Tetracycline

[Captain Retardo]

I have some Columnaris in my tank. May I use Tetracycline for my whole tank? Some of the fish aren't sick, but Columnaris is contagious isn't it?

One of my Kuhli Loaches has Columnaris, he can have Tetracycline, right?

I have put Melafix into the tank for now.

 

[WILDER]

Maracyn one and two would be betteer as tetracycline will wipe the bacteria colony out in the filter.
As long as you turn the aeration up in the tank the loach should be fine

 

[Captain Retardo]

Maracyn costs way too much! Why will maracyn not kill my filter but Tetracycline will? It says it is safe for filters...

Anyway, I haven't really started treatment yet because I can't really catch my loach. I turned the aeration way up, temp is at 74-75 and I've been putting in Melafix and feeding great quality foods. Loach is looking better, but I can still see the Columnaris...

 

[WILDER]

Well if it say safe for filters than go for it, but i doubt it.

 

[Captain Retardo]

Should I treat the entire main tank? or try to remove the sick fish?

 

[Tolak]

I would remove the sick fish. Besides risking your bio filtration, you will spend less on meds, have an easier time observing the sick fish in a spartan tank, have an easier time with water changes, and probably most importantly, you won't risk any sort of med immunity or strain of bacteria immune to the meds among the well fish. For the small amount of short term stress created by catching the fish, it has less stress long term being in a tank by itself.

Off the top of my head, tetracycline affects mainly gram positive and some gram negative bacteria. Your bio filtration is composed of gram negative bacteria.

 

[Captain Retardo]

Okay, I'll try to catch that dang loach!

 

[QuotheRaven]

Oh god I cannot think of anything worse wiping out all the bacteria in my filter......I wouldn't risk wiping the colonies in the filter