Meds To Always Have

[Ipswja]

Hey

I was reading on this site a little while ago medications to always have incase of any emergencies, so before any more fish are added to my tank I would like to know which meds I should always have, Theirs plenty of diseases and things so I dont want a whole pet store but I saw a thread saying you should always have three or four meds around just incase.

I searched and couldnt find the thread no longer, so could anyone suggest any meds to buy to always have around just incase ?

Thanks
IP

 

[pippoodle]

i wouldnt keep any meds hanging around cos they are not cheap and you might never need them , or you might not realise how old they are by the time you do need them
i never keep any meds in just buy them if i ever need them

the best bet is to buy a quarentine tank and quarentine all your fish for a few weeks before adding them to your main tank then if they have a disease go and buy a small bottle of meds if you need it

 

[kewskills]

I generally buy Meds if and when they are needed, except Melafix, I always have a bottle of that handy.

Cheers, Karl

 

[OldMan47]

The only medication that I keep in my house is salt. I keep my supply in the kitchen and sometimes use a sample of it on my food. So far, since I got back into the hobby 5 years ago, that has been enough. I find that good tank maintenance and being careful with new fish has meant there was no need for anything else.

 

[loachman]

I wouldn't unless you're planning on adding a large amount of stock in the near term. In that case, preventative treatment of some fish in a quarantine tank can be useful (i.e., rainbowfish are susceptible to finrot when imported/stressed, loaches often have internal parasites, etc.).

Otherwise, they're expensive and may never get used. If you find a sick fish, the couple hours to the store is not a huge deal. Just inspect your fish nightly before 10 pm when everything is closed. Do it when you first get home from work.

I haven't medicated the fish in the tank in 2 years.

 

[pauly]

Melafix
Pimafix
White Spot Treatment

But like the others say, it'll probably be a waste, if you look after your tank you should never need to use them. I bought the 3 above over a year ago, and have only used the Melafix as a precaution once, but that was only because I had it.

Prevention is better than cure.

 

[Davo86]

Personally I don't keep treatments at hand,

But if your new to the hobby then my 3 suggested treatments would be Melafix, Protozin and Myxazin, which should cover most of the likely diseases that you may have in your first few years starting out.

 

[Ipswja]

Thanks for your input everybody

It seems a good idea to wait and only buy then when I would need them

Cheers Again
IP

 

[rdd1952]

i wouldnt keep any meds hanging around cos they are not cheap and you might never need them , or you might not realise how old they are by the time you do need them

I posted this same question a long time ago but I believe on another forum and basically got the same advice. They are expensive and also have a shelf life. So you could buy them and never need them.

Another thing I will add that isn't about keeping them but about buying them. Before you buy something like maracin that is in a box hanging on a rack, open the box, or at least shake it to make sure there is something in it. The first time I bought meds, I made the mistake of just grabbing a box and checking out. Imagine my surprise when I got home and the box was empty. Someone had taken a 10 finger discount. And PLEASE don't ever do that yourself.

 

[Ipswja]

i wouldnt keep any meds hanging around cos they are not cheap and you might never need them , or you might not realise how old they are by the time you do need them

I posted this same question a long time ago shortly after I joined and basically got the same advice. They are expensive and also have a shelf life. So you could buy them and never need them.

Another thing I will add that isn't about keeping them but about buying them. Before you buy something like maracin that is in a box hanging on a rack, open the box, or at least shake it to make sure there is something in it. The first time I bought meds, I made the mistake of just grabbing a box and checking out. Imagine my surprise when I got home and the box was empty. Someone had taken a 10 finger discount. And PLEASE don't ever do that yourself.

lol I cant believe someone would steal fish medicine!, I wouldnt even consider that haha

Thanks for the advice, really appreciate it

 

[rdd1952]

lol I cant believe someone would steal fish medicine!, I wouldnt even consider that haha

I guess when your babies are sick, you do what you have to do.

 

[Ipswja]

lol I cant believe someone would steal fish medicine!, I wouldnt even consider that haha

I guess when your babies are sick, you do what you have to do.

LOL that must be a line of a tv show or something

 

[backtotropical]

I always keep a bottle of Protozin on hand, just in case.

Saying that, the bottle I have just now is well over 2 years old and has never been opened.

It makes me feel better that its there should I need it though.

 

[Rubyuk]

I've been looking at meds and specifically Melafix as its what I see my LFS marks up on his tanks that are under Q or treatment.

I've not bought any as yet but from 'window' shopping i've read on the bottle that it recommends dosing for 3 days when ever handling or adding new fish.

Now this seems to be a preventative measure that sounds good but is it reasonably action to take or just another manufacturer trying to get you to empty the bottle quicker so you buy some more?

If a Q tank is not possible would this recommended dosing when adding new fish be a decent idea ie it cannot do any harm?

 

[Inchworm]

If a Q tank is not possible would this recommended dosing when adding new fish be a decent idea ie it cannot do any harm?

Sometimes there's no easy way to do things, and using Melafix to avoid keeping a quarantine tank will not work. In fact, it could lead to more problems.

MelaFix is tea tree oil (melaleuka)a mild natural antibacterial agent. While it might help clear up some minor bacterial infections, it will do nothing for other problems, such as ich, that could be introduced to your tank when you add new fish. Also, whenever you use an antibiotic you run the risk of making future generations of that bacteria resistant to the medicine.

You are better of using a quarantine tank and holding off on the medicine in case you really need it.