This thread is going to be harsh and a lot of people are not going to like what I have to say. But it needs to be said because anyone who uses anti-biotics when they don't know what they are treating, is contributing to the death and extinction of all animals on this planet, and that includes people.
I have watched as my family, friends and pets have died from drug resistant bacteria caused by people using and mis-using anti-biotics for the last 70 years. Enough is enough.
Every week someone comes onto this forum asking for help because they are losing fish. They have used numerous medications and quite often that includes several different types of anti-biotic. In 99% of these cases, the problem is not even bacterial and could have easily been treated with clean water and salt.
This thread is for anyone that cares about the survival of the human race and every species of bird, fish, reptile or animal on the planet.
DO NOT USE ANTI-BIOTICS to treat your fish unless the fish has a known bacterial infection that has not responded to normal treatments. Improper use and mis-use of anti-biotics has lead to drug resistant bacteria that KILL people, birds, reptiles, fish and animals.
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You don't take anti-biotics if you have scabies, lice or crabs because these are external parasites.
You don't take anti-biotics if you have tapeworm or round worms because they are internal parasites.
You don't take anti-biotics if you have the herpes virus, chicken pox, mumps, measles, or a runny nose because they are all caused by viruses.
You don't take anti-biotics if you have toe nail fungus or tinea because these are fungal infections.
You don't take anti-biotics if you have hay fever or other allergies. These are caused by something in the environment irritating you.
You don't take anti-biotics if you get a paper cut or gravel rash from coming off your bike and sliding along the track. You have a natural immune system that is quite capable of healing you if this happens.
Anti-biotics only work on bacterial infections and do nothing to any other type of disease or health issue. Even then there are two main groups of bacterial infection, Gram Positive bacteria and Gram Negative bacteria. As a general rule, Anti-biotics that work on Gram Positive bacteria do not work on Gram Negative bacteria, and vice versa.
So don't put anti-biotics in a fish tank when they aren't needed and don't work on the majority of problems in the fish tank.
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Most fish health issues are caused by poor water quality and a dirty environment (dirty filter and gravel). Following that, protozoan infections are the next most common cause of sick fish, followed by intestinal worms and then finally, by fungal and bacterial infections. These two latter health issues are normally caused by a dirty environment and injuries to the fish, and can normally be treated with clean water and salt.
The only one of these health issues that needs anti-biotics is bacterial infections and 99% of those infections can be treated with clean water and salt (2 heaped tablespoons of rock salt per 20 litres/ 5 gallons of tank water. Keep the salt in the tank for 2 weeks and that will normally fix the problem).
There are other medications that treat bacterial infections in fish too, including Formaldehyde, Methylene Blue and Acriflavine. These are not anti-biotics but are chemicals that kill bacteria and should be tried before using anti-biotics like Erythromycin, Oxycycline, Tetracycline, Nitrofurazone, Metronidazole, etc.
-------------------
Just because you can get anti-biotics from a pet shop or online, it does not mean you should use them. Especially if you are unsure about what the problem is, and you have no experience in using chemicals or anti-biotics. And taking a course of anti-biotics the doctor prescribed you for an ear infection does not count as experience.
Anti-biotics are difficult to obtain in some countries (UK and Australia) and there are good reasons for this. They cause drug resistance in bacteria, which get into all life on Earth and they can kill any species of animal, bird, reptile and fish. They also kill people.
Unfortunately in some countries, anti-biotics are still readily available and handed out by incompetent doctors and medical staff who should know better. You can also buy numerous different types of anti-biotics at pet shops and stock feed suppliers in these countries. These countries have very lax laws when it comes to anti-biotics and other chemicals, and are causing problems for the rest of the world because of these pathetic antiquated laws that they refuse to update.
-------------------
If your fish have a problem, find out what the problem is before adding anything to the tank.
If you don't know what the problem is, do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day until you find out. This will dilute any disease organisms in the water and reduce any ammonia, nitrite or nitrate in the water that might be causing the problem. At the very least it will buy you some time to try and figure out what is wrong.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.
If a pet shop says it might be this or that, here, try some anti-biotics. Tell them "no thank you, I want to know what the problem is before I add that stuff to my tank."
Obviously some fish diseases are easy to identify and if the shop assistant says your fish has white spot, it probably does. But if you have an unidentifiable problem, do not use anti-biotics or other chemicals in the tank because they usually make the problem worse. Even if they don't make the problem worse, you are exposing the fish and other inhabitants to chemicals, many of which are quite dangerous to the fish and to people and other animals.
I am not just talking about anti-biotics either. Most fish medications contain chemicals that are extremely hazardous to all life forms. Things like Formaldehyde (a preservative used to pickle bodies so they last forever). Malachite Green is used to treat external protozoan infections in fish but it also causes cancer. Don't be fooled by the ingredient Formalin, it is a type of Formaldehyde. Lots of fish medications are poisonous to fish and other life forms and do damage to the fish's internal organs. The more chemicals the fish are exposed to, the more likelihood of it dying from diseases, poor water quality, or organ failure.
If you don't know what disease the fish has, look in books on fish health, ask different people's opinion, and if need be, come onto a forum and ask for help. A lot of people here, including me, offer free advice and will not try to sell you anything. We are here for the fish and for the fish keeper. I try to offer advice that is safe for the fish keeper and their pets, and the environment. I want your fish to do well so you are happy with them and enjoy the hobby. I don't want to see people develop drug resistant bacterial infections in their skin or bodies, or watch their fish die from drug resistant bacterial infections. But unless people stop using anti-biotics and only use them when absolutely necessary, there are going to be major consequences to all aquarium fish and their owners.
