The Right Medication For the Right Parasite  11/12/06
OK.  In a previous email you recommended Clout and Rid-ich for scratching/flashing fish (no spots).  I have Coppersafe already at home, will this be effective?  I don't want to buy another med when I already have one.  Is this one ok?  I have Aquarisol also, which is more effective?
Thanks again
< When you ask for a recommendation for a particular problem I always recommend what has worked best for me for a similar problem. These other medications may work, it is just that I have not tried them. I would recommend that you try the Coppersafe at the recommended dosage. If that does not work then do a 50% water change run carbon in the filter to remove any medication and then try the Aquarisol. Medicate as per the directions on the bottle. If that doesn't work then do a 50% water change, replace the carbon in the filter. The problem with these copper medications is the dosage needed to kill the parasite is very toxic to the fish too. These parasites are probably protozoans and may also respond to high temps around 82+ F. The trouble is that Lake Malawian cichlids sometimes get stressed out and start to bloat up at these high temps, especially the wild ones.-Chuck>

Fluke Tabs Safe   10/29/06
Are these "fluke tabs" absolutely safe for the fish?
Thanks.
< If used as directed they are deadly to invertebrates such as snails. If the snails are very numerous their decomposing bodies start a very strong ammonia spike that will affect the fish. Many people use this to treat Malaysian Burrowing snails. The snails are livebearers and make up most of the gravel. Then the tank is treated and the snails are all killed. Their bodies are high in protein. Buried under the gravel the bodies are being broken down by bacteria. The bacteria use oxygen and generate ammonia as waste. The combination is very bad for fish and when they have problems they blame the medications. I would recommend that you check for ammonia spikes when using any medications.-Chuck>

Treating Fish With Human Metronidazole   9/30/06
Dear Bob. I would appreciate your advice. My fish he has been off his food for 3 weeks and in the last week has stopped eating altogether. A once friendly fish, he is now withdrawn and hiding. Before he stopped eating he was passing stringy white pooh. He has not passed any pooh for 1 week since stopped eating. I would like to ask your advice on using Metronidazole 200mg tablets the type we take. I have read so much which is the correct way to treat my fish without harming the other healthy fish. Would Metronidazole be effective in the water if the fish is not eating as I understand tropical fish do not drink the water as marine do?. Would appreciate your advice my tank is 125 litres my other fish are rainbows, giant danio, 2 pearl catfish and a rosy barb. Thank you Tina  
< Use 500 mg of Metronidazole per 10 gallons of aquarium water. Treat every other day while doing a 50% water in-between treatments. After three treatments you should start to see some improvement. A hospital tank is best but it seems pretty harmless in a general community tank. Some aquarists add Nitrofurazone to the water too. This medication will harm your biological filtration.-Chuck>

Re: Lumpy Angelfish, meds. avail.  9/26/06
Chuck, Thanks for the advice, Any idea where I can purchase Clout or Fluke-tabs
(The UK doesn't seem to sell them!)
< Do a google search on these medications to find the active ingredient. Then check for the ingredient with the medications available in the UK.-Chuck>

Quick Cure... or quick death  8/25/06
I have a very important question. I am using Quick Cure to treat Ick .
<Malachite Green and Formalin... very dangerous>
I have my fish in a 10 gallon QT and the Quick Cure has been working great.
The dose for Quick Cure is 1 drop per gallon for 5 days. Say I do a 100% water change on the 4th day because of high nitrites and because I wanted to move them to a new 10 gallon setup do I put 40 drops in the new tank or is that too much?
<Is way too much...>
Do I just put in 10?
<Never more than one drop per actual gallon>
Please help, I do not want the 40 drops to be to concentrated and kill the fish. Another way to put it is if I do a 50% water change on the 3rd day do I just put in 10 for that day or do I have to put in more to compensate the drops I put in for days 1 and 2?
Thanks
<... one drop per gallon as changed, replaced, time going by... Bob Fenner>

Oops!  My Fish Ate the Medicine Tablet! - 8/9/2006
Hi Crew,
<Cin>
My Yellow Lab Cichlid (Labidochromis caeruleus) is being treated in a hospital tank for a deep internal jaw infection brought on by aggressive cichlid lip locking.
<So common...>
  My lab swims to the surface and catches his food at mealtime.  I didn't give this any thought before I tossed in an undissolved tablet of Maracyn-Two (Minocycline), per the instructions.    My lab caught the tablet and ate it!
<Yikes>
   I kept waiting for him to spit it out, but he didn't.  I'm happy to report he's doing fine 24 hours later, but I realize that had this been some other type of medication it possibly could have killed him.    
Cindy  
<Luckily not this time, with this antibiotic. I would smash up, swirl, dissolve med.s out of tank in future. Bob Fenner>

Re: Oops!  My Fish Ate the Medicine Tablet! - 8/10/2006
Hi Bob,
<Cindy>
I posted this message in the hope others might read it and realize adding whole tablets can be dangerous.  I save the spent micron mesh resin bags
from products like Seachem's Purigen.  I discard the resins and disinfect the bags for use for a variety of things, including rinsing and draining
frozen foods like daphnia, or straining baby brine shrimp.  I decided to place the next dose of the time release tablet in one of those bags last
night and clipped it to an air line hose which solved the problem.
<Great idea. Thanks for passing on this tip. Bob Fenner>

Dead Three-spot Gourami (Bob Fenner) Hey, I'm still alive!    5/28/06
Thank you for the quick response, Mr. Fenner!
<Welcome>
From what I understand then, instead of trying to 'treat' my fish that look sick, I should first make sure I know what's wrong with them? Because that's excellent advice and I feel like an idiot!
<Not an idiotic statement at all... Au contraire! Yes to the very important steps of careful observation and patience>
I do have another question though: If I had left him alone to adjust, would it have been likely he would have survived?
<Not able to state/guess... many such problems do resolve themselves on their own. It is my estimation that much more livestock is "bumped off" than dies, by "mis-medication", treatments by well-meaning aquarists, than by "natural causes". Bob Fenner>

