Medication and carbon filters

Question
Hello Jaymie,

Yesterday I lost a Pearl Gourami and a Cardinal tetra due to illness and today I bought some medicine (eSHa 2000). On the leaflet of the medicine it says to remove the carbon part of the filter.

My question is: do I remove the carbon filter for the entire medication process (3 days) or just the hour or so before and after medicating?

If the carbon filter should be removed for the entire process, should I squeeze out as much bacteria from it as I can and pour it right back in to the tank, just so I don't loose any of the good bacteria that's been developing in the filter?

I don't think my specs are relative to my question, but here they are anyway: it's a 1,5 months old 16 gallon tank with 5 Cardinal Tetras, 5 black Phantom Tetras, 1 Ancistrus, 1 Apple snail and 1 Pearl Gourami.

My water perimeters are fine and consistent. The temperature is 77 fahrenheit. I do weekly water changes and I'm 100% sure that the disease was added to my tank by the two Gouramis i recently bought.

If you have any other advises, warnings or general tips on how to proceed when illness is present in a tank, please let me know.

Many thanks!
Julian
Norway

Answer
You remove the carbon until you are done medicating the tank, and there is no need to squeeze out the water. Your tank is over crowded so take extra care in keeping the water clean. Make sure the ammonia and nitrite levels are at zero at all times. If the reading is any higher, then there is too much in the water. Once you are done medicating, you will do a water change and put the carbon back into the filter.