quarantine tank: discard used filter media?

[HelplessNewbie]

This article suggested disposing of filter media when putting away using a quarantine tank: https://www.bettacarefishguide.com/betta-quarantine-tank-guide/

If the quarantined fish turned out recovered or healthy, why shouldn't I just stick the filter media back into my main tank?

Edited June 5 by HelplessNewbie

[nabokovfan87]

You can sanitize the media with bleach dips.  15-20 minutes, then move it to clean water, then go ahead and add something like seachem safe.

If you have a particularly aggressive disease show up, then it might be better to go that route instead of simply moving it to the main tank without any sort of cleaning process.

Some people use vinegar, some try hydrogen peroxide, but I can't speak to anything working completely apart from bleach.  Air drying it should also help to eliminate some risks and issues.

[Lennie]

On 6/5/2023 at 3:28 AM, HelplessNewbie said:

This article suggested disposing of filter media when putting away using a quarantine tank: https://www.bettacarefishguide.com/betta-quarantine-tank-guide/

If the quarantined fish turned out recovered or healthy, why shouldn't I just stick the filter media back into my main tank?

It is because, one fish may show no symptom regarding a disease but the disease may be there and you may not be aware. However, another fish can start showing symptoms meanwhile one remains unaffected. Or sometimes you think the treatment is over, but it actually may come back. That's why basically. When I met 4 of my friends couples weeks back, one was sick. After meeting 4 of us, only I got sick but other two didn't get any disease nor showed any symptoms. Kinda like that 😄 

tldr: bleach dip your friends 😛 🤣

 

Jokes aside, I am not a fan of throwing stuff away directy because it creates a waste. I would bleach dip myself. However, if you are dealing with a really bad disease and not willing to slightly risk it, then it might be an option.

[Pepere]

If these are new fish from the store and went through 6 week quarantine uneventfully and the fish are going to a display tank, I would not dispose of filter media.

 

btw, what sort of media are we talking about? Sponge filter?  Floss, sponges, biorings?

 

If the fish were being treated and recovered amd remained in quarantine 6 weeks after recovery with no signs of disease?    I would be inclined to return it or I might bleach it, dry it out after and then soak it in dechlorinated water before returning it.

 

fish died unknown cause? I would do the same as scenario two.  Again, in both cases, how valuable is the media I am trying to save?

eliminating the beneficial bacteria colony in the media is not much of a priority to me. 2-3 weeks after the media is in a healthy tank it will be well established again.