Uncertainty on Whether to Medicate FW system ... Credit to the "Nuge"... "When in doubt, I count it out... It's a free for all"
Hi Crew.  I have a FW tank and suspect (fear) that something untoward may be brewing with one of my guppies.  I read your site and FAQs daily but I still can't quite get a read on what might be going on or, more importantly, whether I should take any action at this time based upon what I am observing with this fish.   My set up is:
20 gal FW, java moss and plastic plants, strong aeration, two hang on-filters:  30 gal Marineland w/BioWheel and 20 gal Top Fin, water temp usually kept at 76-78 range, tank has been fully cycled since last November.  The readings this morning were 0 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrites and 10 ppm nitrates, ph is between 7.4 and 7.8.   
Fish:  8 adult guppies, about 8-10 half-grown guppies, and probably another 10 guppy fry, 3 reticulated Corys, 1 dwarf Pleco (Peckoltia sp.).  I sell/give guppies regularly back to the LFS because they breed as fast as, well, guppies.
<Know what you mean>
  Originally, I started with only three guppies (2 female, one male) and all the guppies in the tank now have come from those fish, with one exception.  I purchased a red diamond male guppy about two months ago and he is the only fish from this tank I have had to euthanize (or lost).  I did so because he began to exhibit symptoms of what I believed was whirling fish disease based upon my research, or at least some typ of nervous disorder.  He would swim normally and then go into violent spins and seizures.  This occurred well after tank was cycled and the water parameters were all excellent so it was not any type of water quality issue.    I was worried about my other fish but have had no other fish with remotely similar problems since.  I am explaining this because I believe the guppy I have concerns about now is the offspring of the euthanized red diamond guppy as it has similar markings.  
I do a 30% to 35% water change (6-8 gallons)  weekly to keep the nitrates down which will spike up to 40 ppm at the end of the week but then drop to 10 ppm or less with the change.     
<You may want to read re, do something/s to keep under 20 ppm on a constant basis>
Now to my concern.  I have observed the guppy in question recently, and again this morning (one day after a 30% water change), rubbing his side on the gravel bottom in a single twisting motion.  I have observed this fish at length and I have only seen him do this on a couple of occasions when he comes near the bottom to feed on the pleco's pellet. I know from your site that this could be a number of things:  a first sign of Ich, velvet, parasite, or even a sensitivity to nitrates.  
<Yes>
The fish's appearance is what is puzzling to me and complicated by his strange markings.  He has the orange and white from the red diamond parent with bluish brown and some yellow from his mother.  He is probably around six to eight weeks old and has always had a sort of iridescent sheen (very beautiful fish).  He shows none of the visual symptoms on his body of Ich.  I can't really see signs of velvet but that is uncertain because of his markings (some of which are a kind of light yellow iridescence).  If I was forced to guess that he had some disease, I guess I would have to pick velvet because of the yellow.
<Mmm, if this then you would very likely experience quick mortality... I doubt this is this algal complaint>
  However, he seems very content and active at this stage with no real sign of discomfort and, as I said,  I have been watching him closely for some time and have observed the rubbing only a couple of times.  The only other visual issue is seems to have a small discoloration just in front of his dorsal fin where it is lighter than the rest of the surrounding coloration.  This could be a rub mark or it may just be a function of his maturing coloration.  So I am uncertain whether the fish is diseased but obviously concerned about the entire system.   Additionally, all fish in the system appear happy content and with good appetites.   
<A good sign>
I know this equivocal information is probably insufficient for any kind of precise diagnosis, but my question is really the best way to proceed based upon this uncertainty.
<"Do no harm"... I'd keep all under observation at this point>
I am hesitant to bombard my tank with chemicals or treatment at this point, because I don't really know what I am treating, if anything, and I don't want to destroy my biological filter unnecessarily.  It seems my options are (1) to simply monitor, (2) remove the fish in question and observe, (3) remove the fish in question and provide some treatment individually, (4) treat the entire system.  The fish is too healthy to even give consideration to euthanizing.   The only thing I have done at this point is to increase the temperature to about 80 degrees.  What would you do?
<1)>
I note from reading you site regularly that Sabrina seems to get most of the guppy questions, but I would really welcome opinions from any of you.  I apologize for being unable to arrive at a course of action from the information on your site (which I have been otherwise able to do throughout almost every turn in this hobby), but I am just unclear on exactly what to do here and I don't want to jeopardize a system I have worked so hard to get established. Thanks so much for your time and assistance.  Phil        
<Thank you for writing... and so clearly, completely. I would not treat this system, fish per se, but strive to improve the environment here. Bob Fenner>

Starter FW Questions...  - 3/1/2006
Good Afternoon,
<And to you>
I purchased a 20 gal tank for myself for Christmas. Just a couple months later, I have a 5 gal at work (guppies), and started another 10 gal tank at home that I will use as a quarantine/hospital if necessary. Amazing how addictive this hobby can be.
<Ah, yes>
Being new, I was wondering if you could help me with a couple of questions.
<Go ahead>
1. I use a dechlorinator that I add to my bucket for water changes. Then add the water to my tank when doing my water changes. Should I be letting the water sit with the dechlorinator in it, or is it ok to add to the tank right away. So far, I have not had any issues, but I want to make sure I'm doing the best I can.
<Better by far to treat your new water as detailed here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/taptrtmnt.htm>
2. My fish recently caught ick (hence the new quarantine tank). I have 3 clown loaches, a L136 pleco, and 2 dwarf gouramis. I've been using Jungle Ick Guard II as it was recommended because it's more sensitive to scaleless fish. The directions state, " Second dose may be added in 24 hours." All the reading I've seen says to keep medicating until days after all ick is not visible (up to 16 days) as their life cycle still goes on. I've been treating daily as directed for 4 days but I'm not sure how long to go with the medication. The white spots are almost gone, but I don't want to hurt the fish.
<You are wise here... one really needs to measure the active ingredient/s in such "medicines" (most are non-selective biocides)... I would rely on elevated temperature and time going by to assure a complete cure here. Please read: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm>
3. My local fish store told my the L136 would be good for eating algae off the tank walls. But, he doesn't seem to like algae a bit.
<Mmm, a common myth/mistake... Please see: http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loricari/INDEX.PHP>
What's the best type of food I should be feeding him? He doesn't seem to be eating the algae wafers I put it, and they leave quite the mess.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Adam
<Isn't the Net wonderful? Bob Fenner>

