home medicine for fish

[Fish Buddy]

Has any one used tea tree oil or garlic to cure fish illnesses?

 

[SPLiSH]

Nope, sorry. What kind of illness are you dealing with?

 

[Sorrell]

Melafix is tea tree oil

 

[SPLiSH]

Oh, I didn't know that. Thanks!

 

[lolly]

I am considering buying some Melafix, but have noticed that it is near £7 in lfs. Are you saying that pure tea tree oil can be used in solution instead of melafix? If so how do I go about making the right concentreations etc?
I have used essential oils for ages on myself never thought my fish could benefit!

 

[littlefishie]

Check out the DIY forum.. there's a posting on it detailing exactly how to mix it. Search for either Melafix or Melafake and it should pop up in that forum.

 

[sylvia]

Garlic is often used on marines I believe - so you may want to ask there about how to go about it.

I actualy think the most beneficial, natural medicine for freshwater fish is salt. When used correctly, it can cure and prevent a lot of diseases or conditions.

 

[CFC]

Many fish should never be exposed to salt even for medicinal purposes, this would include Appistogramma Cichlids, wild caught Corydoras, most Pimeloid catfishes and most South American Characins (tetras, pencil fish, silver dollars etc) as they have evolved in areas which have no measurable salt content to the water at all. While the harmfull effects of salt may not be seen immiedietly the damage is being done in secret, as the fish has not developed a way to excrete salts from the body the salts accumilate in the kidneys until eventually over time the kidney hardens and the fish dies from kidney failure. Please be sure to only use salt in tanks containing fish which are proven to be salt tolerent.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Fish Buddy

Here's a link to an old thread about MelaFix. You wll find my recipe for making Melafake out of tea tree oil on it:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...172&hl=melafake

 

[Fish Buddy]

What kind of illness are you dealing with?

I was thinking of usuing tee tree oil for fungal or bacterial infections. I know that fish medicines are expensive and wanted to 'beat the system'.
I was reading in aquarium fish magazine (not sure which one) where garlic was used for freshwater fish as well as salt. Because I never heard of that before I wanted to know what you guys thought.
Thanks for the responses

Here's a link to an old thread about MelaFix. You wll find my recipe for making Melafake out of tea tree oil on it:

Now we just need to know how to mix it from pure tee tree oil -how many drops to the gallon-

 

[Bignose]

The commerical Melafix contains some inert stabalizers/surfactants to help keep the oil and water in solution better. Just be sure to very, very vigourously shake the homemade stuff and use it quickly after shaking. It wouldn't hurt to stir the tank water a little, too.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Fish Buddy

I just realized that you are in Canada and might need the recipe using British measurements. This thread has both my (American) and CFC's (UK) formulas. I hope this is more helpful to you.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...472&hl=melafake

 

[Sorrell]

Garlic is great for fish who aren't eating, if you add garlic to the food they will take it more readily

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Sorrell

How do you mix the garlic with the food? Do you squeeze juice on it or what?


Have you ever heard anything about garlic being used as a cure for internal parasites in fish? I was told that by someone, but since I haven't heard of it since, I was wondering if it was a myth.

 

[gaya]

I've read around the web that garlic is really good for fish too but have been afraid to try it. Makes sense though. It's good for us, why not fish. One sight I came across said to soak the flake food in the garlic juice b4 feeding it to fish but I don't know how reliable a source it was and I can't remember the name of the site.