Medicine cabinet

[sleonard]

I'm tired of not having any meds on hand and having to pay too much $$ at the LFS when my fish have a problem. I'm putting together a list of meds to keep in the refrigerator. So far this is what I have:

Antibiotics

Oxytetracycline 100 gms Powder
Bifuran 100 gms Powder


Anti-fungal

Acriflavin 16 fluid ounces


Parasitic

Metronidazole 100 gms Powder
Praziquantel 10 gms pure powder


How does this look?

A few more questions:

From a few posts I've read here, acriflavin is also anti-parasitic and also helps with bacterial infections. Is that correct? Can it be used in conjunction with any of the other meds on the list?

Should I pick one of the two antibiotics? If so, which one? If I get both, would they be used together in a cocktail? Many of the commercial antibiotic tablets contain 2 or even 3 different antibiotic compounds. Or, should they be used concurrently, the 2nd only if the 1st doesn't work?

Same question but for the anti-parasitic meds?

Last, are there better choices or other meds that I should add to the list? I already have bottles of Gel-tek anti-parasite and tetracycline for mixing in food.

Scott

[Graham]

Formalin & Malachite Green an excellant shotgun med for many parasites. The Malachite Green is also the med of choce for Saprolegnia.

Potassiun Permangnate..another excellant chemical for killing a wide variety of Parasites. Also a good swab for wounds

Iodine and Hydrogen Peroxide for cleaning sores or bacterial infected areas...along with Q-tips

Debride or some topical antibiotic along with dental powder sealing it in on wounds

Salt and a Salt test kit or an electronic meter for reading salt levels.

Clove oil for knocking them out if need be

Chloramine T for gill bacterial infections

A medicated food for bacterial.

Lots of De-chlor

All the test kits...nothing gets cured in lousy water


Tetracycline, Furanazone, Oxylinic Acid are good water bourne antibiotics that a fish has good ability to adsorb. For the more advanced, having injectible antibiotics like Baytril, Nuflor and Amikacin around is by far a much better way to get drugs into a fish.

Then a Microscope....It's a little hard to kill something if you don't know what it is..........Lots of bacteria and parasites can present themselves in the same way for quite some time. Being able to ID the problem instead of just guessing and using the right med or chem up front is half the battle to curing a fish.

G

[tpl*co]

Don't forget your Epsom salt and non-iodized salt (sodium chloride)

Tina

[sleonard]

Wow, my memory is going. I should have stated that I do have a big bottle of QuickCure (Formalin and Malachite Green already mixed), a large jar of powdered PP (although the label is unreadable, don't know the dosage), Iodine and Hydrogen Peroxide in my own medicine cabinet, a gallon of Prime and plenty of Epsom salt/ regular salt.

I did mention that I have the bottles of Gel-tek, both the parasite and the tetracycline for adding to food. (Hikari Discus pellets soak it up very well and get eaten by my fish)

I'll add the Clove oil and Chloramine-T to the list. I'm actually fighting a gill disease right now (you replied to my thread on it, thank-you) with AP Fungus Cure (Acriflavin and Victoria Green). If that doesn't clear it up I'll try the C-T.

Scott

[Graham]

This should help with your PP dosing.


http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA027

[sleonard]

Wow, excellent article Graham. Thanks.

What do you think about using it as a preventitive. Something like a once a month treatment to keep the nasties in check?

Scott

[Graham]

While some within the koi hobby do preventative PP treatments because ponds are expoused to birds, frogs etc that can transport parasites around, It's not something that I do or would reccomend, especially for aquariums.

Anytime chems are added to a system they affect something be taht for good or bad all depends. PP oxidizes everything....gills included. There have been some studies that show continual use of PP force gill cells to show hyperplasia...not a good thing...use it aand all other meds, including salt when needed

G

[sleonard]

Graham, do you have a source for the Chloramine-T? I've searched Big Al's, Drs. F&S, Marine Depot, and Jehmco. None of them carry it.

Scott

[lhforbes12]

I think PP is entirely safe if used properly. A dose @ 2 ppm wont really harm most fish as long as it's not done more than once a week. I like PP since it is so versatile, it can control bacteria, parasites, and fungus. And unlike most bactericides, there is no way for bacteria to build resistance
to it.
Used as a sterilization agent @ 20 ppm or higher it will kill most organics.
As any med, it must be used as directred and not abused.
It is my first choice for a large variety of illness. The other thing I like about PP is, because it is a powerful oxidizing agent, it is wonderful for cleaning thoroughly, plaes that are inaccesible, like inside some filters.
I would no longer be without some PP.

[Graham]

Larry within the koi hobby there a lot number of people that are doing weekly PP treatments follow the Purple Cult leader Dr Roddy Conrod, in the 0.5 to 1.0 ppm range to maintain water quality and to keep bacteria levels low. Roddy is a top end chemist but I wouldn't give ten cents for his husbandry skills

Here's a good example of those discussions

http://www.koishack.com/forum/index.php/topic,1664.0.html

There are studies out there that show secondary lamellae going hyperplasia with low levels. At 2ppm you are at therapeutic levels and you are oxidizing them right along with the organics, parasites and bacteria.....In a discus tank which is very clean by anyones standards, the time that the PP would stay active would have even more affect.

PP is my favorite chem and I have no problem using it at 4ppm when it's required...which isn't often

Scott here's a link for Chloramine T

http://www.pondrx.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=16&cat=1&page=1

G

[lhforbes12]

Larry within the koi hobby there a lot number of people that are doing weekly PP treatments follow the Purple Cult leader Dr Roddy Conrod, in the 0.5 to 1.0 ppm range to maintain water quality and to keep bacteria levels low. Roddy is a top end chemist but I wouldn't give ten cents for his husbandry skills

Here's a good example of those discussions

http://www.koishack.com/forum/index.php/topic,1664.0.html

There are studies out there that show secondary lamellae going hyperplasia with low levels. At 2ppm you are at therapeutic levels and you are oxidizing them right along with the organics, parasites and bacteria.....In a discus tank which is very clean by anyones standards, the time that the PP would stay active would have even more affect.

PP is my favorite chem and I have no problem using it at 4ppm when it's required...which isn't often

Scott here's a link for Chloramine T

http://www.pondrx.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=16&cat=1&page=1

G

Graham,
While a 2 ppm dose once a week is considered safe, I would have to agree with you, I think it is excessive. My main reason in posting was that Potassium Permanganate is my "panacea" of choice. Relatively safe, effective and cheap. I find it much safer and more effective than FMG for instance.

[Graham]

Don't get me wrong I love the stuff and have used it as a band-aid...just recently in fact...My fish spawned and destroyed 5000 gallons of water over 3 1/2 days while beating each other up breeding...To the point where my neighbors were asking what the smell was coming from the yard.

Being on a well, I can't change that much water that quick to stay ahead of them destroying it, so multipliable low level 1ppm PP were done along with 1000gallon daily water chnages to restore water quality.....so it does have it's place.

Any one using PP should be well warned...you blow a dose and you will have dead fish..period. know exact volumes of tanks and exact mounts, by weight, of PP being used

G