Using AquariSol    2/17/06
Hello,
  I've read some articles that are posted about using AquariSol which have been helpful,
but I still have some questions. I have a 10 gallon tank with Corydoras paleatus, Corydoras pandas, and 1 flame tetra in it.
One of my Corydoras paleatus has a white fuzzy growth on its tail that I think is fungus. Before it had that growth, I think they had ick on their body's too. In
the past I used Jungle's brand of medication but it never seemed to work and a fish or two always died. Now I am trying AquariSol. I've raised the temperature
to 82F so far. I turned the thermometer up a little more so it should reach a temp. of 85F by the end of today. I'm also keeping my light off because it might
raise the temp too high.
<Not likely with the use of a thermostatic heater... unless your setting air temp. is in the nineties F.>
I have a hang on the back filter so I took out the activated carbon and left the white mesh part in. After that I added half a dose(6
drops) of AquariSol because of my tetra. Does everything sound ok so far?
<Yes>
I don't want these fish to die. With the filter running should I still change 30% of the water every day?
<Mmm, no>
Also, on the directions, it says that you could use it once a week as a disease preventative and whenever new fish are added. Do you have to take the carbon out of your filter every time?
<I would not use this material ongoing. It is now copper-based (used to be a silver salt)... too toxic>
Do you recommend using Aquari-Sol or is there another medication that works better? Thank you.
Wayne
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

About MelaFix and PimaFix   2/13/06
Why do you say these are toxic if their (sic) made from plants?
<Mmm, not (very) toxic, just not very effective... mild antimicrobial activity at best>
Penicillin is from plants too.
<Not correct... http://cc.msnscache.com/cache.aspx?q=2844191042360&lang=en-US&mkt=en-US&FORM=CVRE
is made from a mold, a fungus. Bob Fenner>

FW Ich... Malachite and Formalin exposure to non-fishes   1/26/06
I have a ten gallon tank that houses some female beta's an Asian floating frog, African dwarf frog and a fire belly newt.  My question is last night I
saw a couple spots on two of my females that looks like ich but I am worried about the other creatures, will they be alright if I treat the fish with
Quick cure.
<You are wise here. This "medicine" is way too toxic...>
I think I may have used it once before when I had the newt in the tank but I can't remember for sure.
<I would only expose the fish to this material. Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
Michelle

Re: FW Ich... Malachite and Formalin exposure to non-fishes   1/30/06
How long should I actually treat the tank the medication says two days but I have read (and this varies) you should do it for up to two weeks?
<Two weeks for most regimens, remedies>
Also since I was stuck I bought a one gallon tank and gravel from wall-mart.  I rinsed the gravel for at least a half hour but I noticed last night that the water
smells really strange.  I have figured out that it's the gravel that smells (almost reminds me of super glue) and now my Asian floating frog isn't
eating (it's been two days since he ate last) although my ADF seems happy. What should I do?
<... please read WWM re setting up a freshwater system... You need to make means of removing/cycling wastes...>
rip it apart and start over without any gravel until I can get more from my LFS that I trust. I took the newt out and put him in a
container I have for my crickets but it's kind of small for the newt and the two frogs. I am so mad I thought I was doing the smart thing by separating
them and now I feel like the are in more danger then they were in the "ichy" tank!
Michelle
<Have you read our posted piece and Related FAQs re FW ich? Please do, and soon. Bob Fenner>

Re: FW Ich... Malachite and Formalin exposure to non-fishes   1/31/06
I should have mentioned I purchased not just the tank but a tank kit.  I removed all the gravel (after speaking with the manufacturer who said the
smell can result from the paint they use sometimes but they do test it with fish before it goes for sale? I removed it and tossed it anyhow.) and
replaced it with safe gravel from my tank at work. Since doing so everyone is eating and doing well.
<Ah, good>
Any other time I have let the tank cycle for about a month before putting fish or anything in it but I was stuck this time.
btw the treatment for ich seems to be working thus far.
Thanks for the help.
<Thank you for this update, clarification. Bob Fenner>

CopperSafe... copper use period   1/20/06
We have been dealing with Ich since we put up our tank, we were treating with CopperSafe.  The first set of fish all died. We emptied, cleaned, and changed everything on our tank.  Now our new fish have it.  We are treating with the CopperSafe, which says to add 1tsp. / 4gal.
<Mmm, with testing...>
And this treats for one month.  It has been almost three weeks and it is still there.  It says the treatment lasts for one month.  Does this mean that I only need to add the solution to the water once a month.
<Negative>
  I am confused.  And my Bala Shark, an Guppies seem to be dying once again. I would really appreciate any suggestions, since I have already spent over 100.00 buying and replacing my sons pets in the last three months.
                Thank You
<One should only use copper products while simultaneously utilizing test kits... to assure therapeutic levels... for either chelated (as here) or free cupric ion formats... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/copperprodfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Toxicity of Formalin
Hi Crew--
Thanks for the advice but sadly, my danio's both died.  It seems that the "lump" was really a growth that seemed to push through my danio's skin!  Also, they both became really aggressive with the other fish.  The fungus or whatever it was has cleared up on the my molly so it seems that the Quick Cure was the answer for him but for future reference, what other fish could Quick Cure be harmful to (besides tetras)?  Keep up the good work!
Jennifer
<... this product is a combination of malachite green and formalin... the latter is a biocide... "kills life", by cross-linking peptides... amino acids... the building blocks of life on this planet. BobF>

