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Gel-tek Ultra Cure products?
Hi,
I was wondering, has anybody used any of the Gel-tek products? I'm looking now at the Ultra Cure BX and PX products from Drs Foster Smith. Does anybody have any experience using these to treat bacteria and parasite illnesses, respectively? I'm especially wondering about using the Ultra Cure BX to treat a minor case of fin rot. Any ideas? -Wes |
Thanks for the reply.
The fish with fin rot is one of my (4) discus. One of its pectoral fins is ragged and slowly seems to be wasting away, and it's a bit whitish on the edges. The water quality is very good. 0 Ammonia and Nitrites, of course, and Nitrates 20 ppm. The temperature is at 86, and the GH is 2-3 degrees. (I do water changes daily). The fish seems healthy otherwise (is eating, etc). The only thing which happened recently out of the ordinary was a treatment of internal parasites in one of the others. (They completely recovered in 2 days). I treated with Jungle "Parasite Clear" tabs, since I couldn't find any plain metronidazole in my area (I've ordered some to be ready in the future). Like I said, right now he seems healthy except for the fin rot, which he's had for probably 5-6 days. It's claimed perhaps 15% of the fin, or maybe a bit more. He also seems to avoid using the fin sometimes. What is mercurichrome and where do I get it? I've often heard of "dabbing" affected areas. What's the best way to do something like that? Thanks very much for your help, Wes |
wrote:
Thanks for the reply. The fish with fin rot is one of my (4) discus. One of its pectoral fins is ragged and slowly seems to be wasting away, and it's a bit whitish on the edges. The water quality is very good. 0 Ammonia and Nitrites, of course, and Nitrates 20 ppm. The temperature is at 86, and the GH is 2-3 degrees. (I do water changes daily). The fish seems healthy otherwise (is eating, etc). The only thing which happened recently out of the ordinary was a treatment of internal parasites in one of the others. (They completely recovered in 2 days). I treated with Jungle "Parasite Clear" tabs, since I couldn't find any plain metronidazole in my area (I've ordered some to be ready in the future). Like I said, right now he seems healthy except for the fin rot, which he's had for probably 5-6 days. It's claimed perhaps 15% of the fin, or maybe a bit more. He also seems to avoid using the fin sometimes. What is mercurichrome and where do I get it? I've often heard of "dabbing" affected areas. What's the best way to do something like that? Thanks very much for your help, Wes I wonder whether the Jungle Parasite Clear tabs changed the bacterial balance in your tank, causing the fin infection. I don't usually like to put metronidazole in a display tank, although I understand the challenges inherent in quarantining discus. I did a quick google search and discovered that the FDA has banned the sale of mercurochrome across state lines so it's almost impossible to come by. It WAS a very effective topical antiseptic that kept small cuts and woulds from scarring, now illegal because it contains small amounts of mercury. My second choice would be plain old Neosporin (triple antibiotic) ointment from the drug store. Frank from alt.aquaria made me aware of it's usefulness on fish and I've since used it as a preventative on an injured discus with good success. To "dab" a medicine on a fish, you net the fish, gently hold him out of the water, and use a cotton swab to apply medicine to the affected area. Problem is, you will need to reapply antibiotic for a few days since there's probably an active infection. This isn't a big deal for most fish, but if your discus are like mine, they don't like being handled. I can see the appeal of the food and don't know which I'd choose myself. Probably the Neosporin and see how the fish does after a two days of handling him as gently as possible. NetMax...you reading this? - Elaine T __ http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__ rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com |
Thanks again for the prompt response!
