Biospira And Cycling With Fish

[Will91]

Hi All:

After letting my 26 gallon tank heat and filter for a while, I bought some zebra danios and a few tetra (not neon) today at LFS. I bought a pouch of biospira and was instructed to add it at the same time as the fish.

I was reading on the internet (can't find the darn link now to reference it), that any carbon should be removed from the filter. I have a Whisper 30 filter that uses one of these pouches that contains some charcoal inside (along with a separate bio sponge type filter).

Was I supposed to remove this pouch from my filter?

Also, I am reading on the empty pouch here about shaking it up. I really didn't do that but was sure it empty it completely. I wonder what the shaking does.

Thanks!

 

[Castellop123]

Add the carbon back into the filter after the treatment/bacteria has done its job...

 

[thegnu]

i think bacteria can live in carbon but i don't have any carbon in any of by tanks preferring to run without

 

[crazie.eddie]

The carbon is not necessary in a tank, as long as you keep up with the maintenance. I believe the Whisper filter medias come with the mechanical media with carbon inside them. Unless you can safely remove the carbon without tearing open the media, then you should avoid using it. You can just find a sponge that you can stuff inside the filter to replace it.

When you buy replacement media that comes with carbon, it is normally suggested to shake and rinse the media before inserting it in your filter. This is because the media will have some kind of dust on it, which may pollute the tank.

 

[Will91]

Hi all:

I guess I was concerned that the charcoal carbon would remove the ammonia being excreted by the fish. Since I know the bacteria are "looking" for that ammonia, I didn't want to do anything counterproductive here and elminate their ammonia.

Does anyone know if the charcoal will remove the ammonia the biospira need to get started?

Thanks

 

[ICEEGRL]

If you take out the carbon and leave in the bio sponge that will make sure the bacteria build up in the sponge and not the other one. That just assures it gets to the right place. If you leave in the carbon alot of the bacteria will be in the pouch instead of the sponge. Then when you change it for a new one you will lose that bacteria. The carbon won't hurt it. It just happens to sit right in the way of getting your sponge built up and makes it take longer.
Another thing with those filters... If you get the insert that you fill yourself you can dump and reuse the pouch. You can also use it empty(no carbon) as the bacteria will build up in it.
I have put ceramic bio things in it for extra bacteria. It works pretty good. Then you just rinse in tank water just like the sponge.
I put my carbon and other stuff in a mesh bag in the center when I use it.