Medications to Keep on Hand  12/26/05
Hi, first of all I would like to say thank you for the incredible website.
< Thanks for you kind words.>
I have been reading through it for a couple of months now and have learned a lot!  So far I have found the answers to all of my questions, except for one basic one, and I hope I didn't just miss it somewhere.  I have learned the importance of setting up a separate hospital/quarantine tank and I am in the process of doing this before buying any more fish.  My problem is none of the stores in my area carry a very good selection of medications.  Most of them only carry ich medications, so if I want medications for other diseases I have to order it.  I was wondering if you guys have a list of good medications to keep on hand.  I would rather buy a medication and never need it than to need a medication and have to wait a week to order it.  I also know different fish have different medicine tolerances so if it helps here is a list of the fish I have and ones I would like to have: tetras, convict cichlids, angel fish, mollies, goldfish, Bettas, and a few different species of Plecos.  Of course these fish are not together in the same tank, another thing I learned from this website.  I have several tanks.  Thank you for your time, and I apologize if this question has already been answered.  I did spend several days reading through anything that mentioned setting up a hospital tank.  Tracy and her many finned friends.
< I have 40 FW aquariums and I hardly use any medications at all. Fortunately most of my tanks are full of cichlids and they are a pretty hardy lot. For ich medications I like to use Rid-Ich by Kordon. Any formalin/malachite green combination will do. Scaleless fishes are sensitive to the malachite so read the directions. For an antibiotic I like Nitrofurazone. It is a shotgun type that cure almost anything if the water is right and the fish has any fight left in them. Once in awhile I will use Kanamycin if the disease doesn't respond to the Nitrofurazone. For internal bacterial infections like bloat and pop-eye I use Metronidazole. That's it! I get fish in and out all the time. I quarantine my fish for two weeks, sometimes longer when I forget. I usually catch the ich and other diseases in the QT tank so I use very little medication. I do occasionally use  rock salt. Once in a great while I will use Clout on protozoan infections with wild Tanganyikan cichlids.-Chuck>

Getting Medications Online  11/16/05
Hi Chuck, Thanks so much for getting back to me. I have been trying to locate those medications, Nitrofuranace or Kanamycin. I called Dr. Foster Smith's and had them check with the pharmacy. I was told that the company who made those two products is no longer in business. They suggested either Furan-2 or Furanace. What do you think?
< Either one of these will work fine.>
And one more question. Until I am able to get these products should I go ahead and use the Maracyn Plus?
< I don't think it is as effective as the others but if you got it you could give it a try.-Chuck>

Combining Medications 10/18/05
Can I treat for a bacterial infection at the same time of treating for Ich or Velvet? I am currently treating with formalin and malachite green, can I mix the med used for a bacterial infection with these?
< Do a 30% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Remove any carbon. Raising the water temp to 82 F will take care of the ich so you can add an antibiotic for the bacterial infection.-Chuck> 

Oscar Needs Medication  9/22/05
My Oscar has hole-in-the-head. I went to my local fish store to try and get Nitrofuranace and they said that company is no longer in business.  I can't get that med. for him. Now what?
<Go to DrsFosterSmith.com. You can order 100 tablets of Furanace (#PC-210282) for $12.99 plus shipping. They carry the Metronidazole too, (#PC-18879). You get 100 tablets for $19.99 plus shipping.-Chuck>

Aquatic Arsenal - 09/01/2005
Hi Guys,
<Hello - Sabrina with you, today>
I live in Australia and recently set up a 30L BiOrb with 2 small (1 inch) goldfish - one Red Cap Oranda and one black Bubble-Eye.  I have been doing lots of research on the web (particularly your website), and I (now) realize that my fish will soon outgrow the BiOrb,
<Yup.>
however....I am planning an outdoor water feature with pond that I am hoping transfer them to at a later date :-).
<Ahhhh!  Goooood!>
The first thing your website taught me was to never underestimate the importance of water quality.  As a result, I am now the owner of a comprehensive water testing kit - ammonia, nitrate, nitrite and pH.  
<Wonderful!  You HAVE been reading, haven't you?>
Out of interest, I have been trying to research the different requirements of / symptoms and diseases that can affect, goldfish, so I can get together a basic and effective "care kit" of essentials/treatments/medicines.  From what I have read, the following seem to be quite useful if not essential):
* Water quality test kit
<Absolutely essential, you are quite correct>
* Water conditioner - to get rid of Chlorine in water (some of these contain Aloe to help repair damage to scales, etc);
<Essential as well; also try to find out if "chloramine" is used in your tapwater, and be sure your conditioner treats for this as well.>
* Salt - for salt baths (first line of defense);
<Good to have on hand.>
* Fungal treatment - containing acriflavine and malachite green; and,
<Good to have on hand.>
* Antibiotic.
<Also good to have on hand....  Err....  I should mention, I'm a nut when it comes to foods and fish meds; I have a closet that looks like a fish store.>
I notice that you guys recommend the broad spectrum antibiotic Maracyn for the treatment of bacterial infections like fin rot, etc.
<Actually, I do not recommend this particular drug (erythromycin) unless you know beyond most doubt that you are treating for gram-positive bacteria.  Most bacterial infections in fish are caused by gram-negative bacteria.  Though, I do have a box or two of this on hand....>
Unfortunately, this product (and many of the others you recommend on your website) is not available in Australia. The only antibiotic treatments available in Australia are:
* Tri-Sulfa - sulfadiazine 153.3mg, Sulfadimidine 154.7mg and Sulfamerazine 154.1mg; and,
<Good.>
* Aquaricycline - tetracycline hydrochloride 375mg.
<Also good.>
Can you please tell me which one of these would be the better?
<Both are good broad-spectrum antibiotics.  Personally, if I had to make a choice, I'd probably go with the tetracycline.>
And, if you can think of anything else that you think might be useful it would be much appreciated.
<Sounds like you're getting your bases covered!  Some other things I like to keep on hand are Metronidazole (for internal protozoan parasites), Praziquantel (internal protozoans and also wormy-type-nasties), Levamisole or Piperazine (for worms), Methylene blue (many uses....  including ich), malachite green or a malachite green/formalin product such as "Rid-Ich+", Kanamycin sulfate (my #1 antibiotic choice), Nitrofurazone (my #2 choice), and quite a bit more....  Uh, of those, I'd suggest (if you can find them, and it matters to you) Metronidazole/Flagyl, Praziquantel, and Methylene blue.  But also, keep in mind, your "arsenal" will grow as your hobby does....  you probably won't have need of most of this stuff now, but it might come in useful in the future.  Oh, blunt forceps are a good tool, too.>
Regards,  Sharon.
<Wishing you and your goldies well,  -Sabrina>

