filter media that has dried out

[philhawk]

i have an angel with pop eye and im using mela and pima fix. it recomends to remove carbon filters. and because im cheap and lazy i have carbon filters in my two penguin 350's if i take these out and leave them in a bucket for a week with out water will they be safe to put back into the tank or should i just get new ones.

if i get new ones what would your suggestion be for alternitive media.

 

[vanimate]

i have an angel with pop eye and im using mela and pima fix. it recomends to remove carbon filters. and because im cheap and lazy i have carbon filters in my two penguin 350's if i take these out and leave them in a bucket for a week with out water will they be safe to put back into the tank or should i just get new ones.

if i get new ones what would your suggestion be for alternitive media.

The carbon in the media does not last indefinitely. It needs to be replaced, or else the organic matter it collects just sits there with water flowing over it. I personally would ditch the activated carbon. You can buy clamshell inserts where you can replace the floss when it gets clogged. Also you can get media baskets for the 350, where you can add ceramic rings or what not for a larger surface area for the bacteria to colonize.