melafix and pimafix...advice on when to use

[kimmers318]

Since I don't like to put chemicals in my water...and have had a good bit of success with just stresscoat up until I lost my dwarf gourami...and I have seen several people mention melafix and pimafix...could one of you guys give a general list of what symptoms you notice first, and what treatment you use? When you search fish diseases you come up with thousands of ideas...dozens of medications....and just as many articles. Your experience just may be able to narrow it down for me. I like the idea of melafix and pimafix because it is natural. According to what it reads on melafix....good for bacterial infections, open sores, fin and tail rot etc...which I am guessing is external bacterial, am I correct? The literature reads to use pimafix as a secondary treatment for bacterial...is this external or internal? Because of my husbands continual issues with his oscars we have melafix on hand....and I plan on picking up the pimafix this weekend just in case.
My stress coat has worked wonders on nipped fins, and even ich...maybe I got lucky there.
Hopefully this will narrow it down....
When you first notice a fish not eating and/or swimming around...what do you start with?
If you notice them rubbing on things?
White stringy poo? Have seen comments on this and am thinking some type of internal bacteria?
I am not looking for an in depth article, just a general if I see these symptoms I start such treatment. With a natural treatment such as melafix it is probably better to be safe than sorry!
Obviously if you see external damage to the fish body it is pretty serious, but I am sure there have to be minor symptoms that can be caught early on in most cases. And since I check out each fish every day during the morning feed I at least know if someone is not eating.

[rollie]

The sooner you catch the problem the better it is for the fish.
outside of stress coat, the only things i used is salt(good for most things),
Melafix and Pimafix is the only two medince i used(good for everything but ick).

I am being told that they are looking at Melafix & Pimafix , for peoples now!
But do not take it , they only looking at it for that, as of yet!

[kimmers318]

Okay rollie, sounds like a great plan to me..can you advise me on what you start as soon as you see symptoms? IE, clamped fins, white poo, listlessness, not eating, laying on bottom, external sores, etc. With your experience I am sure you see something and are like...hey, that could be the beginning of *** so you start dosing with your med of choice.
BTW....your advice last week on treating with salt just before I lost my dwarf gourami was taken, and so far all is good with the other. That night I noticed the fish swimming like psychos so I did a quick water change and they settled down, maybe too much salt? I did start melafix, just in case, but after 3 days the water was really cloudy so I gave it a day off. The whole next day I could still smell the melafix in water, today the water is clear again so I plan on treating again after weekly water change, vac, filter rinse. Since I am not sure what actually killed the other dwarf gourami do ya think I should back up the melafix with a week of pimafix? Haven't seen any other signs of illness, and all fish are eating/swimming and pooing quite well!

[rollie]

if you see something worng, not right, treat with both medicine for7 days. do not make water cloudly. the amount of salt , i told you to used will not hurt your fish.
sorry took so long, but my comptuer came under full attack . had to go offline, for to save it. but got it in time, this time.

[kimmers318]

Still having problems with your puter eh? That sucks! I can relate...I have had puter problems in the past....so far lately all has been well.
I know the amt of salt I used is not supposed to hurt the fish...all I am relating is the behavior I saw from them that evening. My dwarf gourami never swims like a mad man unless it is feeding time, and even then, not this fast!
As for the cloudiness....again, I know it isn't supposed to, but after 3 days of treatment (10ml for 20 gallon) water was cloudy, one day off, water is clear. Water parameters are as follows Am-0 Nitrite-0 Nitrate-0 Ph-7.4, so I am not sure what is going on. I did check it also that evening and got the same reading.
Thanks for the info....I will keep both on hand (plus still have salt) and will use whenever I see anything out of place. Hopefully that won't happen again!
Last question....how long do you recommend waiting after the 7 day treatment before reintroducing into the main aquarium? These guys were already in Q tank and I was planning on putting them into main aquarium in a couple of days when I lost the blue gourami. They had been in Q tank for 2 weeks because of nipped fins from Demon and were all healed up.
Whew....I am full of questions today aren't I?

[rollie]

after 7 days treatment do water change and put them in. no problems, here to help.