Getting Meds for Sick Fish 8/4/05
Thank you so much for the info. Can you possibly tell me where I can acquire
some of the Metronidazole?
<DrsFosterSmith.com>  I called the local pet store, and they did not
have anything that had that ingredient in it. He is still alive, but not
doing well.  And can you tell me why one got this infection, and the other
two did not? Karen
< Usually stress. Being the smallest fish and being pushed around by the others or even too much food.-Chuck>

Fire eel, copper use 7/22/05
Dear Robert:
<Linda>
    I have had my fire eel about 10 years and he is about 18-19 inches and very well rounded.
<How nice... great pets, very intelligent>
  He is very aggressive and spooks easily and has had several injuries to his body over the years.  Only on one occasion did I almost lose him - my local aquarium shop said it sounded like an infection in his gills - heavy breathing - not eating or swimming.  I treated the tank with Maracyns I and II  and CopperSafe and he recovered.  I have used these products ever since, and having read on your webpage that eels are sensitive to copper I wonder if I should stop.
<Mmm, no... just "be careful"... not to over-expose>
I recently moved ( and the fire eel) to a new home which is on well water and I regularly treat the water with StressCoat and CopperSafe.  May I have your opinion on this treatment plan.  Thank you.
                                   Linda Itoh
<Mmm, I would get, use a copper (ion) test kit... and know that StressCoat will remove/precipitate copper. Bob Fenner>

Mixing Coppersafe and PraziPro (Praziquantel)
Hi Crew!
<Jonah>
Thanks for your wonderful website and great advice. I've got a question
about mixing medications.
Is it safe to mix Coppersafe and PraziPro? I've been treating the tank
with Coppersafe to treat a mean outbreak of Ich. Now that seems better,
but the mollies are presenting with stringy white poop.
PraziPro has worked before, but I wasn't sure if that would conflict
with the current meds.
<Should work fine to mix these two together... given the fish/es are in good enough initial health. Bob Fenner>

Velvet and Sensitive fish
Dear Crew,
<Erica>
Thanks for a fabulous site.  It's great to get polite, professional and
accurate help.  Currently our tank has a persistent case of Velvet. Our tank
inhabitants include: 1 Striped Peacock Eel, 1 South American Dragon Fish
(Violet Gobi), 1 Bala Shark, 2 Algae Eaters, 2 Red Glass Barbs, 2 Glass
Catfish, 3 Pineapple Swordtails, 5 Neon Tetra's and 6 Black Neon Tetra's.
The tank is salted.  
<I hope/trust not very salted... as the Tetra's really don't like this>
On the web and even in your own site postings I have
found conflicting info.  I read that all of these are unsafe for our
sensitive fish: formalin, Acriflavine, copper, all dyes like: malachite
green, Victoria green, and Methylene blue.
  However all treatment options
recommend one of these.
<Both correct, and yes, conflicting>
Half doses of formalin have been tried, bio filter
was ruined, between constant water changes and the harsh medication the fish
became stressed and ended up with several other problems.  All have been
corrected and we are down to only velvet again.  Less traumatic treatment
would be greatly appreciated.
Appreciate All Your Help
Erica
<I would go the Acriflavine route here... possibly with turning the lights out, covering the aquarium with dark paper as well. Here's Novalek's go at describing this use: http://www.petsforum.com/novalek/kpd29.htm
Likely you don't need to worry re the below 7.0 pH issue, but I would monitor this and ammonia. Bob Fenner>

Can't Get the Right Medication
Hi Chuck, I really appreciate your replies on this. I get what you're saying about how nasty these things are to get rid of.
I'm in the UK so Fluke tabs and 'Clout' aren't available here as far as I  know. Have you any idea what's in them?
< To treat these worms the Fluke tabs have Trichlorofon and I am not sure what the ingredients are in Clout. The next step I would try would be copper. Be very careful, usually the dosage required to kill parasite is very close to the same dosage required to kill a fish. There are suppose to be some newer less toxic forms on the market here in the US but I have not personally used them.-Chuck> 

Malachite green vs. Methylene blue, Battle of the Colors!
I have two Oscars who are showing signs of fungal infection. They have small, cottony growths on their fins (four in number, between the two), although their bodies and actions remain normal. There are two other inhabitants in the tank that do not appear to be effected.
<What is the root cause here?>
It is a 75 gallon tank, now with an algae imbalance because the pet store owner advised me to use erythromycin (spelling?)...
<This is it, and a poor idea>
...for three days. It did not clear up the problem, but like I said, the natural balance is definitely OFF. I don't want to continue use of antibiotic if I don't have to, it scares me.
<Me too>
So, the question is, do I use malachite green or Methylene blue? I have read on WetWeb that Methylene blue is good for fungal use when dipping and I've read most elsewhere to use green. The stuff also scares me, I worked in a bio lab, I don't want to give it to my fish. I don't understand what dipping is all about.
Any help?
Thank you!
<I would use the Methylene Blue, not the Malachite... and add a teaspoon of salt per ten gallons of water... and monitor water quality, do ten-fifteen percent water changes daily for a week or two... Oscars are tough and yours should recover. Bob Fenner> 

Re: FW: Malachite green vs. Methylene blue
And to answer your question about how the Oscars contracted the fungus, I suspect it came from the goldfish I fed them a month or so back. I will never feed live food I didn't raise again. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
<Ah, but intelligent to realize the root cause here. Bob Fenner> 

