Tip of the Day – 3/15/2012

When implementing new media into your aquarium’s filtration scheme be sure to rinse it thoroughly with RO/DI water prior to using it. The media will likely have fine powder coating on it, which will immediately be released into your aquarium whenever it’s put into use. This especially holds true for carbon media, and it has been speculated that the dust from lignite carbon media is a leading cause of head and lateral line erosion, or HLLE, in various surgeonfish. Rinsing media doesn’t have to be limited to aquarium filter media either, as rinsing sand and other substrates is also a good idea to try out before using it in your display. This doesn’t serve the quite the same function as rinsing the media, but it will decrease the amount of cloudiness in the tank when it’s first put into place.