A question I've always wondered.... keeping bacteria alive

[Miyavp]

The only tank filters I've ever owned only had carbon as far as I know.....When you medicate, how do you keep the bacteria on the carbon filter alive? I've always put mine in tubaware containers with tank water but does that work?

 

[jlk]

If the carbon is older than 3-4wks, then you dont need to remove it because its usefullness has already expired. How long bacteria will live in another container depends on how well its aerated and if your feeding them to keep them viable. I honestly wouldnt touch the filters unless the carbon is brand new and would skip using it in general because its simply not necessary for healthy tank.

 

[fort384]

Carbon is chemical filtration, and not necessarily the best media to use for bio filtration. Personally I never run carbon on a FW tank UNLESS I want to remove meds from the water.

 

[Miyavp]

I dont have another filter as of yet. I have a tiny submersible though. Should I fill it with bio balls?

 

[fort384]

I think it would provide more effective bio filtration that way.

 

[Miyavp]

Do they make mini bio balls?

 

[fort384]

not that I know of. You could just use filter floss or a filter pad.

 

[Miyavp]

I have a bio wheel in my tank that I didnt need to take out. That stores bacteria too right?

 

[Miyavp]

I found some "mini" bio balls on amazon. They're 1inch×1inch×1inch. Idk how many of those would fit in my submersible. Maybe three.....is that enough or would I need more? Maybe I could make something with a bucket and a pump. My grandpa was telling me he did something like that for his koi pond.

 

[freyar]

You could just cut a piece of aquarium sponge to size, that's what I do.

 

[Fresh2o]

You could try ceramic rings instead of bio balls.

As for what to do with your media while medicating (assuming you only have one filter), if you place the media is a separate container of tank water and provide aeration (air stone) then that should keep the BB viable for a while. But your tank can no longer handle the ammonia and nitrites. If you don't remove your media then the meds might wipe out the BB. I guess that depends on what meds are being used. For Ich, aside from raising the temperature, you could try ick attack. It states on the label that it will not destroy the BB. Not sure what affect meds for fungal, bacterial, and parasites have on your BB. Hope I did not add to the confusion