[AquaticLife] Ye Olde Medicine Cabinet
Since most medications have a shelf life that may be exceeded while you are waiting for your personal fishy Armageddon, just keep some kosher or canning salt on hand, a spare tank to use as a quarantine tank, and a small bubble-up sponge filter running in your main tank (or in one tank if you have multiple tanks).
The quarantine tank should be large enough to comfortably contain your largest fish (adult size). A heater should also be available to provide the warmth that would be needed to at least match the temperature of your main tank, and to raise the temperature up to 90^o F. if necessary. You should be able to set up the quarantine tank in about a half hour, rinsing it out, filling it with warmish water, adding the water treatments you use, and adding a bit of salt–a good first line of treatment, along with heat–the fish and the sponge filter to the tank.
A good disease reference should be in your library, so you have a chance to diagnose the problem before treatment starts. Knowing what you are treating for is a good start so you do not waste time and money on drugs that may be useless against the disease or parasites that you have. Also be sure to follow the full regimen of treatment as given, not stopping because the fish now looks good. Stopping treatment prematurely can lead to having stronger organisms to defeat the next time around. This would be a good spot to insert a recommended book, but all the ones I have are definitely out of print, and, I am sure, somewhat out of date with treatment recommendations. There are also online sources, see Lenny’s blog for such sites.
I do not believe in prophylactic treatments, such as placing a minimal amount of salt in your display or holding tanks. I do not think they really accomplish anything in the long run. Though I have seen a lot of anecdotal information about melafix and pimafix, I really have not seen any scientific studies done about their usage. I also note that in the anecdotal info available, there are some real horror stories about the detrimental effects either or both products can have. The big selling points to these are that they are “natural” products. Of course, this overlooks the fact that malachite green, tetracycline, and many other drugs used in the hobby today are also “natural” products, occurring in nature, though the effective ingredients are just as likely to be synthesized today rather than distilled from their natural sources. A molecule is a molecule, no matter what the source.
Truth is, avoid keeping any medications on hand. In a properly cared for environment, you’ll not have need for any of it, and if you are unfortunate enough to have the need, you are likely to have the wrong medication on hand.. On lists like this, you are likely to see a preponderance of problems and indicators of this disease and that disease, because people are looking for information and help. You will not see a lot of the wow, my tank is just swell posts, because people that do not have problems simply tend not to post. It’s just human nature. We all complain about the news because it always tells us about the bad that is happening, but we would not watch it if it was all good news.
\Steve//
> —–Original Message—– > From: AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of > bill1433 > Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2008 8:00 PM > To: AquaticLife > Subject: [AquaticLife] Ye Olde Medicine Cabinet > > With all the talk lately about fungus, sores on fish, bacteria, internal parasites, > and a whole host of other abnormalities; maybe now would be a good time to start a dissuasion > on a Medicine Cabinet for fish. > > From all I have read the past few days, it would seem that some type of > emergency first-aid should be on-hand or in place to relieve any immediate > suffering occurring with our scaled friends. Any suggestions on things a good aquarist would > have or should have on hand? > Bill > >
Category: Philippines Internet Koi Society
