Medications List

[Electrobes]

I am about to restart a new tank, making it brackish, but I just realized something that may be helpful for beginners... a medications list and reasons for them. I'll start but please add!! Oh yeah please name those medications that have worked best for you!

- Melafix = Open wounds, like when fish hurt themselves, or get into fights etc.

- Jungle's Fungus eliminator = This stuff worked pretty well though it did stop the apetites of some very hungry fish. It did kill off all the fungus off my fish thought.. fell off their bodies, and did it in about 2-3 days!

 

[Madame_X]

Discomed--See my post in the Unhealthy Fish forum about camallanus. This stuff works fast! However, do not use with invertabrates in the tank.

 

[An t-iasg]

I have a betta, and I have used Jungle Fungus Eliminator too. It works very well. I also like Kanacyn (Aquatronics brand) but I used it in a critter keeper tank -- that's my QT tank. I did use it in the main tank once because it said it won't hurt the biological filter, but it did. My ammonia rose to .25. So I like it, but not in the main tank.

 

[Electrobes]

Oh I know there are many more people out there who have dealt with more diseases than this! Come those of you just viewing, tell us what you've dealt with and with what you dealt it with!!! This will help newbies in the hobby!!

 

[Patwa]

For preventative maintenance: ALWAYS make sure to add some salt to your fw tank.....the ratio is dependent on the exact type/brand of salt you're using....

For Ick infections I swear by 'Clear Ick' (not 100% sure that's the name though, but it's available at Petsmart and Big Al's).... the dosage comes in round tablet form that fizzes with a blue colour when dropped in the tank..works faaasst!

Zach.

 

[Electrobes]

sweet, I just recently purchased Hex-a-mit, which I didn't even realized my lfs even had (wish I knew before to ask!). My two baby oscars have hole in the head because of the mean ol' lfs not doing a damn for them. I'll keep you guys posted on how well it works!

 

[Patwa]

I had a pleco of mine die yesterday from what seemed like an infection....his eyes were cloudy in appearance when he died (see: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=10734)

what should medication should I have used if I recognized this problem earlier??? (althought I swear his condition deteriorated soo quickly, i dunno if it was possible to save him)

Please.....let me know what I need to buy so I can protect my fish in the future....my main focus is on plecos....but I also have a variety of other fish in the tank

Zach

 

[Electrobes]

How big of a tank were the plecos in? Unfortunately they are pooping machines, the infection may have been caused by the high ammonia possibly in the tank. Also what filtration do you have in there?? You may not need medicine at all

 

[Allivymar]

The only thing I keep on hand is a broad spectrum anti-biotic (Maracyn2 atm) and Melafix. Antibiotics in case I need to treat an acute infection immediately, and Melafix for those days my angelfish decide to beat on each other. Tonite will actually be the first time I have ever used the antibiotics; one of my neons is losing color and will be moving into the QT. I have never used (nor needed to) anything else other then Melafix on occasion.

I only use high temps/salt to treat ich, so I see no reason to keep ich meds around. Salt is only used here for treating ich (there is no reason to keep salt in a FW tank on a regular basis; there is no empirical proof it makes any difference).

I don't keep anti-parasiticals around as the only parasite I've had to deal with is ich. As with all meds, they lose potency after a period of time; god forbid I need to use a medication to treat other parasites I'll just go buy em.

In fact, its a good idea to go thru your fish meds on a semi regular basis and throw out the stuff thats really old, just as you should in your own medicine cabinet.

 

[Patwa]

How big of a tank were the plecos in? Unfortunately they are pooping machines, the infection may have been caused by the high ammonia possibly in the tank. Also what filtration do you have in there?? You may not need medicine at all

well the tank is pretty full..but not 'crowded' by any measure.....it's a 45g tank with a Rena Filstar filter.....the filter has a good quality carbon filter, and an ammonia filter bag (renewable)....my last check on the details were ph of 7.7-ish and 0pmm for the rest......and I do water changes every 10 days or so....(this was last night)

so i'm not totally convinced it was a spike in ammonia that killed it......but time will tell...i've got 2 more plecs in there (1 more royal and 1 gold nugget)..i'll try and get some antibiotics tonight....just to be safe

Zach.

 

[Electrobes]

I also have a Filstar, an XP3... hehe I also have a 45 gallon tank... yeah its waaaaaaaaaay over-filtered. WHich type do you have? I don't know that much about plecos.. do they perfer a higher pH? how are the other plecos doing after the death of your fish?

 

[e-cat]

plecos like soft water not a high ph

 

[Patwa]

I also have a Filstar, an XP3... hehe I also have a 45 gallon tank... yeah its waaaaaaaaaay over-filtered. WHich type do you have? I don't know that much about plecos.. do they perfer a higher pH? how are the other plecos doing after the death of your fish?

yah....tell me about if....my filter is soo damn powerful...it's waay more than enough for my size of tank.....but i'd much rather it this way!

.......the other thing was that the return on the Filstar can be set up in a variety of ways......this was important cuz i wanted to setup a waterfall type thing so that water could flow over the rocks and into the water.....and it turned out perfectly!...

However, I do find the start up (after doing some maintenace work) can be kind of tricky...but i've gotten used to it....

how are the other plecos doing after the death of your fish?

they're fine....busy eating at all times of the day....like if nothgn happened.....that's why the death of that one is soo puzzling....

Zach.