pre-empt sickness?

[mikel]

Hi Everyone: i was just talking with several more senior discus keeper in my local FS, and they say that they buy the pill form of Hex med called 'Hex-Out", grind up to powder form, and mix a dash with the thawed bloodworm each morning as a preventative against infestation. What do you al think about it? I tried it this morning, and I can see that my fish ingest some of the powder that has seeped into the body of the frozen bloodworms. Is this preventative a good idea?

[aquagal]

I think using any type of med as a preventative can be problematic. Some people will only use dewormers (levamisole, piperazine, etc) as a preventative. Metro is an antibiotic and I would never use an antibiotic prophlactically on myself or my fish.

[Graham]

Hi Everyone: i was just talking with several more senior discus keeper in my local FS, and they say that they buy the pill form of Hex med called 'Hex-Out", grind up to powder form, and mix a dash with the thawed bloodworm each morning as a preventative against infestation. What do you al think about it? I tried it this morning, and I can see that my fish ingest some of the powder that has seeped into the body of the frozen bloodworms. Is this preventative a good idea?

It's a lousy idea! As AG just stated, Metro is an antibiotic, metroidazole. When antibiotics are not used properly the bacteria that they were capable of working on will develop an immunity to it and the drug becomes useless! When this senior discus keeper really needs it it's not going to work

Before any drug is ever used the hobbyist should have a pretty good idea what's wrong and if a gram-negative or gram-positive antibiotic will have any effect.

The American Veterian Assc has been rumbling for years about the abuse of drugs in the pet trade and it's the so called local experts and idiots in the lfs's who don't have a clue what they're doing that's going to mess it up. In the UK the only way to get antibiotics is via a Vet.....it's coming in North America too

G

[Kindredspirit]

Metro is an antibiotic and I would never use an antibiotic prophlactically on myself or my fish.


I agree!! Very bad idea.....:mad: You were given poor advice. Happens. People here are so experienced. Listen. ~ if you use Metro in that fashion, and when you really need it, it won't work...your fish will be immune.:(

[mikel]

AHHH!!!!! I will stop asap. I know about the issues surrounding antibiotics, but I didnt realize that metro was an antibiotics! These people actually are selling a chapstick container form of metro (powder), and selling for $11 each, and encouraging people to use it as a preventative to parasites....

[Graham]

Please go tell them that they're idiots and only making problems worse down the road.

They are also completely upsetting the natural bacterial balance of the fish's gut...........