Parasite Medications
Will parasite medication for fish kill my live plants? I have Willow moss, and 3 sprouting apongetons. I'm so worried that it will kill my sprouting apongetons. I have had lots of success with those things!!! And I'm worried it will kill my willow moss. Please much help is appreciated!
Hello P...
Unless you have a background in fish biology, you can't be sure what's wrong with your fish, if anything. Putting medications in the tank water isn't a good idea. Meds can stress your fish, potentially kill the beneficial bacteria and damage some senative plants. Medications aren't a natural part of the aquarium keeping process, so don't use them.
Parasites live in all tanks and on aquarium fish. They can be in a dormant state for years, just waiting for you to slack off on your water keeping chores. Infections in the tank are generally the result of poor tank management. Good tank keeping practices, keep fish healthy and healthy fish are very unlikely to be infected by parasites.
The best thing to do if you think you have a problem is to begin an aggressive water change routine. Just change out half the tank water every week and replace it with pure, treated tap water. Vacuum the bottom where possible. Make the new water a little warmer. Increase the temperature of the tank to 82 degrees. If you want, you can add a teaspoon or so of standard aquarium salt to every 5 gallons of your new water. Minced garlic fed to the fish every couple of days is a natural antibiotic and high in vitamins.
Follow this routine for a month and then return the tank temp to between 74 and 78. Most tropical fish are comfortable with this temperature range. Keep up on the weekly, large water changes, though. The combination of a little warmth and alot of pure water flushed through the tank will help.
B