FW disease city, hypochondria
Hi, my name is Brandi and I have a few problems (I think) with my fish. I have an orange and white fantail in my ten gallon tank and his dorsal fin is laying down. He stays at the top of the water a little, but he's not gasping or flopping or anything. I can see no other signs of sickness, and my other goldfish (in the same tank) is healthy and active. My water seems to be okay, except not quite as acidic as it might should be.  
<Mmm, actually, better to keep goldfish in slightly alkaline water... 7.2-7.5 or so is ideal. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm >
Should I add aquarium salt or any kind of acid-upper?
<... not for this purpose, but some salt addition may be a good idea. As stated, you may be confused re what pH is... Please read WWM re: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwph,alk.htm >
Also, I have a female Betta who has had her dorsal fin ripped off. She's swimming fine, and eats well, and recognizes me when I come to the tank. I'm treating her by herself in a 2.5 gallon tank with Melafix.
<I would NOT use this product... or herbal remedies period>
Her wound seems grave, but she seems okay. Is there anything else I should be doing for her?
<Please read WWM re...>
Finally, I'm treating my mollies for some kind of weird shimmy/clamped fins combo with Quick Cure.  They seem all better now, but how long should I continue the treatment?
<Please see...>
How do I clean their tank (it's got snails in it and how they got there, I have no idea but I like them)? 
<Please...>
Any help would be very much appreciated, and I apologize if these questions have already been answered, but I couldn't find
anything with the search tool that quite fit my situation. Thank you again!
<Umm, see the list of suggestions re querying us? Please use the materials archived on WetWebMedia... the search tool, indices... Bob Fenner...>

Looking for meds
Do you know where I can purchase Kanamycin, Spectrogram, Neomycin, Super Fungus, and Bio-Med (the refrigerated bacteria starter) online?
<Please see the etailers, links here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/general_links_pg.htm - BobF>

Clown loach FAQ, actually petfish hypochondria
Hi,
I have a 75 gallon tank with 5 clown loaches (approx. 5 inches long), 2 catfishes, and 2 discus.  After cleaning the filter in my Fluval 304, I noticed
1 of my clownloaches developed partial eye cloudiness in one eye and another
clown loach developed what started looking like a small 1mm x 5mm whitish
bump turned into a round pimple-like bump.
<Good observations>
They have a great appetite.  
What can I use to treat them?
<Mmm, I prescribe nothing... just time going by... the markings are/were due to abrupt chemical changes in your system... not a pathogen... and besides, even mild medications will harm your other fishes>
Do they need to be separated in a "sick"
tank?
<No>
You have mentioned for other internal bacteria diseases or infections
to use Flagyl, but how much ?
<None>
Let say I have Flagyl 500 mg tablet form.  
<... this material, Metronidazole is quite toxic... kills the kidneys of fishes easily... Do NOT use it in this instance>
Would I go by the approximate weight of the fish ?  What is the weight of a
6 inch 15 year old clown loach ?  Can I crush up the Flagyl tablet and dilute
it with tank water then soak it in Tubifex worms ?  Will it further harm
the rest of the healthy fish or will the antibiotic make the other fishes
bigger and healthier ?  I've heard of using Methylene blue approximately 6
drops per gallon on the entire tank.  What is your feelings on this and
where would I buy Methylene blue ?  15 years ago, when I bought the tiny
little babies, one of them would not eat and was wasting away.  At that time
I didn't have my heart and soul invested in them because I just bought them.
  So I figured I would experiment.  I had left over amoxicillin (from my
sick cat).  If memories serves me correctly, I crushed up a tablet,
separated it to approximately 1 mg, dilute it with water, soaked it with
Tubifex (the worms died instantly), then fed it to the sick fish, which was
in a breeder tank inside the 75 gallon tank.  So the sick wasting fish would
accidentally have to suck and antibiotic soaked worm.  A week later, he was
swimming with the rest of the fishes.  The rest of the other fishes ate
whatever antibiotic soaked worms floated out of the breeder tank.  And they
all lived !! 15 years later they are XXL and were healthy until now.  But
now I don't want to experiment.  Please advise.  Thank you for your time.  
Tammy
<Tam... don't fall prey to the "pill" mentality... these are not "safe" to just add... and there is no need to generally add any of them to otherwise well-maintained systems. I would add nothing here. Bob Fenner>

Melafix has a rather strong odor! F/W System
Hello! Your web site is phenomenal! I am just getting into this hobby and I have found countless articles to be of interest. I have 16 small tropical freshwater community fishes and a small variety of plants in my 44 gallon pentagon tank that I set up a month ago. I used TurboStart 700 (The live Refrigerated bacteria) to "instantly" cycle the tank and I have tested my water parameters every other day and it seems to have done the job. On any given day: Ph - 7.5; Ammonia - 0; Nitrite 0-.25ppm; Nitrate 10-20ppm). Anyway, I have a Head and Tail Light Tetra that has two tiny white/clear globules on each corner of his mouth. I was told by my local aquarium that it is most likely mouth fungus and, because I just set up my tank a month ago and it is still maturing, they recommend using the mild anti-bacterial Melafix. I removed the carbon from my filter, and have been using it for three days now. (FYI - Melafix has a rather strong odor!)
<It's just "boiled leaves"... I would discontinue its use>
I have not noticed any change in the fish, but the directions say to treat for 7 days so I assume I should not give up hope.
<No reason to abandon hope ever. I VERY strongly suspect this is NOT some sort of fungus, infectious disease period, but likely an internal parasite (likely a microsporidean) that is not treatable, likely not really a "problem", going to spread... I'd not "treat it" period>
However, I have read up on other fish diseases and it sounds like it could be Lymphocystis.
<No, not likely... rare in tetras...>
I am thinking this because the infection does not cover his mouth and the white/clear globules are most certainly external growths. However, they are only on the corners of his mouth and nowhere else on his body. Does anyone have any advice? The fish seems perfectly healthy, and I can live with growths, I just do not want him to infect the entire tank. Thanks.
<You are FAR more likely to cause troubles by dumping in "treatments" than doing your best to keep your system optimized and stable, your fishes well fed... Think this over... I would NOT use ..."Fix" for anything. Bob Fenner>

