Fish treatment

Question
We believe our fish had a fungus as one angelfish had the cottony stuff on its fins.  Since, we have lost more fish.  We started a new larger, 45 gal. aquarium.  We still were losing fish.  We treated our tank last night with these tables, Jungle-something or other and turned the tank greenish which it was suppose to do.  We added salt and took the carbon out of our filter.  How long before you put the carbon back in the filter and how long before we can safely add more fish to the tank?  We only have one algae eater, two cat fish, one small angelfish, and two platy's.  Any help is appreciated.  He also did a partial water change before adding the tablets.  We are really having a hard time with this.  

Answer
Dear Kim,
I'm sorry to hear about your fish trouble!

You mentioned you just started a new 45gallon aquarium? And that you were still using the medication? First make sure you aren't treating fish that don't show any symptoms of fungus. This can really stress them. Another problem here is since your tank is new, there may not yet be a biological filter going sufficiently to keep ammonia levels down. You'll need to be careful when you have fish in your new tank and be sure to make plenty of frequent (at least daily) partial water changes of ideally 50% or more. Doing water changes won't disrupt your cycling, medication in the aquarium may prevent good bacteria from colonizing your tank in the first place so ammonia levels may build up anyway so be certain to do those vital water changes to help keep your fish safe. If you have completed the Jungle medication treatment period and no other fish show signs of cottony fungus growth then I'd just stop using the medication and work on getting your tank cycled. Test your water for ammonia and nitrites, knowing these levels is very important, especially when cycling a new tank.

If you can get through with the medication and can get started cycling your new 45gallon then if you can, take some of the gravel from your old aquarium(s) (if they are healthy and established) and put it in the new tank. This will "Seed" the new aquarium with beneficial bacteria. You can also buy beneficial bacteria "in a bottle" such as Biospira, Colonize, or cycle, they may not be the "cure" but they will help establish your aquarium a little easier.
You can also use Amquel+ or Prime water conditioner which neutralizes ammonia. This can help fish through tough times when the water quality is really bad but chemicals shouldn't be a substitute for water changes.

I really hope this helps! Hang in there, you can get through these kinds of aquarium problems as long as you have the knowledge to do so!

Best of luck!
Karen~