Treating nipped tail with melafix

[FishGuest5123]

Seriously, Byron. The OP asked if anyone used Melafix and Heaven forbid, I confessed that I have. Now we’re way out in left field talking about substances entering the blood stream. Well guess what...I just treated a guppy with Kanaplex. You want to lecture me on the risk of antibiotic resistance now? Please don’t, coming from a healthcare background I am well aware of it. Let’s just move on.

 

[Guppylover3x]

Melafix is not a “Cure all” but a treatment for minor bacterial infections such as fin rot. I would never consider using it for fungus infections as it isn’t strong enough. I believe mouth fungus is the only fungus it may help. In my experience, fin rot heals much faster with the use of the antiseptic tea tree oil in Melafix. We use it in healthcare much like swabbing with alcohol. I don’t know why your fish died but without proof, you can’t say it was the Melafix. It’s Mostly tea tree oil which is used in holistic medicine. Your fish were ill and could have been many things. Another one we will have to agree to disagree on.

I do see your point I can’t personally say I can see tea tree oil being extremely harmful to the fish. You seem to be aware of use of it as you were able to tell me what was in it and I didn’t know. I appreciate your help.

 

[Guppylover3x]

I actually meant bacterial, that was my slip, sorry. But the Melafix did without question negatively impact the fish. And they did not die because I have the ability to recognize negative signs in my fish and I try to deal with it, and here they were being poisoned by Melafix.

Characins in particular are highly sensitive to any and all chemicals/medications/substances. It is because of their heightened chemical response system. My friend was not so lucky and he killed his fish with Melafix.

Understand fish physiology is key to success. Every substance added to the water gets inside the fish, into the bloodstream and then the internal organs. And they affect the gills, which is why respiration is usually a key indicator of trouble. Though that trouble can be from many very different sources. It is sensible to consider that fish in nature do not all die off from these issues, which are certainly present; if they did the way aquarists assume they will if not treated with this or that, there would be no freshwater fish left alive. Let the fish heal themselves. It is after all only our fault as the aquarist that they have the problem/disease/bacteria/fungus in the first place.

Thanks for your reply. I agree that it’s best to let them heal naturally and this is what I aim to do most of the time. I’ve had bad experiences with adding medications into my tank along with improper advice from store colleagues. I’m just trying to prevent don’t rot from occurring. Thanks for your help.

 

[Guppylover3x]

I also apologise to both of you if I have caused any bother. We are all here to help each other and I really appreciate all the feedback. I have learnt a lot from the forum, and genuinely think we can all learn from each other. Thank you very much for all the help.

 

[FishGuest5123]

No bother at all. People come to the forum with different views. Byron and I don’t always see eye to eye but we don’t hold it against each other. We have to respect each other’s differences and move on. Sometimes we learn something along the way. The most important thing is that our fish get the best possible care. Hope your guppy heals quickly. I now have one in QT also. They just don’t make guppies like they use to.

 

[Guppylover3x]

No bother at all. People come to the forum with different views. Byron and I don’t always see eye to eye but we don’t hold it against each other. We have to respect each other’s differences and move on. Sometimes we learn something along the way. The most important thing is that our fish get the best possible care. Hope your guppy heals quickly. I now have one in QT also. They just don’t make guppies like they use to.

I agree with you, it’s okay to have different opinions. I think the world would be a very boring place if we all had the same views too. Just followed up your last post now. I hope your guppy is ok and you managed to destress him! Thanks again.

 

[Colin_T]

I do see your point I can’t personally say I can see tea tree oil being extremely harmful to the fish.

Tea tree oil is extremely toxic to most life forms. In low doses it is safe but in high doses it will kill most things that ingest it.

It can also leave an oily film on the surface and aeration must be used in the aquarium to prevent the oily film from stopping oxygen getting into the water and carbon dioxide from leaving the water.

 

[Guppylover3x]

Tea tree oil is extremely toxic to most life forms. In low doses it is safe but in high doses it will kill most things that ingest it.

It can also leave an oily film on the surface and aeration must be used in the aquarium to prevent the oily film from stopping oxygen getting into the water and carbon dioxide from leaving the water.

Thank you for confirming, it’s just about being safe with dosages I understand. I don’t like the sound of the oily texture developing on the surface though I must say. I think I recall you saying this in another thread when I recommended melafix to another member. I’ve seen a few other threads on different websites that suggest people have had a good experience using it. I will carry on daily water changes of 75% for the next 7 days and hopefully I will see an improvement of some sort. And then I’ll consider adding accordingly. I have an air stone in my tank and always have done. I don’t think guppies survive very well without one and if they do their constantly gasping at the surface. Thanks for your help.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I agree with the oil part and why you should never use it on labrynth fish. Never overdose any medication.