Bad reaction to Melafix?
Hi,
I just recently bought a male Betta fish, Odysseus, from a local store; I've only had him for a little more than a week. He lives in a very clean, one-gallon bowl (with a constant temperature of around 70 degrees, due to a stuck college dorm radiator that turns our room tropical).
<Actually... would be better if it were stuck a bit higher... the upper seventies are better for your Betta>
I know that it's better for a Betta to have a bigger tank, (and he will once I save up for one) but I figured that anything would be better than the dirty little cup he was living in at the store. When I first brought him home, he was blowing bubble nests and exploring his bowl, but then I notice that his fins were getting raggy and that he was clamping and spending more time just floating around. I realized that Odysseus had fin rot,
<But, from what cause?>
...so I did some research and bought MelaFix and Maracyn II. The Maracyn II seems to have worked. The rot has disappeared and my fish is looking a lot better. Then I added the Melafix to the bowl so that the fins and tail would mend faster. But Odysseus seems to clamp up when I add the Melafix. Is it possible that he's having a bad reaction to it?
<Yes... know that I am NOT a fan of this and other "herbal" "remedies">
I've discontinued its use, but I hate to see him looking so ragged and unhealthy. Is there anything else that I can give my little fishy to help fix him up? Is there anything I should feed him to encourage fin re-growth? Thank you for your time.
<You might add a bit of salt... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/betdisfaqs.htm 
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Malachite green Perma-stains
Does anyone know of a stain remover for malachite green on aqua. deco ?
<I wish... you can bleach off most of it... the actual action here is the removal of surface material (like acid etching)... Do follow this sort of protocol: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clnornart.htm  to assure the removal of cleaner... Bob Fenner, who has had blue stains on hands, clothing, carpet... silicone... for most his long life.> 

Methylene blue, harm, internal worm diseases
In my freshwater aquarium I have internal worms in the sail fin
mollies. I am going to treat with Methylene blue 1mg/litre. Will this
harm my apple snails, African dwarf frogs and plants?
<Will not harm these other organisms, but will do nothing directly to eradicate the worms either... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsubwebindex.htm
sort through re parasitic disease, mollies. Bob Fenner>

White slime coat
What is a very fine white sheen that seems to be in the slime coat and seems to only cover portions of body?
<Possibly a bacterial infection, perhaps a reaction to poor water quality... rarely a true fungus>
I know ich and it is not that. I lost 20 cichlids in my 150 gallon tank with sump and gravel filtration. It was stocked with electric blue, a variety of peacocks, and red empress which were over a year old that I had raised together since they were 1" fry. One day I noticed a white spot on the eye of a female red empress. It grew larger the next day, so I checked with the LFS and they gave me Amoxicillin for Popeye. I gave four treatments every other day over seven days. The eye cleared up at the end of treatment, but most of my cichlids developed a very fine white sheen over parts of the body, mostly on the side of the body and some had it around the head also. Ph was 8.0, Ammonia was .5 ...
<This is definitely a problem... toxic by itself at this concentration... the antibiotic killed off your nitrifying/biological filter>
...and the fish were hanging at the top of the tank and had a very poor appetite. I put my carbon filter back, did a 30% water change and added Amquel to remove ammonia. The next day the fish began eating and acting fine again, but the white sheen continued. Two days later the Ammonia went up to 1.0 
<... yes, the fishes continued to produce/excrete ammonia...>
and the pH dropped from 8.0 to 7.8. I vacuumed the gravel and added stress coat. The next morning all 20 of my 3-4" beautiful cichlids were dead on the bottom of the tank. I checked the ph and it was 7.4 with ammonia at .5. My tap water is 7.6 from a well. I'm sure the pH change and obvious crash of the tank killed the fish...
<Yes, I agree>
...but I don't quite understand what caused such a drastic pH change and would love to know what the fine white sheen was?
<All likely related... the pH drop was consequent to general decomposition of the dying filter biota, fishes... the sheen a chemical reaction of your fishes to the high ammonia, drop in pH... bought on mainly by the antibiotic killing off your bio-filter>
Side note: They did extremely well all year with many females reproducing. I cleaned out all the dead fish, rocks and plastic plants; surprise of all there was one little peacock fry swimming at the surface. He is now in another tank with all the fry produced from this tank of cichlids. 
<Am sure you see the logic now of not treating ones livestock in their main/display tanks, and the meaning of the word "anti" (against) "biotic" (life). Bob Fenner>

Med. source
Thank you so much for your help. I have been trying to find help all over
and no one seems to know much about fish...I will get right to it...thank
you again...
Also. where can I find Metronidazole ?
< If you can't find it at your local fish store then look online at Drsfostersmith.com.-Chuck>
Teri

Bloody tumor
Hey Chuck,
       I don't know if you remember me emailing you a little while back but It
was about my fish and its "tumor" well now the tumor looks bloody, white and
peeling, it hasn't died yet, and still looks ok except for the big lump ha-ha. I
gave it some food called antibacterial medicated fish food. It said it was for
internal and external bacterial infections. I've been giving it that food for
about 2 weeks now and no improvement. I looked for the other stuff you told me
to try um...Nitrofuranace and Metronidazole. but I couldn't find it. Do you know
where to look?
< If it is still growing then it may indeed be a true tumor and is probably untreatable using any over the counter medications. The professional help of a veterinarian that can treat this problem is probably cost prohibitive. The medications I recommended can be found at DrsFosterSmith.com. I would still try them as a last resort.-Chuck>
                       Thank you
                               Jenny

Re: red spots on my lionhead
What is Furanace?
< This is another term for Nitrofurazone.>
  I have Jungle brand Fungus Clear which contains Nitrofurazone, Furazolidone
and potassium dichromate. (fizz tabs)
And Furan-2 which has 60mg Nitrofurazone, 25mg Furazolidone and 2mg Methylene
Blue Trihydrate. (capsules)
How often should I do a 30% water change?  Although we have only had the 5
fish for 3 days, I have normally changed the water (always with a gravel vac to
clear out the excess waste) every 3-4 days.
< The medication will affect the good bacteria that you are trying to establish. If the tank develops any small or cloudiness then the water needs to be changed. Organics in the water affect the medication so the cleaner you keep the water the better. There should have been some recommendations on changing water with the medication. Normally I do a 30% water change just before I add any medication.-Chuck>

Re: a question from a hobbyist from India
Hi chuck,
Thank you for the reply.
I do not have a separate tank for medication. so what
else can I do .Will the fish survive even if the tail
does not grow back?.
Once again I thank you for your reply.
Thanking you,
Rohan
< At least separate him from the other fish with a tank divider to see if the tail starts to grow back. If not he will still survive, he just won't be too pretty to look at.-Chuck>

