Can you use Melafix with catfish?

[trisha1972]

I have two spotted pictus in a tank. The tank has a couple of new swordies in it. One of the new swordies has a spot on it that I'm afraid is a fungus. I know that I can't add salt to the water since the cats are in there. Can I add something like Melafix??

 

[Bloo]

I haven't used Melafix with catfish yet (funny enough I just bought my first bottle today !) but their website (API) says it's safe to use with anything - even shrimps. In which case you can certainly assume it's safe to use with catfish.
It won't harm the biological media or plants either, but you do have to remove any carbon from the tank while treating.

 

[rdd1952]

The only fish I have heard of that may have problems with Melafix are bettas. Some people say it is too strong for them. I have successfully used it in half dosages on them though. Should not be a problem for catfish though.

Edited for spelling

 

[Bloo]

The only fish I have heard of that may have problems with Melafix are bettas. Some people say it is too strong for them. I have successfully used it in half dosages on them though. Should not be a problem for satfish though.

[snapback]875930[/snapback]​

yikes thanks for that info ! I was actually thinking of potentially using it on my sick female betta (in case the external parasite meds did not work for her unknown disease).

 

[Def]

That's why they make Bettafix... Diluted Melafix.

"It's only a betta" (tm)

 

[Bloo]

That's why they make Bettafix... Diluted Melafix.

"It's only a betta" (tm)

[snapback]876037[/snapback]​

Thanks, but they didn't have that in my lfs

Did you just say "it's only a Betta" ?!

 

[trisha1972]

Would you use Melafix for ich too if you have cats in your tank? I was looking at the Ick-Away label and it says not for "scaless fish".

 

[pnyklr3]

Rid-Ich is safe for scaleless fish.

 

[rdd1952]

That's why they make Bettafix... Diluted Melafix.

"It's only a betta" (tm)

[snapback]876037[/snapback]​

I looked at Bettafix but it seems like was diluted like 10 times so it would be the equivilent of only a 10th of a dose. It was pretty expensive considering how much you had to use.

 

[Bloo]

That's why they make Bettafix... Diluted Melafix.

"It's only a betta" (tm)

[snapback]876037[/snapback]​

I looked at Bettafix but it seems like was diluted like 10 times so it would be the equivilent of only a 10th of a dose. It was pretty expensive considering how much you had to use.

[snapback]876116[/snapback]​

Thanks for that info !

 

[IMCL85]

Deffenately no. Some one over on loaches.com have use malafix treating his angle and 6 out of 7 of his loaches die. Some jump out. Even for us human those smell of malafix is crap. Immagine to the fish.

 

[SarahBravo]

I use Melafix with my loaches and my cats - no problem at all.

As for bettas, Bettafix is exactly the same as melafix. It's 5 times weaker, but they tell you to put in 5 times as much. Buy Pond melafix and water it down! Much cheaper.

 

[Bloo]

Thanks for that info Sarah - out of interest, where did you get that table from ?

 

[SarahBravo]

I maded it (I'm sad). I had pond melafix to get the dose from and the % tea tree oil and I asked people on here to look at their bottles of regular melafix and bettafix and get the dose and the %. Then it was just getting my head around the maths! It's funny, betta people won't use melafix cos 'it's too strong' and use bettafix instead, but you are putting in exactly the same amount of tea tree oil. But it was recommended to do water changes between doses for bettas but not for other fish. Mind you, I've dosed my bettas and not done water changes, just followed the instructions exactly on the bottle and they are fine. (Feisty little beggars actually!).

 

[Bloo]

WoW Well done - fab info