 

[Guppylover3x]

I agree with the oil part and why you should never use it on labrynth fish. Never overdose any medication.

I agree with the oil part and why you should never use it on labrynth fish. Never overdose any medication.

I agree, I would never overdose medication the guidelines are there for a reason right. I learnt not to listen to anything pet shops advice a long time ago. Their answer to everything is to just throw medication into the tank. Thanks for your help.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Wise move. A test kit and water changes are a fishes best friends. Well, maybe a little Prime too.

 

[Guppylover3x]

Wise move. A test kit and water changes are a fishes best friends. Well, maybe a little Prime too.

I agree, water changes and test kits are the way forward. I don’t use prime, I’ve used api stress coat before however I stopped once reading that it can form gill function irritation. I just use api tap water condition now and sometimes tetra safe start when doing large water changes. Although I’ve found this made my ammonia rise. Maybe because my tanks already been set up around 6/7 weeks maybe longer. Thanks for your help.

 

[Bruce Barrera]

It is not usual for a fin nip to become fin rot, or fungus. Clean water is the best treatment. A nipped fin may re-grow. A water change would do more good than medication.

As for Melafix, it can kill fish. Guppies are not likely to fall victim, but I know from experience than characins, cories, and loricariids can be seriously affected, and sometimes die. Melafix and Primafix are not good treatments.

I had what it seemed to be a sick Neon Tetra. Tried Melafix and it died an hour later. Coincidence?

 

[Byron]

I had what it seemed to be a sick Neon Tetra. Tried Melafix and it died an hour later. Coincidence?

Impossible to say. Diagnosing fish disease is a very involved and difficult procedure. As one gains experience one learns to recognize various diseases, but there are still many internal problems (genetic) and pathogens (protozoan) that cannot be diagnosed without a necropsy (autopsy on the dead fish) by a trained biologist or microbiologist. My experience with fish disease has very fortunately been minimal so I tend to stay out of any type of diagnosis. The wrong diagnosis will almost always result in dead fish, so unless I can be certain and provided it does not seem to be contagious, I usually let nature do its thing. I would rather lose one fish than harm or kill the entire tank, and this can often occur.

So your tetra could have succumbed in any case due to whatever it had. But it is a fact that adding any substance to the water would have added further stress, and this too might have tipped the balance. I don't think the Melafix on its own would have acted so swiftly, but the effect on top of whatever can. When I used it, I followed the directions and after three days the fish were clearly under extreme distress, and a huge water change solved that. I ignored the issue after that and not too surprisingly it went away with only one fish loss.

 

[sazure]

My smallest guppy in the tank has unfortunately had his tail nipped in a few areas.

First any sick fish should be removed to a covered "sick tank" (dark lights, fake soft plants for security) and heated, treated water. Do not treat the entire aquarium. (Unless it is bacterial or a disease that has infected the entire tank).

Such huge daily water changes can add additional stress (it is too much at once). The bio ecosystem is greatly disturbed and ph and hardness can be easily "restarted" back to an unbalanced state.

If you note NO changes (red blood streaks - bacterial, white fuss - fungus or a myriad of other indications of diseas then perhaps do nothing). Except determine why the tail is "nipped" or it could be the beginninig of a form of tail rot (bacterial infection).

Fish are Osmotic creatures - their skin absorbs what ever is in the water.

Then one has to be an ichthyologist and try to decide what is going on and the best way to treat it. Is it bacterial, a funbus or what? (decades of experience can assist one in this).

If you note NO disease (gram negative bacterial easily enter torn tails - esp those poor bettas in cold bowls at pet stores and these bacteria enter the blood stream).

One can do a salt water treatment - one has to slowly add not toxic salt (pink is great) in a pre dissolved solution, over time and then when healed slowly add fresh water to where the healing tank matches the aquarium (I would add my main tanks water). I would do this over a time period of a week or more.

More advanced. Or one can create a "slant board" - wet down nonfragrance paper towel, gently place the fish on it and treat with old fashioned Iodine or a salt water (being very careful not to get any meds in the gils). I would rescue local pet store bettas on their last lap (most were too far gone) and trim the tails and treat this way and into a salt healing bath - again slowly up then down with salt parementors.