Turn off your filter pump when you are medicating your arowana!

November 27, 2006
Turn off your filter pump when you are medicating your arowana!

I have come across hobbyist who keeps their filter pump running when they are medicating their arowanas. What's wrong with doing this? Well for one… you might complicate the recovery if you do this.

Let me give you the rationale on WHY YOU SHOULD ALWAYS TURN YOUR FILTER PUMPS OFF when you medicate your arowana… (or any fish for that matter!) Let me just start by reiterating again that medication should be used only as a last resort and must be used with care. Too heavy a dosage will kill your arowana! Always read the instructions on the box!

BUT if your arowana is in pretty bad shape, then you will have to medicate. When you medicate your arowana and leave the main filter pumps running, there is a high possibility that you will be killing off all the good bacteria in your tank. These include all the good bacteria in your water as well as those that have 'colonized' your filter media like bio-balls and ceramic rings. These bacterias are crucial for the maintainence of your water condition and hence, the survival of your arowana! Without enough good bacteria in your tank, you will see a rapid deterioration of your water condition. This will definitely prolong the recovery cycle of your arowana even if the medication has cured your arowana's illness.

So! if you are using medication, turn off your filter pump! Put in air stones to aerate the water. When the medication cycle is completed, start doing regular water changes if you are not already doing it to get rid of most of the medication. Remember that regular water change must be done and is usually the cure for many diseases
Cheers!
Steven

Hi Steven,
Medicating aquaria is always a complicated topic. Diagnosing illness, finding the correct medicine, and its use are just the first series of obstacles. Turning off or leaving on filtration systems during treatment is a big question that is needed to be addressed. I do agree with you about turning off the filters during medication, however, these becterias that aid in nitrogen cycle also require oxygen. Hypoxia will occur when filters are inactive for some time, which will eventually lead to death of these essential aerobic bacterias.

My suggestion is to transfer filters (e.g. power filter, canister filter, and internal filter) into another tank to prevent the loss of these colonial bacterias. If there is an external sump with bio-balls and/or ceramic rings, the aquarist should re-loop the hose(s) from sump to sump. This procedure will prevent bioballs and/or ceramic rings from drying out while entirely separated from the main tank that is under treatment.

These suggestions are quite a bit of work. On the other hand, new tank syndrome may occur after treatment if these colonial bacterias are left under unacceptable conditions.

Hope this helps,
Norm Ponferrada

Norm,
Good to hear from you! You are right.. I agree with you in that we should try to keep the bacterias alive during this medication phase but like you said, it can be quite a bit of work for most hobbyists. Alot of work? Yes but I think it is worth it.
So all hobbyists, please take note of Norm's advise as this is the best way to ensure that the bacterias are alive when medicating your arowanas.

One other way is ofcourse to take your arowana out of the actual tank and use an alternative tank but again this has it's own pros and cons especially when it comes to arowanas.

Cheers!
Steven

hi steve from past few days my gardine arowana lost his appetite,is the temp the reason becos at present it is 34 degree,i do change water once a week.please suggest asap thanx
yeopao

Yeopao,
Yeow! that is hot.. the temperature should be about 25 to 29 degree celsius…

Steven