Biomax

[yassy]

I would like to know if you have biomax in your tank or in your filter like aqua clear, and if you needed to medicate the tank, do I need to remove that as well?

I know I need to remove carbon (carbonMatrix) if I were using it in the tank or in the filter when I need to medicate the tank.

 

Biomax is not a carbon but biological filter material (Am I correct??), I do not need to remove it when medicate the tank?

 

My tank set up: bare bottom with a few floating plants, filtered by sponge filter. I was dosing med and was adding CarbonMatrix after medicating the tank by putting some carbon into old panty hose cut out and tie on both ends just like candy and drop it in to remove med.

 

However, since in the past, when I dose med, it was easy for ammonia to get creep up (I was testing water more frequently for quarantine tank) or I have had mini cycle going after med,. so I came to decision that I try put the BioMax into the quarantine tank to provide more surface for bacteria to grow. And hopefully, it would not make ammonia to creep up easy and provide more safer environment for fish in quarantine.

In case you are not sure what biomax is, here is the link you can read it up product detail.This is what comes with aqua clear filter to pu on top of sponge. I got only this biomax for 10 gallon tank and just dropped it in for now.

 

https://www.chewy.com/aquaclear-biomax-filter-insert/dp/152082?fbclid=IwAR1Eh954mroyCQOAPr7eeL-iHzqZonGO38Tdq-zPr8PSCdaVr2mho6izxcA

 

Thank you.

 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

You’ll just need to dose some beneficial bacteria after the water change you do post meds. I would not remove the biological media (which is what bio max is) from your hob. It would make any ammonia spike much worse to remove it. 

[yassy]

ok, thank you. I have sponge filter,not HOB but in bare bottom tank with sponge filter, I added biomax for more surface to grow bacteria.

 

Since you said about live bacteria dosing after med, I am curious, say you dose antibiotic to the tank.Do you dose stability along with antibiotic added to the tank?Do you add stability only after med is done working in the tank?

 

If it were people case, you take antibiotic but often times, you are asked to take it with yogurt (good gut bacteria). Dog is also the same.Vet prescribe antibiotic and you are to give med with probiotic med with food.

 

With fish tank, different? I always added stability when you dose antibiotic med into the tank,not waiting til the last dose /water change. I was wrong?

[HH Morant]

Beneficial bacteria grow where there is flow. The biomax is designed to work in a filter where there is a flow of water through it. If it is just sitting in the aquarium it is not going to make much difference.

Whether medication affects the beneficial bacteria in your filter depends upon what kind of medication you are talking about. Many medications do not affect the bacteria in your biological filter. Some medications, like antibiotics, can adversely affect the beneficial bacteria.

So what medication are you using?

[yassy]

Thank you. I dropped Biomax thinking it could work like substrate being in the tank but I guess I was wrong then?

 

I have not used any med just yet.I wanted to be prepared. Last time I had mini cycle... I believe I used antibiotic med EM erythromycin. I did not dose stability when I dosed the med and I just dosed stability after treatment was done. Maybe I should have dose stability and EM erythromycin at the same time...

[HH Morant]

The biomax will be host to some bacteria, just like the substrate, but in most tanks there is much more beneficial bacteria in the filter (because of the flow) than there is on the substrate (maybe 90%-10%) An undergravel filter can change that and make the substrate a good biofilter, but not many of us have those any more. 

[yassy]

I see.Thank you. Quarantine tank has sponge filter,not HOB so I cannot get the water flow going through but I am keeping the mesh bag of biomax close to the sponge filter.I am not sure if it does any better. I was watching Jadren aquatic youtube video on instant cycle topic one.He said, he put one sponge filter that has no water flowing through in the tank and let the other sponge filter running and when he needs tank set up ASAP,then, he put the one that had water running through and let the one just sitting inside the tank to start working for the original tank.

So, just tossing filter into the tank gets bacteria glowing and could use that trick, I thought. Water is flowing to the bavk up one or not is issue or like he said in the video, it is the good tip you could use for instant cycle time?

The one I set up short time was with new water and squeeze the dirty sponge filter in the new water and used the new sponge filter but if it is fine to let the sponge filter sitting in the tank without water flow until the one that running gets used in quick set up quarantine tank then, I could change my way like that,I thought.