When medicating fish?

Question

When you are medicating fish why is it necessary to take out the charcoal filter? I have always wanted to know this and have never found the answer. Does anyone know?

Answer 1

because when you put the medication in the tank, the charcoal/carbon will simply filter out the meds.

=] hope i helped

Answer 2

  Charcoal filters out chemicals.  Medications are chemicals.

Answer 3

Activated carbon has a huge surface area, allowing it to adsorb (bind to its surface rather than draw into it) numerous contaminants, mainly organics, lighter metals (calcium, magnesium, potassium, rather than heavy metals like copper, iron, lead), and dyes.  Most medications used for fish (tetracycline, minocycline, nitrofurazone, malachite green, formalin, erythromycin, kanamycin, metronidazole, etc.) are organic, and as such, will be adsorbed by the carbon.  Copper medications (Coppersafe, Aquarisol, Organicure) will NOT be removed by the carbon, and can only be removed with water changes and the use of EDTA (which chelates it).

Answer 4

yes... usually on the med directions, it tells you to remove any carbon.