Which meds should I keep in stock ?

[Vivienne]

Just sorting out tank decor for a tropical tank at the moment, but when I start putting fish in, are there any standard meds I should get hold of to keep in stock. (The fish equivalent of asparin ? ) ). Or are all the meds very species specific ?

Thanks in advance !

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Whitespot and anti internal bacterial meds are always handy to have around and Melafix is good for helping heal torn fins- do you know about cycling tanks and water quality test kits like ones that test for ammonia, nitrates and nitrites? These are much more important things to know when setting up a new tank and can help save alot of casualtys.

 

[annka5]

This could be something which only affects me, but I developed "rare medical condition" called fish hypochondria when I first started keeping them. )
More medications just meant more chemicals going into the tank whenever I decided the fish looked a bit peaky, just in case, and before I'd even made a decent diagnosis of a problem, which is a very bad plan.
I think if you're likely to do this, then just don't stock up on medications so long as you live or work near enough to a shop where you can buy them same day/ following day.

 

[Vivienne]

Thanks,
Test kit is on its way in the post - I ordered the Hagen mini master kit, since it did ammonia too. Gonna start a fishless cycle when we get back from holiday. Just asking about meds now, cause I've been lurking for a little while reading a lot of the threads and it seems that some things are more common than others. Got a bit of a drive to reach a fish shop and it's not always easy to get along mid week.

Completely overwhelmed by all the bottles of stuff in the shops and when I'm there I'd rather look at the fish than read labels. If I can just give them a list of recommended stuff that'll be really helpful and I know I won't be wasting a pile of money on stuff I really don't need. Apart from anything I guess this stuff goes out of date the same as ours!

 

[Bloo]

Setting up a new tank and adding new fish, you're almost bound to encounter white spot (also know as ICH). And as white spot spreads fast, ich meds is something I would say is handy to have.
(I know there are ways to combat ich / white spot with salt, but I tend not to use that method due to the types of fish I have).

Interpet do a very good range - they are numbered 1 - 13.

Other than that, I would suggest keeping a good eye on your fish (check them daily) and then buy meds and treat as needed once a disease has been identified.

 

[gadazobe]

My advice - non - lots of people have a tendency to over medicate - they pour medications into the tank, most times when they are completely unecessary, and cause more problems than there really are. Buy medications if and when you need them.

 

[rdd1952]

I will second gadazobe's idea of buying when needed. Not only does that keep you from over medicating but most of them are expensive and have an expiration date. You dont' want to pay $15 for some type antibiotic only to have to throw it away later on.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Well i dunno realy because i always have meds in my fish box so i can always treat them as soon as a desease appears and don't end up in the situation where my lfs is closed for the weekend or i am too busy to go there and can't medicate my fish for days; i'd certainly say keep whitespot meds in particular as this is one of those deseases where the sooner you can treat your fish the better it is as it can get out of control very quickly if left unmedicated for some days after diagnosis.

 

[Bloo]

I wholeheartedly support the "have no meds and only buy if something is diagnosed". People in general tend to medicate "just in case" or far too easily.

However, time after time after time people encounter ICH when starting up a new tank and when introducing new fish without quarantine. ICH seems to be the most standard and most often encountered problem for(new) fish keepers deal with. Therefore that is the only one I would think worthwhile having due to the fact that ICH can turn nasty very quickly.

 

[Tolak]

The best, cheapest, & most available medication around comes out of your faucet. Water changes often cure damage or disease. If you are just starting out, gadazobe's advice the best there is. Once you become more experienced with your fish & tanks you will probably have some left over meds to hold you through until you can get more in. Certain fish seem prone to certain diseases, if mts starts setting in, you will soon have a good idea if you need to keep certain meds on hand or not.

Tolak

 

[afireinside]

i think something good just to improve the health of ur fish is: Doc Wellfish's Aquarium Salt.

 

[Vivienne]

Thanks everyone. Think i'll get hold of some ich stuff and leave it there for now. Am also toying with getting a small quarantine tank set up. Not particularly keen on starting with more than one tank and I know it's harder to control water quality in a smaller tank, but I hate the idea of adding new fish and hoping they've not brought anything nasty with them.

Going to be stocking slowly, even after fishless cycle. As quarantined fish move to main tank, a new purchase could go into the quarantine tank. How long would you recommend keeping fish quarantined before they go into a community tank ?

 

[Tolak]

I quar fish for 4 weeks, no matter where they come from. I just set up a 20 gallon quar Friday night for 2 swords, 8 angels, & 3 pygmy corys from a club meeting. Even though I know the breeders I got them from, if I have a problem, they won't come by my house to help me med & do water changes, the bums.

The quar tank is an excellent idea, it will keep you from having problems. Keep a spare filter running on your main tank for use in the quar tank, when you need it, just put it on, & use 1/2 water from the main tank, 1/2 fresh water. Half of aquatics is keeping bacteria.

Tolak

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I'd say 2weeks is the minimum for safe quarentining time, but the longer you do it the better and the more safe you'll from introducing fish deseases into your tank . Less hardy and more fragile fish i'd say only need 2 weeks like panda corys as their imune systems are terible so if they are carrying anything it'll almost definatly show itself within the first 2 weeks, but somthing more hardy like mollys its better to have a 3-4week quarentine minimum time as they have more ability to carry deseases for longer etc.

 

[gadazobe]

"Going to be stocking slowly, even after fishless cycle"

One of the things about a fishless cycle is that you should fully stock your tank when it's finished. A fishless cycle, done properly, prepares the tank for a full load of fish. If you stock slowly, a lot of the good bacteria that has been produced will die off through lack of food (ammonia, nitrite). If you do decide to stock slowly, then you must wait a couple of weeks between each fish that you add, and don't add more than two at a time.