Couple Of Questions

[gilaesther]

1 .When treating for Ick, does the medication harm the beneficial bacteria?

2. What's the story with the bottled bacteria you can buy to help cycle, or replace bacteria lost due to medicating the tank?

3. With an Eclipse System tank, do you just put the bio-wheel in the tank water while doing water changes, or do you need to put the filter cartridge as well?

4. I've been seeing posts about not replacing filter media, and just rinsing it in the dirty tank water, does this advice apply to the Eclipse System filter cartridges? (Obviously, I wouldn't replace, or wash, the bio-wheel, which is designed for the bacteria's use.)

 

[WILDER]

Can answer two of the questions.
Sometimes the whitespot meds will knock your filter but not always.
The cycle product i've used it after meds and it never speeded things up faster, a waste of money in my opion.

 

[vinylman]

Protozin is the best treatment for whitespot and won't harm the filter bacteria. Don't waste your money on bottled bacteria; flake food will do the job much better.

 

[rdd1952]

I can't answer about the ich as I have been fortunate to never have to deal with it. I will agree that the bacteria in a bottle products are a waste of money. They contain little or no nitrifying bacteria.

As for the filter, unless you are going to spend a very long time doing water changes, you shouldn't have to worry about the bio-wheel. As long as it stays wet, the bacteria will be fine. If it has to be removed and put in the water every time you do a water change, I wouldn't want it. And when you clean your filtr, bio-wheel, simply rinsing it lightly in the old tank water or clean dechlorinated water is fine.