Why do you have to remove carbon filters when you are treating a tank for white spot?

Question

so if i remove the filter - how do they get the oxygen they need

thanks - that is why it is taking so long for my fish to get better - I love my fish, they were born in my pond and I appreciate all the help and advice that you guys on yahoo answers have given me : )

for three years i have had no problems with my tank or pond and my fish have been very happy, but this year has been a nightmare

Answer 1

you only remove the cartridge or the bag filter with the carbon in it, depending on what kind of filter you have but not the whole filter pump.
Carbon abosorbs the medicine, and if you don't take it out it can't get to your sick fish
Good luck

Answer 2

you have to remove the carbon filter so that it doesnt trap the medication. Fish get oxygen through the water, as long as the water that is being filtered without the filter (the only thing that changes when you take out the carbon filters is the water isnt being filtered) it picks up oxygen and puts it in the tank, you can also get air stones that put air bubbles in the tank.

Answer 3

The carbon filters would filter out the medication (malachite, potassium permanganate, or whatever). The most important thing to do is vacuum the gravel and make sure you don't add any palnts or fish until the outbreak is under control. Try adding salt and cranking the heat up a few degrees before you add chemicals.

Answer 4

If it is white spot and you add salt like shmicklet advised, just remember that increasing the salinty of a freshwater tank will kill off some of your "good" bacteria so you will mostly likely see a rise in ammonia and nitrites, this means that you should do plenty of water changes to make sure the water stays safe for your fish. Normally white spot is caused by poor water quality or stress so even if you treat it with medicine the fish won't be healthy untill you fix the cause of the problem. Try testing you're water and make sure you're ammonia is at 0, nitrites=0 and nitrates<20, and your pH and temp are appropiate for your species of fish. I hope they get better

Answer 5

The carbon removes the medication from the water, that is why it should be removed. Run the filter without the carbon.

Answer 6

The carbon filters the medicine just like it does waste and weakens the medication to the point that it might not help. Sort of like you taking watered down antibiotics...wouldn't help that much!

Answer 7

You need to remove the carbon as it is a remover of medications and stuff from the water.
If you don't them the White Spot medicine will not be able to do it's job as it will have been neutralised.

Answer 8

Most filter have them in packes.SO take out the packet were the CO was and you should be all done. It is that easy, unless you have a filter that I am not familiar with.

Answer 9

because the filter will trap the chemicals that kill the spots.