Q about antibiotics

[Moe]

I have a sword tail with fin rot. She was nipped by another fish and her fin was damaged I think it developed into fin rot. Her fin is only half there and the end of it is white. She keeps it next to her body. LFS said to treat with antibiotics. I got maracyn which is a fish erythromycin tablet. My question is where do you put the tablets? The package says add 2 tablets for a 20G but it does not tell you exactly what to do with them. Do you put them in a media bag and place them in the filter, dissolve them in water, or just trop them in the tank?

 

[Alien Anna]

Just in case some daft fish tries to eat the tablet whole, I'd dissolve it first in a jug of warm water and then add to the tank.

 

[Moe]

AA I thought about that but do you think the antibiotics are time release or something that they have to dissolve slowly. I don't want to overdose the fish on meds.

 

[Cian McLiam]

Before using anti-biotics or any other med, you HAVE to read this... for your fishes sake
Antibiotics, how do they work?

Ken

 

[Moe]

Ken from what I got from that link you should not use antibiotics in your tank. But what they do no mention is how to cure infection. What do you do when a fish gets finrot? Euthanize it? This is the first time I have put meds in my tank. I don't have a hospital tank. I'm trying to do the right thing for this poor swordtail, but I don't want to harm the rest of the fish in the tank. Anyone have any advice??

 

[Cian McLiam]

Unfortunately, your catfish rules out salt, its a good treatment for fungus and bacteria, I read somewhere that the simple organisms have no organs to process the salt, like our kidneys and shrivel up due to osmosis.
I would not treat finrot unless its REALLY bad. Good water will go a very long way. Otherwise I would use Melafix to speed up new growth, there is evidence to suggest that contrary to the packaging of Melafix, it doesnt actually kill the bacteria but heals the infected wound, and thereby shutting out the bacteria.
Worth a try.
Also, heat speds up the multiplication of bacteria, so I would advise against going higher than 25C

Ken

 

[Cian McLiam]

A few years ago I had good success treating a bacterial infection with fungus by painting on some formalin/malachite green based med onto the wound using a new hobby paintbrush (sterilized)

Ken

 

[Moe]

OK I called tech support for the antibiotic company. They said it is OK to drop the tablets directly into the tank or dissolve them in warm water. Either way is ok. This particular brand of antibiotics claim that it will not harm beneficial bacteria. I do have malafix but this finrot is pretty bad. I've left it for about 2 weeks hoping that it would clear up on its own. No such luck. I did not want to treat before now because she just had fry two days ago.