maracyn for dropsy?

[Etunes]

Alright, i have some fish with dropsy and i keep reading it is uncurable. But i was talking to my dad yesterday and he said he has used a medicine called maracyn too cure it. He said there was a maracyn 1 & 2. Does anyone have anything to clarafy this or know if this is true? Because i have a gouromi that looks like he ate a turkey dinner and i want to save him. Pics will be up soon of himm, VERY blurry but you can see the huge ball of a stomach.

[meegosh]

I haven't heard many success stories with maracyn one or two. I have heard salt baths and Kanacyn seem to work from time to time (cured some bettas in the later stages from what I remember). Google maracyn and dropsy and I'm sure you'll get tons of info.

[Etunes]

K, i will do more research and see what i find.

[WhiteDevil]

Marcyn plus is supposed to but I never seen that stuff do what the label said it would do.

epsom salt is supposed to be good for dropsy but again im not quite sure.

[jsoong]

Maracyn is Erythromycin,a board spectrum antibiotics. That used to be the drug of choice to treat bacterial infections in fish (maybe 5+ years ago). Unfortunately, due to overuse, most bacteria are now resistant to Erythromycin. Your chance of success with it is limited.

The current drug of choice is Kanamycin. With that, there is a chance for a dropsied fish, although the prognosis is still poor.

To reduce antibiotic resistance <we don't really want to lose the last good antibiotic left>, you should:
1. use it only when indicated for a bacterial infection .... dropsy is a good indication.
2. use it in adequate dose (as directed) ... lower doses promote resistance
3. use it for a full 10-14 days, even if the fish is all better. <If the fish died before full treatment, it is prudent to take down the tank & disinfect everything.>

[Etunes]

Originally Posted by jsoong

Maracyn is Erythromycin,a board spectrum antibiotics. That used to be the drug of choice to treat bacterial infections in fish (maybe 5+ years ago). Unfortunately, due to overuse, most bacteria are now resistant to Erythromycin. Your chance of success with it is limited.

The current drug of choice is Kanamycin. With that, there is a chance for a dropsied fish, although the prognosis is still poor.

To reduce antibiotic resistance <we don't really want to lose the last good antibiotic left>, you should:
1. use it only when indicated for a bacterial infection .... dropsy is a good indication.
2. use it in adequate dose (as directed) ... lower doses promote resistance
3. use it for a full 10-14 days, even if the fish is all better. <If the fish died before full treatment, it is prudent to take down the tank & disinfect everything.>

Good info, will do. Should i make it more like a QT and make it bear bottom? I was gonna throw the substrate in the yard anyways as the tank is infected with BBA.

[jsoong]

It is always easier to treat in a hospital tank. The usually smaller tank volume means less drug needed. And since antibiotics (when use in the water, not usu. if you use it in orally - ie antibiotic food) will likely kill the biofilter, a hospital tank also makes it easier to do the ievitable daily 70% pwc's.

Bare bottom makes it easy to see any poop & to keep the tank clean. Also removing everthing eliminates some other causes of problem. <Eg some BGA may produce toxins ... the toxic "red tide" that kills fish in lakes & oceans is BGA ... so removing everything from the tank might eliminate some environmental cause of problem.... Note that BBA & BGA are often indistinguishable, so your BBA brought up the possibility that it may be toxic BGA ...>

[Etunes]

So are you suggesting starting the tank over and then treating him in the tank. So i can get rid of the BBA? And would you do the meds or do it with food? BTW it is a 20g tall.

[jsoong]

Well, actually I am suggesting removing him to a smaller tank & treat there. Depending on what else is in your display tank as to what is best. I assume you have other fish & critters that you don't want to expose to meds.

Tearing down the tank doesn't necessarily get rid of BBA .... I tried that, came back within a few weeks ... battling BBA is a whole chapter in itself.

It is normally more effective to treat with medicated food. <In goldfish, the gold standard is actually injected antibiotics ..... but oral is next best.> If the fish is not eating, then you will have to resort to kanamycin in water.

[Etunes]

Got any links to a the oral medicine i am looking for. And ya, i am taking all the fish from the tank. Moving them to a 75g. The substrate is going in the yard and the things in the tank are going in bleach. The media from the filter is going in the trash and i am bleaching the filter. Nothing excpet for the fish are going into the new tank. But before i do that i will medicate him.

[jsoong]

Seachem makes kanamycin (there are at least 2 other makers I've seen in the past):

Seachem Kanaplex - 5GM - Medications - Bacterial at BigalsOnline

You can make your own antibiotic food with that, or use it in water. MediGold is the pre-made antibiotic food with kanamycin (together with a sulfonamide & a quinolone antibiotic). Goldfish people swears by MediGold (and medikoi - the bigger sized one). It is supposed to be also good for cichlids ... not sure if gourami would eat it tho ...
GoldfishConnection.com - Medi-Gold