Do not use anti-biotics unless the fish (or other animal) has a known bacterial infection that has been positively identified, and other treatments have not worked.
I have watched as my family, friends and pets have died from drug resistant bacteria caused by people using and mis-using anti-biotics for the last 70 years. Enough is enough.
Every week someone comes onto this forum asking for help because they are losing fish. They have used numerous medications and quite often that includes several different types of anti-biotic. In 99% of these cases, the problem is not even bacterial and could have easily been treated with clean water and salt.
This thread is for anyone that cares about the survival of the human race and every species of bird, fish, reptile or animal on the planet.
DO NOT USE ANTI-BIOTICS to treat your fish unless the fish has a known bacterial infection that has not responded to normal treatments. Improper use and mis-use of anti-biotics has lead to drug resistant bacteria that KILL people, birds, reptiles, fish and animals.
-------------------
You don't take anti-biotics if you have scabies, lice or crabs because these are external parasites.
You don't take anti-biotics if you have tapeworm or round worms because they are internal parasites.
You don't take anti-biotics if you have the herpes virus, chicken pox, mumps, measles, or a runny nose because they are all caused by viruses.
You don't take anti-biotics if you have toe nail fungus or tinea because these are fungal infections.
You don't take anti-biotics if you have hay fever or other allergies. These are caused by something in the environment irritating you.
You don't take anti-biotics if you get a paper cut or gravel rash from coming off your bike and sliding along the track. You have a natural immune system that is quite capable of healing you if this happens.
Anti-biotics only work on bacterial infections and do nothing to any other type of disease or health issue. Even then there are two main groups of bacterial infection, Gram Positive bacteria and Gram Negative bacteria. As a general rule, Anti-biotics that work on Gram Positive bacteria do not work on Gram Negative bacteria, and vice versa.
So don't put anti-biotics in a fish tank when they aren't needed and don't work on the majority of problems in the fish tank.
-------------------
Most fish health issues are caused by poor water quality and a dirty environment (dirty filter and gravel). Following that, protozoan infections are the next most common cause of sick fish, followed by intestinal worms and then finally, by fungal and bacterial infections. These two latter health issues are normally caused by a dirty environment and injuries to the fish, and can normally be treated with clean water and salt.
The only one of these health issues that needs anti-biotics is bacterial infections and 99% of those infections can be treated with clean water and salt (2 heaped tablespoons of rock salt per 20 litres/ 5 gallons of tank water. Keep the salt in the tank for 2 weeks and that will normally fix the problem).
There are other medications that treat bacterial infections in fish too, including Formaldehyde, Methylene Blue and Acriflavine. These are not anti-biotics but are chemicals that kill bacteria and should be tried before using anti-biotics like Erythromycin, Oxycycline, Tetracycline, Nitrofurazone, Metronidazole, etc.
-------------------
Just because you can get anti-biotics from a pet shop or online, it does not mean you should use them. Especially if you are unsure about what the problem is, and you have no experience in using chemicals or anti-biotics. And taking a course of anti-biotics the doctor prescribed you for an ear infection does not count as experience.
Anti-biotics are difficult to obtain in some countries (UK and Australia) and there are good reasons for this. They cause drug resistance in bacteria, which get into all life on Earth and they can kill any species of animal, bird, reptile and fish. They also kill people.
Unfortunately in some countries, anti-biotics are still readily available and handed out by incompetent doctors and medical staff who should know better. You can also buy numerous different types of anti-biotics at pet shops and stock feed suppliers in these countries. These countries have very lax laws when it comes to anti-biotics and other chemicals, and are causing problems for the rest of the world because of these pathetic antiquated laws that they refuse to update.
-------------------
If your fish have a problem, find out what the problem is before adding anything to the tank.
If you don't know what the problem is, do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day until you find out. This will dilute any disease organisms in the water and reduce any ammonia, nitrite or nitrate in the water that might be causing the problem. At the very least it will buy you some time to try and figure out what is wrong.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.
If a pet shop says it might be this or that, here, try some anti-biotics. Tell them "no thank you, I want to know what the problem is before I add that stuff to my tank."
Obviously some fish diseases are easy to identify and if the shop assistant says your fish has white spot, it probably does. But if you have an unidentifiable problem, do not use anti-biotics or other chemicals in the tank because they usually make the problem worse. Even if they don't make the problem worse, you are exposing the fish and other inhabitants to chemicals, many of which are quite dangerous to the fish and to people and other animals.
I am not just talking about anti-biotics either. Most fish medications contain chemicals that are extremely hazardous to all life forms. Things like Formaldehyde (a preservative used to pickle bodies so they last forever). Malachite Green is used to treat external protozoan infections in fish but it also causes cancer. Don't be fooled by the ingredient Formalin, it is a type of Formaldehyde. Lots of fish medications are poisonous to fish and other life forms and do damage to the fish's internal organs. The more chemicals the fish are exposed to, the more likelihood of it dying from diseases, poor water quality, or organ failure.
If you don't know what disease the fish has, look in books on fish health, ask different people's opinion, and if need be, come onto a forum and ask for help. A lot of people here, including me, offer free advice and will not try to sell you anything. We are here for the fish and for the fish keeper. I try to offer advice that is safe for the fish keeper and their pets, and the environment. I want your fish to do well so you are happy with them and enjoy the hobby. I don't want to see people develop drug resistant bacterial infections in their skin or bodies, or watch their fish die from drug resistant bacterial infections. But unless people stop using anti-biotics and only use them when absolutely necessary, there are going to be major consequences to all aquarium fish and their owners.
Do not use anti-biotics unless the fish (or other animal) has a known bacterial infection that has been positively identified, and other treatments have not worked.
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