Getting closer to ordering my first group of discus from a site sponsor and, while I'm waiting, I'm curious about to what degree members believe it prudent to stock certain meds in the cabinet for future possible use.

To add a little more: two comments and two questions...

Comments:

1) I would like to be conservative when it comes to actually dosing tanks or treating fish. I recognize that often more harm than good can come from choosing "the nuclear option" when it comes to possible disease incidence, and that doing too much can be worse than not doing enough. So, I'm in the "less is more" camp when it comes to medication, but at the same time I don't want to be unprepared if and when problems arise.

2) I read the QT treatment recommendations, and set about seeking praziquantel and levamisole to prepare for prophylactic deworming. I did this a while ago and realize now that some of you are really savvy about the best places to find these products. In hindsight I may not have chosen the very best options based on some haphazard searching of threads (I ended up with Hikari Prazi pro plus some levamisole powder from Foy's Pigeon Supply), so if any of you do have source recommendations (or things to avoid), that can be good to know. (E.g., I now see Angel's Plus is a good option for meds. Probably there are others... such as Jehmco. Others?)

Questions:

3) At this stage I'm wondering about things like metronidazole, or other anti-bacterials. I'm also wondering about whether people prefer medicated foods for delivery, or combining medicated foods with water treatment.

4) I'm also interested in "complimentary fish medicine." For example, I bought some "immune booster" flake food from Ken's, and have seen people talking about garlic guard, probiotics in beefheart mix, epsom salts for constipation, possible salt dips or baths, etc. and I'm especially curious about what is most worthwhile in this realm. For now I'm not planning to make my own food, if that helps to know.

Thanks for your thoughts and experiences!