The neosporin is a good tip. And thanks for telling me how to "dab" it on. Looking at the discus again today, it seems most of the "whitishness" is gone from the fin. I'm not sure if it's still degrading.... Also, 15% was a bit high---it looks more like 10% to me now. In any case, now I'm thinking of "wait-and-see"-ing, hoping it will start to grow back on its own. Do you think I'm correct in my assumption that as long as his behavior is normal otherwise, I'm not risking losing valuable time to try to treat the problem more aggressively? He's still eating very well, and in general looks okay, other than the fins. I do have another tank (20 gallon) that I can use for quarantining the fish, but, as you suggested, I'm very reluctant to do so with the discus. In the case of the internal parasites, i also figured that other fish in the tank were likely carriers (so best to treat everything). Thanks again, Wes |
wrote:
Thanks again for the prompt response! The neosporin is a good tip. And thanks for telling me how to "dab" it on. Looking at the discus again today, it seems most of the "whitishness" is gone from the fin. I'm not sure if it's still degrading.... Also, 15% was a bit high---it looks more like 10% to me now. In any case, now I'm thinking of "wait-and-see"-ing, hoping it will start to grow back on its own. Do you think I'm correct in my assumption that as long as his behavior is normal otherwise, I'm not risking losing valuable time to try to treat the problem more aggressively? He's still eating very well, and in general looks okay, other than the fins. I do have another tank (20 gallon) that I can use for quarantining the fish, but, as you suggested, I'm very reluctant to do so with the discus. In the case of the internal parasites, i also figured that other fish in the tank were likely carriers (so best to treat everything). Thanks again, Wes The whitish color going away is a very good sign. I agree that "wait and see" is a good approach, especially since your water is clean and the meds are gone. Finrot is usually pretty slow to really harm large fish, so there's generally plenty of time to treat. I'm still thinking that the meds upset the bacterial balance in the tank and on your fish, causing a bit of minor opportunistic infection - sounds like it's going to clear up on its own. That makes sense on the parasites and carriers. Hexamita are such a pain on discus. I just hate sticking anything in a show tank, because it always seems to get me in trouble. -- Elaine T __ http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__ rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com |
"Elaine T" wrote in message
. .. wrote: Thanks for the reply. The fish with fin rot is one of my (4) discus. One of its pectoral fins is ragged and slowly seems to be wasting away, and it's a bit whitish on the edges. The water quality is very good. 0 Ammonia and Nitrites, of course, and Nitrates 20 ppm. The temperature is at 86, and the GH is 2-3 degrees. (I do water changes daily). The fish seems healthy otherwise (is eating, etc). The only thing which happened recently out of the ordinary was a treatment of internal parasites in one of the others. (They completely recovered in 2 days). I treated with Jungle "Parasite Clear" tabs, since I couldn't find any plain metronidazole in my area (I've ordered some to be ready in the future). Like I said, right now he seems healthy except for the fin rot, which he's had for probably 5-6 days. It's claimed perhaps 15% of the fin, or maybe a bit more. He also seems to avoid using the fin sometimes. What is mercurichrome and where do I get it? I've often heard of "dabbing" affected areas. What's the best way to do something like that? Thanks very much for your help, Wes I wonder whether the Jungle Parasite Clear tabs changed the bacterial balance in your tank, causing the fin infection. I don't usually like to put metronidazole in a display tank, although I understand the challenges inherent in quarantining discus. I did a quick google search and discovered that the FDA has banned the sale of mercurochrome across state lines so it's almost impossible to come by. It WAS a very effective topical antiseptic that kept small cuts and woulds from scarring, now illegal because it contains small amounts of mercury. My second choice would be plain old Neosporin (triple antibiotic) ointment from the drug store. Frank from alt.aquaria made me aware of it's usefulness on fish and I've since used it as a preventative on an injured discus with good success. To "dab" a medicine on a fish, you net the fish, gently hold him out of the water, and use a cotton swab to apply medicine to the affected area. Problem is, you will need to reapply antibiotic for a few days since there's probably an active infection. This isn't a big deal for most fish, but if your discus are like mine, they don't like being handled. I can see the appeal of the food and don't know which I'd choose myself. Probably the Neosporin and see how the fish does after a two days of handling him as gently as possible. NetMax...you reading this? - Elaine T __ http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__ rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com Have you ever used scissors to cut away the affected ends? I imagine that this would only be effective on soft rays where it was determined that it was not a water quality issue, so you were not dealing with your garden-variety fin rot. If you decide to proceed, place a wet facecloth in the net (to avoid slime coat abrasion during the procedure). Have a helper keep the fish immobile. I keep the fish's head out of the water and do it quickly. It might be possible to do this with the head still submerged ymmv. Use a sharp set of scissors (practice on a supermarket fish if you think it necessary, but it's comparable to cutting a kitten's claws in sensation). Heals quickly and depending on the amount cut away, the fish might swim a little awkwardly for a few days. A little Melafix in the water would probably be a nice touch. -- www.NetMax.tk |
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