Medicine Compatibilities - 08/22/2004
I would like to know if there is a medication for cotton mouth that is compatible with Piperazine or if I should just wait until I'm done with the Piperazine to treat the fish with cotton mouth?
<Cottonmouth/Columnaris is best treated with Oxytetracycline, in my experience.  Though I don't *believe* there would be any complications with this and piperazine, I cannot find any information one way or the other.  It would be safest to treat these at separate times, but if it's a life-and-death situation, there's not much to lose.  If possible, hold off; if not, try - but I really, really am not certain if there would be complications.>
Please Help.
<I'm sorry I'm not much better of a help than that; at the very least, I do wish you and your fish(es) well,  -Sabrina>

Death Tank?
<Hi, MikeD here>
Firstly thank you all so much for your help over the last week your advice is greatly appreciated. Now I was down to my last three guppies, one was good and two were in isolation looking pretty sick. They were either sitting on the top or upside down on the bottom. Your advice suggested regular water changes, adding salt and a higher temperature. This worked well and these two fish were soon swimming around looking well <Excellent>. I left them isolated for a few days to make sure then I released them back into the tank. Within 24hrs the healthy guppy was upside down on the bottom and the 'once sick' two were fine. So now he's been separated and the advice that worked so well before has not worked so well now, as he's getting worse. What has happened here? <I suspect that your main tank has either high ammonia and nitrites or else it's been accidentally contaminated, such as with an insecticide or such, and would do 5 gal. daily water changes WOF>
Also my sick angel, lying on the bottom of his isolation tank doesn't seem to be improving, I have no way of getting him medication as the nearest pet shop is an hour away <Medications are often not the answer, and rarely is haste that important>. What can I do? Sorry for the long letter, one last question, what raises the ph, apart from ph up? <This is a worrisome question, as angelfish require soft, neutral to acid water, although guppies often do best in hard alkaline water. ANY change of this sort should ALWAYS be made very gradually, and I suspect isn't really needed>

To Treat or Not To Treat, That Is the Question
<Hi, MikeD here>
I have a 29 gallon tank that has been up and running for over 5 months.<In other words cycled but still new>  It
has only 5 gourami's in it<Interesting. 5 of the same species, or a mix? Many gouramis tend to get hostile if crowded>. They have been doing well until this past week.
One of the fish has white strands running horizontally along the sides and
up onto the fins. At first I thought it was ICH, but every other time I have
seen that, it has been as isolated spots all over the fish.<This is generally the appearance, although earlier symptoms are often "flashing" and reddened gills>  I took the fish
to the fish store and they diagnosed parasites<They don't have a clue, thus tried to "dazzle you with BS>, although I don't actually
see any.  They gave me something called CLOUT and I have treated the tank
twice<Ouch! The trade name, Clout means just what it sounds like a BIG bang to the system>, with all fish included in case they are all infected. I did a 25%
water change in between each treatment as suggested by the box and the
store.  The fish looks the same now as when I started.<Not surprising, as this certainly doesn't sound like any parasitic disease I've heard of in 40 some years>
Is this really a parasite?<Probably not, although a photo would be a big help>  I have searched websites for pictures of what I
am seeing and I can't find anything similar.  I am starting to wonder if I
should clean the tank<YES! I'd suggest 5 gal/day water change and run carbon in the hopes the tank can be saved from the medicine. What has likely been "clouted" is your beneficial bacteria> and treat for Ich or perhaps a bacterial infection<I'd hold off treating for anything at present. NEVER treat your main tank proper (a 5 gal. hospital tank with a sponge bubble filter is all that's needed), and likewise never treat unless you KNOW what you're treating. ALL medications are poisons designed to kill things smaller than your fish, but are always harmful anyway, being the lesser of two evils>,
but I hate to over treat the tank and kill all the fish.<Which is EXACTLY the direction in which you are heading. Never treat just to treat...they simply sold you SOMETHING for the sale and did you a real dis-service>
Any ideas?<Yes....learn to be patient and observe, and try not to automatically "TREAT" everything. Treatments are for when clean water fails, and only to be used as a last resort. Medicine is NOT the answer to everything, no matter what the drugstore tell you>
Thanks a ton!<You're welcome, and good luck>
Brenda

Oscar Cichlid sick? 7/28/04
Hello, I have an albino Oscar.  Last week I noticed the edges of his bottom fins were black and also a little on the edge of his tail.  I called the local pet store where I normally go to get his feeders and asked them what could be wrong and they stated that he probably had a fungus.  I went to askjeeves.com and asked a question about what could be wrong and found your site.  I have to say I am very pleased as there is lots of information but nothing that exactly pertained to my problem.  I did a 30% water change and for the last 5 days I have been adding Tetracycline tablets to the tank as
the pet store advised to try to clear up the fungus they thought he probably had.  Now this evening when I came home, my Oscar is kind of floating on his side at the top of the water in the aquarium and really acting lifeless. Could you please tell me what could be wrong with my Oscar and how I can try
to help him and cure whatever is wrong with him.  I don’t want to lose him, as he was a birthday present to me.  I have had him for 4 months and truly have gotten attached to him.  I have watched him grow and hate the thought that he might die although I do realize that this may be an option.  Do you
think you know what the problem is? < You actually had fin rot which is a bacterial infection. The tetracycline will work if the water is acidic. Unfortunately the medication has probably killed off the good bacteria that converts the deadly ammonia to nitrite and eventually nitrate. So what you have now is new tank syndrome with high ammonia levels. The red coloration of the medication has masked the cloudy appearance of the water from the ammonia. You need to do a 30% water change right now!. Service the filter and replace the carbon. When the water is clear add some Amquel plus to absorb the ammonia. Change 30% of the water every day and check the ammonia levels. They should be zero and the nitrite should also be zero. The nitrate should be under 0.25ppm.-Chuck>

Maracide?
I have a little Honeycomb Tatia that seems to have Ich.  And I don't know what I'm doing!!  Please bear with me here...
I have other fish, they're all fine.  I put her in a 2.5G hospital tank, removed the charcoal filter.  Tried aquarium salt treatment for a few days (a couple teaspoons a day).  After that, I was going to start partial water changes.  Well, I came home from work the third day and thought she was dead. So I started dumping out the water into the toilet. Come to find