No Melafix

[korin123456789]

hi
well i live in canada and from what i understand i cannot purchse melafix here, so i heard the main ingrediant is tea tree oil, i'm gonna purchase this and i was wondering if anyone knew how much to dilute it, how much to put in my tank
i do have pregnant females one of them has piece of her tail missing that's why i want to try to help her but want to make sure i don'T make it worse since i don't really know what i'm doing with this
any info would be great
thanks

 

[jennybugs]

I use tea tree oil instead of melafix. Just looking up the amount info for you

1 drop per uk gallon (4.5 litres)

 

[korin123456789]

I use tea tree oil instead of melafix. Just looking up the amount info for you

1 drop per uk gallon (4.5 litres)

thanks for the info i added the amount you said but i'm wondering does the top of your water get like greasy whiteish, it did that for my smaller tank but not my big one ?
is this normal?
and does this have any affects on the water quality? will have have to make a water change?
thanks

 

[WILDER]

http/www.fishjunkies.com/Medications/melafix.php

 

[Cutlass]

You should use more like 1 drop per 2-5 gallons; half dose for small or weak fish, or for fry. You can treat weekly but never use more than twice per week! It also kills most harmful bacteria and parasites, fights mould and fungi, promotes healthy plant growth.
Dilute in water(60-80% water) and add one drop to every pinch of food that you give to them to improve their immune system
Never overdose! Too much can have negative side affects(it's a lot worse in mammals, but we're talking fish)
If you use it regularly(once per week if used regularly!) it may improve water quality, but that depends on many factors in your aquarium. The greasy layer is because you used too much. Skim it off.
No water changes as long as your tank is properly filtered.

If you're local pet shop doesn't have it, you can get Melafix at Wal-Mart(I don't recommend anything else from there.)
Why wouldn't you be able to get it here?

 

[korin123456789]

You should use more like 1 drop per 2-5 gallons; half dose for small or weak fish, or for fry. You can treat weekly but never use more than twice per week! It also kills most harmful bacteria and parasites, fights mould and fungi, promotes healthy plant growth.
Dilute in water(60-80% water) and add one drop to every pinch of food that you give to them to improve their immune system
Never overdose! Too much can have negative side affects(it's a lot worse in mammals, but we're talking fish)
If you use it regularly(once per week if used regularly!) it may improve water quality, but that depends on many factors in your aquarium. The greasy layer is because you used too much. Skim it off.
No water changes as long as your tank is properly filtered.

If you're local pet shop doesn't have it, you can get Melafix at Wal-Mart(I don't recommend anything else from there.)
Why wouldn't you be able to get it here?

I went to 2 pet shops here in quebec and they didn't have any actually had no idea what i was talking about
then i found this :http/www.aquariumpros.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7406
so i decided to go witht he pure stuff
i actually added the amount that jennybugs said and there is nothing to take off the top of water, should i worry, do a water change?
i added my new shrimp today will they be ok?

 

[Cutlass]

One 15-25% water change should be enough.

Shrimp are usually pretty good with this stuff, so they should be fine but you should wait about a week and a half before using any more

 

[raptorrex]

hi
well i live in canada and from what i understand i cannot purchse melafix here, so i heard the main ingrediant is tea tree oil, i'm gonna purchase this and i was wondering if anyone knew how much to dilute it, how much to put in my tank
i do have pregnant females one of them has piece of her tail missing that's why i want to try to help her but want to make sure i don'T make it worse since i don't really know what i'm doing with this
any info would be great
thanks

as stated you should use one drop per uk gallon. the trick is to make the oil blend with the water, not just float on top. so to this end i 3/4 fill a litre milk bottle with tank water, add the teatree oil, then make like Tom Cruz in cocktail. another way is to use one of those cheap coffee frothing gadgets, then add the result to the tank. i will admit to using close to twice the one drop rule on occasion, and have never noticed any problems. it is worth noting though, that teatree oil is anti bacterial so will have some effect on your filter colony, again though i have never noticed any problems.

you could of course make your own Melafix. TeaTree oil, distilled water and an emulsifier (Soy Lecithin is used in some fish bates and is safe for fish) you would have to be careful to work out the dosage when making it, but after that your off to the races.

 

[jennybugs]

The way I understand it is it is a natural product and won't effect the good bacteria in your filtration system/media.

I use the 1 drop per 4.5 litres doseage on a daily basis for a week if needed and then do a 25% water change.

 

[raptorrex]

The way I understand it is it is a natural product and won't effect the good bacteria in your filtration system/media.

I use the 1 drop per 4.5 litres doseage on a daily basis for a week if needed and then do a 25% water change.

indeed it is natural, so is penicillin, and both kill bacteria. as i stated i have never noticed problems, however using any anti bacterial will have some effect on your colony, how much depends on the size of your colony. just be careful when using it, it never hurts to be cautious.

 

[Cutlass]

I use the 1 drop per 4.5 litres doseage on a daily basis for a week if needed and then do a 25% water change.

Yikes; I hope there aren't too many fish in that tank! That's gonna put your bacterial colonies way behind!!!

 

[kribensis12]

How many drop's per U.S. gallon?

 

[jennybugs]

I use the 1 drop per 4.5 litres doseage on a daily basis for a week if needed and then do a 25% water change.

Yikes; I hope there aren't too many fish in that tank! That's gonna put your bacterial colonies way behind!!!

I used it for a week in a fully cycled and matured tank that was understocked and there were no ill effects to the water parameters or the fish. I underdose when using it, i.e. I don't round up and it's sparingly used. I don't go about chucking things in my tanks without prior thought and consideration, and I look into things thoroughly if I am not sure what something does/can do. Thanks for your concern, but 8 months down the line everyone is still well and thriving.

 

[raptorrex]

from my research its worth looking hard at using Teatree oil in lower than recommended amounts. as with any antibacterial/antibiotic if the dose is below the needed levels, it causes a stress reaction in the bacteria. if this is allowed to happen the bacteria will become resistant to the treatment. this can be a double edged sword, treating in this way will build up immunity in your filter colony. but this could also do the same to any, unwanted, bacteria and though they may be in too smaller amount to effect your fish at that time, if you import illness or the fish get too stressed. this bacteria will need a different antibac, more expensive and damaging to the tank. as the resistance will become an immunity.

this same effect is the problem in many medical establishments, due to the abundance of antibiotics in the air, many bugs have become immune to the treatments. it would be a shame to do the same thing to your tank.

 

[jennybugs]

I get what you're saying and maybe I used the term 'underdose' incorrectly in this instance. What I meant was, I don't go over the doseage (round up the number of drops) for the literage of my tanks...no such thing as a 'half' or 'quarter' drop etc, if you get me?

Anyway, I only ever use tea tree oil when deemed absolutely necessary (as I would with any other form of medication), and that's only ever been twice since I first started keeping fish. All my tanks have been disease free (I used tea tree oil for a split tail fin) and I have a quarantine tank I use when I buy new stock. I know I have been lucky, but I work hard at maintaining all my tanks and hope I it long continues.