VTDrew
New Member
So, I last night, I introduced two new fish to my tank after successfully completing quarentine. When I got home, one was dead, one was covered in body fungus and my long term residents appear infected, the ones that aren't are definately stressed.
I'm going on a two week business trip first thing in the AM. My landlord is feeding the fish, but she does not have the knowledge to medicate and do water changes. I read some articles about the fungus' inability to withstand high doses of malachite green, killing it in under 5 minutes for the specific species that i believe I have and most fish's ability to safely withstand that "nuking." What ever is going on, it moves fast and is deadly. I must at least try something crazy or I'll come home to a dead tank. This was a scientific article published in the 60's when no one gave a crap about humane testing. I'm a chemist myself so I have quick access (paid by the company) to oddball things like this.
I could not acheive the 5ppm used in the study, but 1ppm was effective at 1hr, and I did have enough meds to get to 0.5ppm (tons of quick cure). Sadly, catfish had about 50% mortality from that kind of treatment and I have a pictus and a bushynose pleco.
I'm going to wait until the cats seem stressed (or I go to bed) and I will perform two 50% waterchanges effectively bringing my levels down to 0.25ppm. I will perform two more when I leave in the AM to get the levels down to an effective 0.625ppm. That is just above the recommended dosage and therefore 2x the recommended for a cat. I will then return the charcoal filter and leave the lights on hopefully degrading the meds rapidly after that.
I'm stopping at the LFS tomorrow before I leave. Are there any meds that my landlord can easily use, does not require water changes, no more then a dose every 3 days and is safe for plants and cats over a 2 week period w/o water changes? Also should not have a negative reaction with malachite green or formalin.
The new fish showing major infection is now back in quarentine dosed with meds. The rest have minor fungus or just a bit on the fins.
Well, pictus is starting to stress, time to bring down the concentration and cross my fingers.
Pray for the fish. Someone help.
Sidenote - the quarentine tank that I dosed to 2ppm looks like the fish in it is cleared up actually. 1 hour, like the article said. Still, its staying in there till I get home, if its not dead, it can rejoin society.
I'm going on a two week business trip first thing in the AM. My landlord is feeding the fish, but she does not have the knowledge to medicate and do water changes. I read some articles about the fungus' inability to withstand high doses of malachite green, killing it in under 5 minutes for the specific species that i believe I have and most fish's ability to safely withstand that "nuking." What ever is going on, it moves fast and is deadly. I must at least try something crazy or I'll come home to a dead tank. This was a scientific article published in the 60's when no one gave a crap about humane testing. I'm a chemist myself so I have quick access (paid by the company) to oddball things like this.
I could not acheive the 5ppm used in the study, but 1ppm was effective at 1hr, and I did have enough meds to get to 0.5ppm (tons of quick cure). Sadly, catfish had about 50% mortality from that kind of treatment and I have a pictus and a bushynose pleco.
I'm going to wait until the cats seem stressed (or I go to bed) and I will perform two 50% waterchanges effectively bringing my levels down to 0.25ppm. I will perform two more when I leave in the AM to get the levels down to an effective 0.625ppm. That is just above the recommended dosage and therefore 2x the recommended for a cat. I will then return the charcoal filter and leave the lights on hopefully degrading the meds rapidly after that.
I'm stopping at the LFS tomorrow before I leave. Are there any meds that my landlord can easily use, does not require water changes, no more then a dose every 3 days and is safe for plants and cats over a 2 week period w/o water changes? Also should not have a negative reaction with malachite green or formalin.
The new fish showing major infection is now back in quarentine dosed with meds. The rest have minor fungus or just a bit on the fins.
Well, pictus is starting to stress, time to bring down the concentration and cross my fingers.
Pray for the fish. Someone help.
Sidenote - the quarentine tank that I dosed to 2ppm looks like the fish in it is cleared up actually. 1 hour, like the article said. Still, its staying in there till I get home, if its not dead, it can rejoin society.
