No personal offence: Using antibiotics in aquaria is in most cases more
than stupid as useless. The only thing we do is creating a resistant
bacteria stock. Before using antibiotics you have to make a resistance
test and see what still works. One of the greatest problems hospitals
have to face are multi resistant bacteria. They cause thousands of dead
people. So the best thing is not to use antibiotics in aquaria at all.
Using antibiotics against fungus is like shooting a cow if you have
headache =96 it can=92t work.
=20
Regards Harro
=20
=20
-----Urspr=FCngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Julie Zeppieri [bowluvr at hotmail.com]=20
Gesendet: Montag, 14. Februar 2005 04:30
An: r_m_l at yahoogroups.com
Betreff: RE: [RML] Tank bullies
=20
Hi,
Erythromycin is not effective agianst true fungus ("EM", as it is
called, is=20
an antibiotic, so is made to treat bacteria, not fungus). If what you
are=20
treating really isn't fungus (some of the things we think are fungus are
not), then antibiotics ARE called for. Make sure you have someone truely
knoweledgeable diagnose what your fish have. Then you will be sure you
are=20
using the right drug for the problem.
Also EM is an old drug, used for literally decades, and the majority of=20
bacteria found in aquarium fish are resistant to it. In other words, EM
is=20
essentially useless for most of what you would ever buy it for. :-(=20=20
Treating with antibiotics (for fish AND people) should not be done
lightly,=20
as resistant bacteria are always developing as a result of drug misuse.
If the fish have true fungus, there are antifungal medicines that would
help=20
them more. If they are suffering from a bacterial infection of their
wounds,=20
and antibiotics are called for, I would like to suggest you choose a
more=20
effective drug than the EM. If the problem is minor, it is often
possible to=20
treat the fish with only really good TLC and they could recover on their
own. Not being able to see these fish, I will have to leave that up to
you=20
and someone who is experienced in proper diagnosis of fish in your area.
:-)
Whichever antibiotic you use, please be sure to follow all directions,
do=20
water changes in between doses, treat for AT LEAST 10 DAYS (very
important=20
to help prevent bacteria becoming reisitant to the drug used!), and add=20
carbon/do water changes to fully remove the drugs once the treatment is=20
completed. Also, don't use antibiotics unless you really have to. Drugs
are=20
tough on fish and fish tanks.
There *are* generic and bulk drugs available, and you can also treat in
a=20
smaller "hospital" tank (say, a ten gallon tank) to save money by using
a=20
smaller amount of the drugs. Remove carbon while treating or the drug
will=20
be adsorbed by the carbon before it can help the fish.
Hopefully the other "Rainbow Gurus" on this list will give their opions
on=20
this as well, especially Doc Hansen and Gary.
Julie <><
>From: "Darcey Harding" <darceyh at drizzle.com>
>Reply-To: r_m_l at yahoogroups.com
>To: <r_m_l at yahoogroups.com>
>Subject: [RML] Tank bullies
>Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 18:07:01 -0800
>
>I have two Melanotaenia herbertaxelrodi males that have become pretty
darn
>pugnacious lately. Despite their smaller size, these guys are
constantly=20
>colored
>up, darting around, and are beating up several bigger rainbows on a=20
>disturbingly
>regular basis. One of their victims now has nasty bruises on both sides
and=20
>I'm
>treating him separately for fungus.
>
>It's a heavily planted 125-gallon community tank. Rainbows, loaches,
and an
>algae crew. I often see pairs of rainbows spawning, but it's usually
out of
>sight and any eggs get eaten very quickly. Two questions:\
>
>1) can I get some kind of cheaper, generic version of Maracyn=20
>(erythromycin?)
>Mardel charges an arm and a leg for it.
>2) Can't they all just get along? Any suggestions for dealing with a
bully=20
>fish
>appreciated.
