# Amonia Level w/ no filter



## wingedjumper517 (Mar 27, 2005)

I had to put the first dose of treatment in because my goldfish had some mouth fungus and fin/tail rot. Now, as with any other ick, bacterial, or fungal treatment, I had to remove the carbon from my filter. I have to treat the tank for 48 hrs and then repeat is again, for a total of 96 hours. I'm afraid that the amonium level in the tank will drastically rise without a carbon in the filter, especially since they're such pooping machines. How do most people deal with this? 

Also, do I need an air pump to create extra oxygen in the water, or is the filter doing that job? The filter doesn't create any water bubbles, only a couple of ripples, because it's a very gentle filter. Otherwise, my fancy goldfish get pushed around by the strong water currents and end up getting rammed into each other or the glass.


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

how large of a tank? I'm not sure if the carbon has anything to do with ammonia levels, usually in the filter there are colonies of the bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrites/ nitrites to nitrates.


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## wingedjumper517 (Mar 27, 2005)

It's a 20 gal. I dunno what exactly the carbon really does either, but without it, the poop just gets sucked into the plastic filter, and then back out again because there's nothing in the filter to trap it. I have the type of filter where the garbon pieces are in the netted bag that you just slide into place in the filter. So basically, with all that shuffling around, it basically flots around and dissolves into the water. Gross thinking about it.


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

The only reason carbon would keep the ammonia level lower is because it is adding surface area for benefical bacteria. You could try and buy some bio balls and use them in the space where the carbon goes if there is space.


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## chrisinha (Jan 24, 2005)

wingedjumper517 @ Tue Mar 29 said:


> It's a 20 gal. I dunno what exactly the carbon really does either, but without it, the poop just gets sucked into the plastic filter, and then back out again because there's nothing in the filter to trap it. I have the type of filter where the garbon pieces are in the netted bag that you just slide into place in the filter. So basically, with all that shuffling around, it basically flots around and dissolves into the water. Gross thinking about it.


i dont remove the carbon with this kind of filter (like whisper or topfin or penguin), but i have never used meds either (only melafix). my advice would be for you to get filter that you can actually remove only the carbon if necessary, like aquaclear. goldfish needs aeration in their tanks, so an air pump is welcome, yes.


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## DavidDoyle (Jan 18, 2005)

There are two considerations/solutions. You do need the mech filtration provided by the material on the cart but you don't need/want active carbon inside. If the cart is over two weeks old the odds are good it has already reached its absortive capacity and wont effect the meds. On the other hand you can open the cart by peeling back the material or some other method that will let you remove it. Then you can run the cart w/o the carbon.


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## wingedjumper517 (Mar 27, 2005)

I've had this filter for about a month now, so the carbon should be okay to leave it in then, right? Why is the carbon bad when you put the meds in anywas?


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## Thunderkiss (Mar 19, 2005)

Carbon has nothing to do with ammonia.


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## Dazed'n'Confused (Apr 4, 2005)

I belive its becaused the carbon has tiny pores that will trap the medication and it won't get to your fish to do any good. I would just empty out the carbon from the medium and use the medium because the medium will already have a population of bacteria in it to maintain the tank, if you don't get all the carbon out it shouldn't hurt much and as said before, the carbon may not be cable to absorb anymore anyhow

The carbon is supposed to help catch the finner bits of crud, thus keeping the water clearer, the batceria is what keeps ammonia levels down.


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## Thunderkiss (Mar 19, 2005)

Carbon doesn't aBsorb anything, it aDsorbs. Which is why it works the way it does and also why you need to change it every month.


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