anyone use melafix in SW tanks?

[scarf_ace1981]

i was just curious too know if anyone used melafix for their SW fish. the label does say for FW/SW use.

[Six]

IMO that product is nothing more than a plecebo. In our hobby there are no rules to follow, no guidelines, nothing. You can package water and sell it as a medicine. There are other, better, products or treatments to use besides Melafix.

 

If you do decide to use it, use a QT tank- in a remote room. it will stink up your whole house as well as foam youre tank/pop the lid off and fill youre skimmate skimmer cup. It doesn't smell bad, just intense.

 

What do you think your fish has? A bacterial infection? If you can get a photo I can ID and help you through some treatment options.

 

GL with whatever you choose.

[reeferbarra20]

IMO that product is nothing more than a plecebo. In our hobby there are no rules to follow, no guidelines, nothing. You can package water and sell it as a medicine. There are other, better, products or treatments to use besides Melafix.

 

If you do decide to use it, use a QT tank- in a remote room. it will stink up your whole house as well as foam youre tank/pop the lid off and fill youre skimmate skimmer cup. It doesn't smell bad, just intense.

 

What do you think your fish has? A bacterial infection? If you can get a photo I can ID and help you through some treatment options.

 

GL with whatever you choose.

LOL! I did once in my 75 gallon reef......Big mistake.. All my corals closed right up I had to do a water change,run carbon and my skimmer acted CRAZY

[Six]

yeah, i dunno why the company thinks using tea tree oil will work to cure marine fish illness...

 

let alone be reef safe

[chieferich]

my fiance used it in her koi tank during a major outbreak of disease. it worked. she swears by it.

 

i used about two years ago on a sick clown (fungus on mouth from LFS). it worked then also.

 

just my (our) experience with it....

 

I have to ay, I don't think it is as much of a medicine, as it is a...healer. like bactine ointment for humans I suppose.

[AzFishFreak]

i was just curious too know if anyone used melafix for their SW fish. the label does say for FW/SW use.

 

Melafix/Pimafix are alright for treating possible secondary infections (Bacterial/Fungal) but it will not help at all with parisites. Melefix is also good for fish with open wounds or torn fins. I used it when my puffer and lion got into it. My puffer lost an eye and Lion lost one of his antennas. Both recovered with no infections and now tolerate each other.

 

Though the product will not have lasting affects on Rocks, substrates, inverts, or corals as other medications and will not cause your tank to re-cycle so I guess that makes it somewhat reef/display safe but it will irritate most LPS and it is just a good policy to medicate in a QT and not your display.

[Samoyed]

i was just curious too know if anyone used melafix for their SW fish. the label does say for FW/SW use.

 

i wouldnt do it...to risky!!!

[chieferich]

quarantine! i learned that lesson (finally) a long time ago.

[Six]

ive used it on GF too, but i cant say that was the reason they got better. i also did 80% water changes on the tanks.

[NaughtyCashew]

ive used it on GF too

 

lol, the first time I read through that I thought you used it on your girlfriend!

[aqh88]

Despite saying it's safe for invertebrates in a few tests on freshwater snails and shrimp it's been found to be a strong sedative. At high enough doses or for long enough the people running the tests on an applesnail forum ended up killing some snails. It works alright to help with scrapes, torn fins, and fighting off secondary infections but I would not use melafix at more than 1/4-1/2 dose for more than a day or 2 in a tank with inverts and do not use pimafix at all. Pimafix had a considerably stronger effect than melafix.

[balto]

I work for a pond supply wholesale/retail and run the fish house in the retail store. I use it only in qt for wounds and such. When using it for bacterial infections the site of infection has to be treated with something stronger first and melafix can be used to speed the healing, which it does well. On that note don't use it in the main pond or this case display because it adds a ton of dissolved organics to the water lowering the redox. I personnaly wouldn't use it in saltwater for this reason unless your gonna use it in a qt tank.

 

Edit: and like someone else said get rid of any parasites first and treat bacterial infections with something aimed at that and either use the melafix after or in some cases at the same time depending. Certain medications for parasites will not work well if the melafix is in the water because the chemical reacts to the organics of the melafix first.

[scarf_ace1981]

i myself would not try it on SW but i do use it for FW. my FW fish are african cichlids and if you guys ever had them you would know they are a bit aggressive. one or two of the fish always have a rpped fin so i use melafix on my african display tanks. i have yet to see any negative affects so i will keep using it for my FW.

 

besides i think the best healer for FW and SW are weekly water changes.

[balto]

i myself would not try it on SW but i do use it for FW. my FW fish are african cichlids and if you guys ever had them you would know they are a bit aggressive. one or two of the fish always have a rpped fin so i use melafix on my african display tanks. i have yet to see any negative affects so i will keep using it for my FW.

 

besides i think the best healer for FW and SW are weekly water changes.

 

Generally if the fish aren't stressed and the water quality is good they will heal up fine on their own, but I guess cichlids are kinda always stressed. I'd be stressed to if i had to badle someone every 5 minutes