>
>Thanks
------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C51263.73AAC1C0
Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
No personal offence= : Using antibiotics in aquaria is in most cases more than stupid as useless. = The only thing we do is creating a resistant bacteria stock. Before using antibiotics you have to make a resistance test and see what still works. On= e of the greatest problems hospitals have to face are multi resistant bacteria. = They cause thousands of dead people. So the best thing is not to use antibiotics= in aquaria at all. Using antibiotics against fungus is like shooting a cow if = you have headache – it can’t work.
Regards Harro
-----Urspr=FCngl=
iche Nachricht-----
Von: Julie Zeppieri [=
b=
owluvr at hotmail.com]
Gesendet: Montag, 14. Februa=
r 2005
04:30
An: r_m_l at yahoogroups.com
Hi,
Erythromycin is not effective agianst true f=
ungus
("EM", as it is called, is
an antibiotic, so is made to treat bacteria,=
not
fungus). If what you are
treating really isn't fungus (some of the th=
ings
we think are fungus are
not), then antibiotics ARE called for. Make =
sure
you have someone truely
knoweledgeable diagnose what your fish have.=
Then
you will be sure you are
using the right drug for the problem.=
Also EM is an old drug, used for literally
decades, and the majority of
bacteria found in aquarium fish are resistan=
t to
it. In other words, EM is
essentially useless for most of what you wou=
ld
ever buy it for. :-(
Treating with antibiotics (for fish AND peop=
le)
should not be done lightly,
as resistant bacteria are always developing =
as a
result of drug misuse.
If the fish have true fungus, there are anti=
fungal
medicines that would help
them more. If they are suffering from a bact=
erial
infection of their wounds,
and antibiotics are called for, I would like=
to
suggest you choose a more
effective drug than the EM. If the problem i=
s
minor, it is often possible to
treat the fish with only really good TLC and=
they
could recover on their
own. Not being able to see these fish, I wil=
l have
to leave that up to you
and someone who is experienced in proper dia=
gnosis
of fish in your area.
:-)
Whichever antibiotic you use, please be sure=
to
follow all directions, do
water changes in between doses, treat for AT=
LEAST
10 DAYS (very important
to help prevent bacteria becoming reisitant =
to the
drug used!), and add
carbon/do water changes to fully remove the =
drugs
once the treatment is
completed. Also, don't use antibiotics unles=
s you
really have to. Drugs are
tough on fish and fish tanks.
There *are* generic and bulk drugs available=
, and
you can also treat in a
smaller "hospital" tank (say, a te=
n
gallon tank) to save money by using a
smaller amount of the drugs. Remove carbon w=
hile
treating or the drug will
be adsorbed by the carbon before it can help=
the
fish.
Hopefully the other "Rainbow Gurus"=
; on
this list will give their opions on
this as well, especially Doc Hansen and Gary=
.
Julie <><
>From: "Darcey Harding"
<darceyh at drizzle.com>
>Reply-To: r_m_l at yahoogroups.com
>To: <r_m_l at yahoogroups.com>=
>Subject: [RML] Tank bullies
>Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 18:07:01 -0800
>
>I have two Melanotaenia herbertaxelrodi =
males
that have become pretty darn
>pugnacious lately. Despite their smaller=
size,
these guys are constantly
>colored
>up, darting around, and are beating up s=
everal
bigger rainbows on a
>disturbingly
>regular basis. One of their victims now =
has
nasty bruises on both sides and
>I'm
>treating him separately for fungus.
>
>It's a heavily planted 125-gallon commun=
ity
tank. Rainbows, loaches, and an
>algae crew. I often see pairs of rainbow=
s
spawning, but it's usually out of
>sight and any eggs get eaten very quickl=
y. Two
questions:\
>
>1) can I get some kind of cheaper, gener=
ic
version of Maracyn
>(erythromycin?)
>Mardel charges an arm and a leg for it.<=
/font>
>2) Can't they all just get along? =
Any
suggestions for dealing with a bully
>fish
>appreciated.
>
>Thanks
------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C51263.73AAC1C0--