My Experience with Bactocide 1

[For100]

Quick summary,

Sunday
- Bought 4 new fish from the same “breeder” at a Houston store.
- 30G tank was cycled with water from display tank and few Corys, temp 83/84F
- Fish showed signs of cross contamination within 24hrs after I placed them in QT tank, Sunday morning.
- Started Bactocide 1 + salt (1 tbsp / 5G) on Sunday morning. First lesson learned, instructions and description are very generic, no active ingredient and reference to side effects, etc.

Monday
- Big water change in the morning, 24hrs after first dose, found 1 dead cory and I did not make much of a deal out of it.
- Fish looked lethargic, clamped fins, heavy slime coat and patches, etc. Some at the surface, one at the bottom.
- Found second cory dead early afternoon, raised a red flag immediately. Tested for NH4 and NO2 as precaution, both came above zero. Added prime and 70% water change. Second lesson learned, there is not reference in the instructions but it kills biological filter quickly.
- Kept same dose of salt and bactocide 1, started water testing and two >60% water changes daily, early morning and late evening. NO2 close to zero and NH4 below 1ppm
- Lower the water level to help fish laying at the bottom of the tank.

Tuesday/Wednesday
- No changes

Thursday
- Fish started to look better. Staying in the water column and moving around a bit.

Friday
- Fish acting more active and peaking order started. Not 100% out of the wood just yet because fish have not eaten yet and some slimecoat patches in one fish.

Overall, I think Bactocide 1 helps keep bacterial infections at bay but I did not see any magical effect after started using it. It took about 5 days to see some improvement.


Hope this helps.

[Willie]

Re: My Experience with Bactocide 1

This is an excellent reason to stay away from aquarium medication that does not at least label the active ingredients. I look for those that list the content of each ingredient as well.

Let's not encourage all the "magic elixirs" that plague this hobby.

[For100]

Re: My Experience with Bactocide 1

Don’t get me wrong, I am not promoting it.
Just happened to be an impulsive buy when I was picking up my fish and I wanted to share my experience using it for the first time (hope the last one too)


It is not a magic cure much less I would skip QT as claimed by others, but to be fair it helped me heal the cross contamination issue with the new fish.

[brewmaster15]

Re: My Experience with Bactocide 1

Freddy, Im with Willie.

How do you know that it helped? most cases of cross contamination resolve themselves with clean water and maybe some salt. Thats the role of an immune system.. Think about any cold or virus you have ever had. That it took 5 days to see an improvement falls in that window.
The only way to tell if these herbal remedies work is really in a lab setting. Not saying it does or doesnt work I have never used it and unless I see hard science I never will.

glad your fish are better though.

[bluelagoon]

Re: My Experience with Bactocide 1

Discus X a big discus exporter uses and sells that stuff and they claim it works. I have never used these plant remedies on fish but I have applied some on humans while I was a nurse from instructions from a Dr. for skin treatments like dandruff but I keep an open mind. When you live in a country where you can't get antibiotics, folks tend to use what they can get.

[brewmaster15]

Re: My Experience with Bactocide 1

When you live in a country where you can't get antibiotics, folks tend to use what they can get.

I can understand that... and desperate people are taken advantage of all the time.

Discus X a big discus exporter uses and sells that stuff and they claim it works

That Discus X is a big discus exporter and claims it works apparently is effective marketing...

I find it so odd that people will spend mega bucks on discus and yet use products that have no scientific testing behind them. It happens all the time. No offense meant Freddy, its a generalization on my part.

I guess my real question is why did you choose to use this product when you have access still to scientifically proven ones..

[For100]

Re: My Experience with Bactocide 1

Answering Al’s question, laziness on my part for not being prepared to bring new fish home. I bought it when I was there (impulsive buy) and I did not have anything else handy at the time. I started using it just because it was there.

Would I use it again? I don’t think so, it messed with my biological filter and recovery was not any faster than water changes and salt put together.
after seeing the medication first hand (just an observation), it is yellowish/brown powder.
I have a hunch it is a compound of acriflavine with other stuff, no scientific proof behind it.

[Willie]

Re: My Experience with Bactocide 1

All of us have done this. The learning usually happens after the first disaster.