

The next 3 mornings I'd wake up to another dead Black Phantom Tetra until I only had one left. I checked each one and nothing looked wrong with them. Great color, no sign of fungus/parasites or trauma. No one had any ideas as to what hurt them.

Still have 1Black Phantom Tetra, 1Platy, 2 Cories and 4 Zebra Danio and some snails all doing well.

This evening I want to do a water change and clean the inside of the glass but didn't want to return the old filters if it would be a problem.

Matt, I would love any information you could share on meds for sick fish. I like to have things on-hand in case something happens while the stores are closed. The last thing I want is to keep killing fish and, while I'm sure there are some knowledgeable people in aquarium/pet stores, many seem like they know just enough to be dangerous. I had one tell me i could add 15 fish to a little 10 gallon tank, ALL AT THE SAME TIME. Luckily, I didn't attempt this.
 
Will pm you since i don't want to start some huge debate on medicines. I have already been thru this so many times. but it sounds like it was RFD disease as i like to call it Random Fish Death which happens alot with new fish from the store since they are so stressed out from shipping.
 
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