Do Frequent Water Changes Affect Med Use?

[newfishy]

ok, my new guy tweek has a little bit of popeye, I got good advice on what med to use, maracyn2 but Im not sure what to do about water changes, the med box says to keep adding the med for so many days, then at the end of use do a water change...Ive been doing a 50% or so change on him every day. its an almost 2 gallon tank, will the frequent water changes slow down the effectivness of the meds or will not changing his water make the popeye worse?

his eyes dont look huge and bulgy...just now the slightest trace of what looks like a clowdy contact over his eye.

also I have had no luck finding a girl betta that matches him even on aquabid.

 

[5teady_2012]

I would not do a wtaerchange whuile treating it, if you do happen to do waterchanges, do a 50% change and then dose again at helf the dosage amount.

 

[ibbledibble]

do you have to dose daily? because if you do, just do the waterchange before adding the days dose.

 

[newfishy]

yes, I have to dose daily for 5 days, I would assume that if I stopped doseing that the infection would coem back with an avengence.

I am on day 3 of the med...I think tonight I will do another 50% change and then leave him be for the rest of the doseing schedual.

 

[ibbledibble]

yes, I have to dose daily for 5 days, I would assume that if I stopped doseing that the infection would coem back with an avengence.

I am on day 3 of the med...I think tonight I will do another 50% change and then leave him be for the rest of the doseing schedual.

ususally with daily dosing meds its because the med wears off over time so you have to renew it. so if you do a waterchange daily, and add the new days dose with the new water then there is no problem

 

[eb2]

I would not do a wtaerchange whuile treating it, if you do happen to do waterchanges, do a 50% change and then dose again at helf the dosage amount.

I agree with 5teady, when you do the water change it reduces the concentration of antibiotics in the water, the overall effect of which is resistance to the medication thats why you use complete dosing as directed and if you do change any you need to replace the meds for that amount of water. However, if you check your water daily(which I would do just to make sure)over the 5 days, you will find that your readings are 0 because the antibiotics kill off the nitrites * they kill all good and bad bacteria. So as long as you start with no ammonia, there shouldn't be a serious problem in that period of time, I would only change the water if the ammonia levels rise and let the antibiotic is basically kill off everything else

 

[ibbledibble]

I would not do a wtaerchange whuile treating it, if you do happen to do waterchanges, do a 50% change and then dose again at helf the dosage amount.

I agree with 5teady, when you do the water change it reduces the concentration of antibiotics in the water, the overall effect of which is resistance to the medication thats why you use complete dosing as directed and if you do change any you need to replace the meds for that amount of water. However, if you check your water daily(which I would do just to make sure)over the 5 days, you will find that your readings are 0 because the antibiotics kill off the nitrites * they kill all good and bad bacteria. So as long as you start with no ammonia, there shouldn't be a serious problem in that period of time, I would only change the water if the ammonia levels rise and let the antibiotic is basically kill off everything else

antibiotics DO NOT kill nitrites, as nitrites are not bacteria, they are a chemical waste product produced by a type of bacteria breaking down ammonia. now this does mean that antibiotics will kill the bacteria producing the nitrites, but the ammonia is produced by your fish and will still be increasing.

 

[eb2]

I would not do a wtaerchange whuile treating it, if you do happen to do waterchanges, do a 50% change and then dose again at helf the dosage amount.

I agree with 5teady, when you do the water change it reduces the concentration of antibiotics in the water, the overall effect of which is resistance to the medication thats why you use complete dosing as directed and if you do change any you need to replace the meds for that amount of water. However, if you check your water daily(which I would do just to make sure)over the 5 days, you will find that your readings are 0 because the antibiotics kill off the nitrites * they kill all good and bad bacteria. So as long as you start with no ammonia, there shouldn't be a serious problem in that period of time, I would only change the water if the ammonia levels rise and let the antibiotic is basically kill off everything else

antibiotics DO NOT kill nitrites, as nitrites are not bacteria, they are a chemical waste product produced by a type of bacteria breaking down ammonia. now this does mean that antibiotics will kill the bacteria producing the nitrites, but the ammonia is produced by your fish and will still be increasing.

yes, thanks for that, I realized after I put it down, that I'd meant to say it kills the nitrifying bacteria, and yes you'll just have the ammonia produced by the fish that you would need to manage with the water change, so if you test the ammonia and it's at an acceptable level then you just hold off. this also why you want to start with really clean water, so the ammonia doesn't build up during the time, and may I assume you were doing more frequent water changes to keep it clean until you were able to get the meds? that fish is gorgeous!

 

[newfishy]

I was actualy just doing daily water changes cause the tank is only about 2 gallons and even the tiniest filter was still wooshing the fish all around.

I am on day 4 of the med so I guess that if I started out with super clean water he should be fine threw day 5.

is this a stupid question but, as I dont want to put a filter on his tank because it wooshes him around, how often should I really change the water....I thought the more often the better as in a 50-100% every two or 3 days, or more often when a fish was sick to make sure that dirty water is not affecting fins healing or anything....or is that overkill.... keeping in mind he is now eating like a hog

 

[JohnnyD]

In regards to the question, I am interested in what to do also. My Betta (The General) has contracted fin rot. I did a 100% water change yesterday and added some Melafix and Aquarium salt. Just wondering by keeping up on the water changes, does that affect the meds working? Should I add a little more with every partial water change? Is it ok to have the betta in the tank while adding the meds?

I know essentially the best thing for the betta is clean water. So, while medicating the betta, should I do partial water changes every day? Every other day?

The directions say 1 treatment per day for 5 days, and then do a complete water change..I also know just by reading this board that sometimes the directions given aren't always the best for the fish.

Thanks everyone!!

 

[eb2]

In regards to the question, I am interested in what to do also. My Betta (The General) has contracted fin rot. I did a 100% water change yesterday and added some Melafix and Aquarium salt. Just wondering by keeping up on the water changes, does that affect the meds working? Should I add a little more with every partial water change? Is it ok to have the betta in the tank while adding the meds?

I know essentially the best thing for the betta is clean water. So, while medicating the betta, should I do partial water changes every day? Every other day?

The directions say 1 treatment per day for 5 days, and then do a complete water change..I also know just by reading this board that sometimes the directions given aren't always the best for the fish.

Thanks everyone!!

yes, add the medicine to the partial change, and then do the regular dose for that day in the tank, so you don't reduce the concentration, then on the day the meds say to do the water change, just change the water then add the dose for that day. I think depends upon the meds Melifix is easy because 10 drops per gal is 20 into your 2 gal tank, but the powder meds needs to be premixed for 10 gals, then take the 2 gal dose PM me if I confused you

 

[eb2]

I was actualy just doing daily water changes cause the tank is only about 2 gallons and even the tiniest filter was still wooshing the fish all around.

I am on day 4 of the med so I guess that if I started out with super clean water he should be fine threw day 5.

is this a stupid question but, as I dont want to put a filter on his tank because it wooshes him around, how often should I really change the water....I thought the more often the better as in a 50-100% every two or 3 days, or more often when a fish was sick to make sure that dirty water is not affecting fins healing or anything....or is that overkill.... keeping in mind he is now eating like a hog

the sponge holds the good bacteria that you want,so I would recommend that pennplax small world filter, it runs on air pump, and just bubbles, it doesn't create a current...that filter is completely disposable so I would recommend some modifications to keep the sponge from it when you throw out the carbon
PM me for further explanation. the frequent water changes keep the tank from cycling, in addition to keeping the water clean, for the healing, it's not overkill at all to keep the fish from getting caught in cycle