Meds and Biofilter

[Ricarte]

How do you guys handle Ammonia and Nitrite spikes when the biofilter is affected by meds? WCs and Prime?

[keno]

Yes, use carbon to filter out the meds if you are done. Prime works very very well when facing ammonia and nitrite spikes.

Havent used it but Biospria to get your filters going again.

Ken

[Ardan]

wc's mainly,
if you have another cycled sponge that is disease free, add it.

hth
Ardan

[Alight]

Only some of the drugs affect the biofilter. When using those that do, if I'm treating for more than a day, I pull the sponge filter out and put it in a bucket with ammonia to keep it cycled while treating, and change the quarantine tank water twice a day to keep ammonia and nitrites low while on treatment. At the end, I change all the water I can, (90% or so) and put the sponge filter back in.

Metro, Prazi, Maracyn2 will not affect the biofilter. Maracyn (erythromycin) and Levamisole will affect the biofilter. Levamisole only partially affects the filter, and Maracyn at the recommended dose also only partially affects the filter. Usually, the filter will return to normal after 1-2 days. Water changes control the ammonia and nitrites in that case.

[Ricarte]

Alight,

Pulling out the sponge filter during treatment sounds like a good idea. Question, what if there is a disease that is lurking in the sponge filter? If I pull out the sponge filter during treatment, won't I re-introduce the disease when I put back the sponge?

Rgds,
Ric

[Ardan]

won't I re-introduce the disease when I put back the sponge?


Yes you can, depending if its a parasite that is host dependant, or if there are eggs that survive, or bacteria that survives.


Ardan

[Jarrod]

Very good question Ric!:thumbsup:
Jarrod