Treating With Melafix - For Columnaris

Does anyone also know if melafix is safe with fry and pregnant fish, also corries and would I lessen the dosage in this case? It dosnt state on the medication bottle. The corries seem fine and ive lost 3 day old fry...only about 4 of them. Also 3 adult gups were dead this morning, they were the worst affected by fungas etc.

I have a 73 litre tank. About 16gal I think.Water stats all good except ph dropped to 6.8 after medicating yesterday with first dose of melafix. I tested water chemistry the night before and readings were ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 10 - 20, Ph 7.2, Temp is 79F or 27C. When I tested hours after medicating the only thing that had changed was the p.h.

Im hoping I dont lose any more guppies as I have pregnant females ready to drop. Anyway at least I now have the right medication and disease.

Pic of water stats after Melafix medication was added.

melafix is a nateral medication and never had a problem with it.

helterskelter said:

melafix is a nateral medication and never had a problem with it.

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Thanks for reply...would you happen to know if I should be treating with smaller dose if fry are present in the tank?

just go slightly lighter, but to light will do nothing, so go 3-4% lighter

Melafix will help once the fish have gotten rid of the fungus but wont directly help the fungus. Get a fungus treatment like maracyn 2 and pimafix to really help the fungus. Water changes are the biggest thing you need to be sure about since clean water will only help the process of getting better. Check out the emergency forum for more info on columnaris, it's a horrible disease that is hard to cure but it can be done! and I've seen fry that have had it and gotten over it with good treament! Another little tid bit is if you can buy the pond versions of melafix or pimafix. The bottle is bigger for the money and concentrated much higher so be sure to check the lables. It will save you A LOT of money in the long run though.

iairj84 said:

Melafix will help once the fish have gotten rid of the fungus but wont directly help the fungus. Get a fungus treatment like maracyn 2 and pimafix to really help the fungus. Water changes are the biggest thing you need to be sure about since clean water will only help the process of getting better. Check out the emergency forum for more info on columnaris, it's a horrible disease that is hard to cure but it can be done! and I've seen fry that have had it and gotten over it with good treament! Another little tid bit is if you can buy the pond versions of melafix or pimafix. The bottle is bigger for the money and concentrated much higher so be sure to check the lables. It will save you A LOT of money in the long run though.

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Hi, thanks for all your replies. The battle continues...Some of my gups are still infected with fungas and dont seem to be improving...Some of my fry have dropped and I cannot find one of my teenage fry 4 months old...Her tail was looking bad last night and sagging, was thinking of culling her last night but couldnt bear it...now she cant be found...perhaps eaten or stuck under something in the tank where i cant see her. Today is day 4 of Melafix treatment and alot of the fish I have left are healthy appart from one that has a festie eye...although the healthy gups i noticed are still scrathing. Do I have to add a treatment in with the melafix or treat the tank with something else altogether? If I add something with the melafix...what is it and can I purchase in australia? I also have corries and a suckerfish, snails. With the Melafix it says to do a water change on day 7 of treatment. My water stats to date are looking good...will test again today though and check. Would you suggest to stick with treatment directions and wait for day 7 to do a water change? Sorry for all the questions Im just totally stumped and research is not coughing up enough info I dont already know...! I find this site offers me the most answers than many I have been to.

A section of my tank...Daisy swimming past.


Cheers, cathy.

iairj84 said:

Melafix will help once the fish have gotten rid of the fungus but wont directly help the fungus. Get a fungus treatment like maracyn 2 and pimafix to really help the fungus. Water changes are the biggest thing you need to be sure about since clean water will only help the process of getting better. Check out the emergency forum for more info on columnaris, it's a horrible disease that is hard to cure but it can be done! and I've seen fry that have had it and gotten over it with good treament! Another little tid bit is if you can buy the pond versions of melafix or pimafix. The bottle is bigger for the money and concentrated much higher so be sure to check the lables. It will save you A LOT of money in the long run though.

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Hi...Thanks again...I went to mlfs today and purchased some pimafix, I have done a 25% water change as advised by lfs and started treatment today with pimafix and Melafix...at 6ml per dose. I hope this will help...I also culled any fish I had with obvious fungas as these seem to not want to get better. With luck the gups that are remaining and have no signs of fungas will bennifit with treatment that started today. Fingers crossed. I have also clamped the hoses of gravel filter as to slow it right down so treatment isnt stripped from water too fast.

I thank you again for helping me further treat my gups and correctly. I have a feeling this is going to make a huge difference with quarentining any new fish in future.

A Very grateful Cathy in Sydney Australia

P.s. Will keep posts of further development regarding this situation.
Heres a pic of slippery, our sucker fish - hence the nic name of slipperysucker