Treating nipped tail with melafix

[Guppylover3x]

My smallest guppy in the tank has unfortunately had his tail nipped in a few areas. I do try to avoid using medication but I’m thinking of treating with melafix in case it’s fin rot or turning into to fin rot. I’ve seen guppies tails heal within a week that have been split with 75% daily water changes. However, his tails nipped in more than one area at stated. Has anyone had any luck using this before? I’ve never used melafix before so I’m not sure. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Some will say it’s not any good but I personally like it for small things like tail splits. I use it on my goldfish at times.

 

[Guppylover3x]

Some will say it’s not any good but I personally like it for small things like tail splits. I use it on my goldfish at times.

Thanks for your reply Deanasue. I just want it to heal before it gets any worse and he starts struggling to swim he’s managing okay at the moment. Do you know if it’s harmful to plants? How long does treatment last? Thank you for your help.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Thanks for your reply Deanasue. I just want it to heal before it gets any worse and he starts struggling to swim he’s managing okay at the moment. Do you know if it’s harmful to plants? How long does treatment last? Thank you for your help.

It didn’t affect my anubias or amazon sword. I don’t know about other plants. It also had no negative affect on my nitrogen cycle. I use it mainly to be sure tail rot doesn’t start. I have used it anywhere from several days to a week before. One of my Goldie’s just recently lost some scales and one area was looking a little fuzzy. I used it for 3 days and everything was fine. Just watch and see how it’s healing.

 

[Guppylover3x]

It didn’t affect my anubias or amazon sword. I don’t know about other plants. It also had no negative affect on my nitrogen cycle. I use it mainly to be sure tail rot doesn’t start. I have used it anywhere from several days to a week before. One of my Goldie’s just recently lost some scales and one area was looking a little fuzzy. I used it for 3 days and everything was fine. Just watch and see how it’s healing.

Thanks for the feedback. I’ll look into purchasing some, as long as his tail heals that’s all that’s important, plants can be replaced I guess. I’m assuming you keep the solution in the water for 24 hours and then carry out a water change to either remove it or carry on with treatment? Thank you very much for your help.

 

[Byron]

My smallest guppy in the tank has unfortunately had his tail nipped in a few areas. I do try to avoid using medication but I’m thinking of treating with melafix in case it’s fin rot or turning into to fin rot. I’ve seen guppies tails heal within a week that have been split with 75% daily water changes. However, his tails nipped in more than one area at stated. Has anyone had any luck using this before? I’ve never used melafix before so I’m not sure. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

It is not usual for a fin nip to become fin rot, or fungus. Clean water is the best treatment. A nipped fin may re-grow. A water change would do more good than medication.

As for Melafix, it can kill fish. Guppies are not likely to fall victim, but I know from experience than characins, cories, and loricariids can be seriously affected, and sometimes die. Melafix and Primafix are not good treatments.

 

[Guppylover3x]

It is not usual for a fin nip to become fin rot, or fungus. Clean water is the best treatment. A nipped fin may re-grow. A water change would do more good than medication.

As for Melafix, it can kill fish. Guppies are not likely to fall victim, but I know from experience than characins, cories, and loricariids can be seriously affected, and sometimes die. Melafix and Primafix are not good treatments.

Thank you for your reply Byron. I agree and I’ve seen from past experiences that nipped tails are prone to becoming finrot. How long would you advice I carry out water changes for before I add melafix in? And what frequency do you recommend? I’m guessing this would be up to 75% daily including gravel cleans. Please could you confirm. Melafix sounds quite strong if it’s capable of killing fish. This being said any medication can be considered strong. Many thanks for your feedback.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Melafix is tea tree oil. Tea tree essential oils are known for their antiseptic use and cleanses wounds. Humans use it as well. You can’t use it on labyrinth fish but never had a problem with other fish. People hear things and repeat it for truth. Melafix does not kill guppies.

 

[Guppylover3x]

Melafix is tea tree oil. You can’t use it on labyrinth fish but never had a problem with other fish. People hear things and repeat it for truth. Melafix does not kill guppies.

