can I store used media(ehfisynth & emperor cartridges)?

[Karlsbad]

Say like I have some ehfisynth cut to fit the media containers in my emperor, and I'm running some medication and in a few days when I'm done medicating I want to use activated carbon for a few days. If I take the ehfisynth out and rinse it and let it dry, then put it in a sealed 5 gallon bucket for like 5 days, will that be ok? Will it dry rot or pick up some airborne bacteria?

Cutting 16 little strips was a pain in the butt, but little pieces like that rinse really nicely. I actually have spare media containers from when my first emperor 400 went to heaven(actually it had a crack in the filter box and tried to empty my 90g onto my 3rd floor carpet, so I'm thinking that's not exactly where it went, but I don't want to get into the religion of power filters)

Along the same lines I have a 5 day old emperor cartridge from my 280 that I was using to get rid of melafix that I took out, can I store it and reuse it, can I deactivate the carbon by rinsing it, and/or if rinsing it won't deactivate, will the carbon be as active in 5 days?

lol get po'd at me for not posting this in fresh water products, I want an answer before the emperor cartridge dries, besides this is really about the health of my fish :p

[OrionGirl]

The media will no longer be biologically active if it's dried out. You can rinse the biofilm off and re-use it, but there will no longer be the bacterial beds present.

For carbon--if you dry it and rinseoff solids, it will be active IF it has not already been used up. For example, if it ran for one day with a light load, it will likely still be good for further use. If it's been in the tank for a week, with a heacy load (ie, medications), it's unlikely to have much useful life remaining on removal. And no, it won't be re-activated--this process requires serious heating, well beyond the ability of most home products.

If you remove the media, and put it in a bucket with some water movement and a food source (ammonia or some food), the bacteria populations will not completely die off and it will remain biologically active.

[Karlsbad]

Thanks oriongirl, actually I meant I put it in a sealed empty 5 gallon bucket, to keep it from picking up stuff from the air. The first thing you said is what I meant by reactivating the carbon, meaning if it was active when I let it dry out would it still be active when I went to reuse it if it was still active when I took it out. No wonder no one else answered, looking back it does sound like I was hoping to reactivate spent carbon.

I'm not concerned about saving any biofiltration, only if its safe and if the floss will remain effective and what will happen to the carbon, which you answered.

More excitement, I just dropped one of the glass lids from my 90 and broke one of the panes on it. Actually I didn't drop it, I was holding it by the smaller pane and it slid out of the hinge, which is how I've carried them hundreds of times. Luckily it was away from the tank. I have a plactic top from my unoccupied 20 high resting over that half of the tank now and my pine canopy over that, so nobody's going to escape tonight. Happened at 4:30 which gave me just enough time to call the glass places before they close and find out its 15 bucks and if it happened a half hour sooner I could have gotten it today. I think I'm going to replace that hinge also. I might see if I can weasel a free one out of Perfecto.

[mack606]

I think that the actual media would be fine and the carbon would be what oriongirl said.

[daveedka]

Happened at 4:30 which gave me just enough time to call the glass places before they close and find out its 15 bucks and if it happened a half hour sooner I could have gotten it today

Anywhere near a home depot? , they cut glass to fit, and probably won't charge as much. they are also open untill 9:00 everywhere I've seen them.

[Karlsbad]

I called a few Ace hardwares, Menard's and home depot and they all only carry 1/8", the hinge is 3/16"