After reading apparently it doesn’t harm any plants or shouldn’t do anyway. I didn’t know it was tea tree oil thank you for confirming.

 

[Byron]

My experience is not hearsay, it was direct. I treated with Melafix for an assumed fungus infection, and following directions dosed daily for three days. The instructions (from API's website and on the bottle) are:

Add 5 ml per 10 gallons of aquarium water. Dose daily for 7 days. After 7 days, make a 25% water change.
​

On the third day it became obvious the fish were having very serious issues, including very rapid respiration and clear signs they did not like their surroundings. I watched this for a few hours before deciding to do a major water change. Problem solved, and fortunately no fish lost.

That was several years ago. A few weeks back, I gave some of my Farlowella fry to an aquarist friend. He subsequently informed me that they and his other fish (characins) had all died within a day or two. Upon questioning, I learned he had used Melafix for what he thought was a fungus. Obviously the Melafix killed the Farlowella, as they cannot tolerate such medications.

Treating fish with these "over the counter" cure-all products is not good husbandry. Clean water is a better option. And with this any nipped fin will not become fin rot but will heal itself depending upon the degree of the nipping. But it should not fungus unless water conditions are not good.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Melafix is not a “Cure all” but a treatment for minor bacterial infections such as fin rot. I would never consider using it for fungus infections as it isn’t strong enough. I believe mouth fungus is the only fungus it may help. In my experience, fin rot heals much faster with the use of the antiseptic tea tree oil in Melafix. We use it in healthcare much like swabbing with alcohol. I don’t know why your fish died but without proof, you can’t say it was the Melafix. It’s Mostly tea tree oil which is used in holistic medicine. Your fish were ill and could have been many things. Another one we will have to agree to disagree on.

 

[Byron]

Melafix is not a “Cure all” but a treatment for minor bacterial infections such as fin rot. I would never consider using it for fungus infections as it isn’t strong enough. I believe mouth fungus is the only fungus it may help. In my experience, fin rot heals much faster with the use of the antiseptic tea tree oil in Melafix. We use it in healthcare much like swabbing with alcohol. I don’t know why your fish died but without proof, you can’t say it was the Melafix. It’s Mostly tea tree oil which is used in holistic medicine. Your fish were ill and could have been many things. Another one we will have to agree to disagree on.

I actually meant bacterial, that was my slip, sorry. But the Melafix did without question negatively impact the fish. And they did not die because I have the ability to recognize negative signs in my fish and I try to deal with it, and here they were being poisoned by Melafix.

Characins in particular are highly sensitive to any and all chemicals/medications/substances. It is because of their heightened chemical response system. My friend was not so lucky and he killed his fish with Melafix.

Understand fish physiology is key to success. Every substance added to the water gets inside the fish, into the bloodstream and then the internal organs. And they affect the gills, which is why respiration is usually a key indicator of trouble. Though that trouble can be from many very different sources. It is sensible to consider that fish in nature do not all die off from these issues, which are certainly present; if they did the way aquarists assume they will if not treated with this or that, there would be no freshwater fish left alive. Let the fish heal themselves. It is after all only our fault as the aquarist that they have the problem/disease/bacteria/fungus in the first place.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I’m sorry but just found a guppy in distress and have to take care of it. Later!

 

[FishGuest5123]

From API, makers if Melafix...

API® Melafix is an all-natural antibacterial treatment that works to treat infections in fish. ... API Melafix will not adversely affect the biological filter, alter the pH, or discolor water. It is safe for use in freshwater, saltwater, and reef aquariums, and in aquariums with live plants.

 

[Byron]

From API, makers if Melafix...

API® Melafix is an all-natural antibacterial treatment that works to treat infections in fish. ... API Melafix will not adversely affect the biological filter, alter the pH, or discolor water. It is safe for use in freshwater, saltwater, and reef aquariums, and in aquariums with live plants.

I'm not one who accepts everything a manufacturer claims when they are trying to get more people buying their products. Nothing against API, they make some very good products that I use, but this is not one of them.

Substances entering the bloodstream are a serious business./