Which Is More Ideal, Melafix Or Myaxzin?

[jasminekiddell]

Hello, I have some spare money so im going to buy ither one of these treatments for my fish as a back up incase anything happens to the fish seen as both these meds seem to work on alot of things, pop-eye/finrot etc! Which is more ideal? i realize that mealfix is dearer.

 

[pippoodle]

myxazin - a lot of bettas dont handle melafix very well - if you have popeye /finrot myxazin will sort it out

api aquarium salt is always handy to have around aswell

 

[GuppyGoddess]

myxazin - a lot of bettas dont handle melafix very well - if you have popeye /finrot myxazin will sort it out

api aquarium salt is always handy to have around aswell

What is the problem with Bettas and Melafix? Should I be concerned since I just brought home my second Betta and put a tiny drop of Melafix in (she's in a 1-gallon right now) and I put a tiny bit more in my 3-gallon w/one Betta. The one in the 3-gallon looks like a small nip is in his fin, so I figured it'd be good to treat him and also the girl one at the same time since she is new.

Bettas do need aquarium salt?

Edited: When I did a search for Myxazin, UK websites came up. Is that med over-the-counter there? Seems like I'm the only person on this entire site who lives in the US!

 

[lilacamy931]

I would say also myaxzin hon, it has seemed a miracle worker for me. One of my bettas didnt react too kindly to melafix and involved emergency water changes.

TBH GuppyGoddess not sure! LOL there are a lot of UKers on here will have to go have a look on the internet what myaxzin could possibly equate to..

 

[jasminekiddell]

Yes i thought i'd heard melafix was a big strong etc, i might get some myaxzin and salt

 

[tropic_john]

myxazin p is better than the trop version. It's my fav medication! Melafix is rubbish, you can make some yourself using tea tree oil and stuff like that...

 

[ellena]

They aren't really comparable. Myxazin is an antibacterial medicine. If your betta got finrot say, you'd need to clear it up with myzaxin. Once the bacterial infection was gone, then you could use melafix to help with healing. So melafix is more a tonic than a real medicine.

 

[Anna Robinson]

Melafix has been extensively tested on Bettas - they don't have any problem with it. Mars Fishcare (API) even make a version specially for Bettas (this is more diluted in the bottle so easier to dose in small volumes of water).

You can't actually make your "own" Melafix with Tea Tree Oil. The standard Tea Tree Oil that you buy in the shops isn't at all the same Melaleuca oil as is in Melafix (not even the same species of Melaleuca). Secondly, as it has no emulsifiers added, it will not mix with the aquarium water. Therefore it won't have a beneficial effect, and can have a harmful effect by forming a slick on the water surface and affecting oxygen exchange.

Melafix isn't really a tonic any more than most treatments are a tonic - it is classed as and functions as a medication.

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Melafix has been extensively tested on Bettas - they don't have any problem with it. Mars Fishcare (API) even make a version specially for Bettas (this is more diluted in the bottle so easier to dose in small volumes of water).

One of the stores by me had the Betta version. Should have bought that instead (and will purchase it tomorrow)! Both Betta are acting fine (eating, still trying to bite me), but I did use a VERY small amout! Didn't want to risk damage to either one so I used as little as possible.

 

[pippoodle]

Melafix has been extensively tested on Bettas - they don't have any problem with it. Mars Fishcare (API) even make a version specially for Bettas (this is more diluted in the bottle so easier to dose in small volumes of water).

You can't actually make your "own" Melafix with Tea Tree Oil. The standard Tea Tree Oil that you buy in the shops isn't at all the same Melaleuca oil as is in Melafix (not even the same species of Melaleuca). Secondly, as it has no emulsifiers added, it will not mix with the aquarium water. Therefore it won't have a beneficial effect, and can have a harmful effect by forming a slick on the water surface and affecting oxygen exchange.

Melafix isn't really a tonic any more than most treatments are a tonic - it is classed as and functions as a medication.

WHAT a load of TOSH who told you melafix was perfectly safe on bettas and have been tested on them
Melafix contains a chemical that disturbs how the labyrinth organ works - all anataboids are the same with melafix - and thus drown as a result of using full dose melafix

 

[Tolak]

Melafix has been extensively tested on Bettas - they don't have any problem with it. Mars Fishcare (API) even make a version specially for Bettas (this is more diluted in the bottle so easier to dose in small volumes of water).

You can't actually make your "own" Melafix with Tea Tree Oil. The standard Tea Tree Oil that you buy in the shops isn't at all the same Melaleuca oil as is in Melafix (not even the same species of Melaleuca). Secondly, as it has no emulsifiers added, it will not mix with the aquarium water. Therefore it won't have a beneficial effect, and can have a harmful effect by forming a slick on the water surface and affecting oxygen exchange.

Melafix isn't really a tonic any more than most treatments are a tonic - it is classed as and functions as a medication.

WHAT a load of TOSH who told you melafix was perfectly safe on bettas and have been tested on them
Melafix contains a chemical that disturbs how the labyrinth organ works - all anataboids are the same with melafix - and thus drown as a result of using full dose melafix

Anna is a rep from Mars Fishcare, give that a Google. I'll bet the folks who told her are experienced lab employees, operating a lab far in excess of anything we have available.

What I would like to know is the difference in Melaleuca species, specifically the chemical differences, as many aquarists have made a suitable knockoff from tea tree oil. I would also like to know if it does affect labrynth fish, how and why it does so, and is this affect different from the store bought Melafix made from one species and the home made version made from another.

It would also be nice to know what exactly is in myxazin, as any pharmacology reference books I use state the proper chemical names for drugs used in the treatment of fish.

 

[Anna Robinson]

Tolak is correct, although technically I'm a consultant for Mars Fishcare (meaning not an employee, but someone who does work for them and bills them for it). The person who gave me this info was the main scientist in charge of developing Melafix; he and his team spent 6-7 years developing and testing it.

There is no evidence to suggest that Melafix causes problems in labyrinth fishes. This is one of those things that is heard, then repeated by people, until it is believed as fact. Given the amount of Melafix that is produced and used worldwide, if it caused the death of all labyrinth fishes I think that would be very well-known by now, and no longer be simply a rumour. I can't clearly imagine how it could cause problems for the labyrinth organ anyway; I'd be intrigued to hear exactly how people believe the harm could occur. I can confirm it was tested on Bettas and multiple species of gourami, with no problems.

Melafix uses cajeput oil, which I believe is Melaleuca leucadendron (although I do not know that much about Melaleuca taxonomy). I don't know about the chemical differences: all I know is that M. leucadendron was found to be more effective on fish ailments than M. alternifolia was (part of the extensive testing). It was also found that it had to be the right strain of M. leucadendron as well, sourced from certain places.

Melafix is specially processed with emulsifiers in order to mix with aquarium water; I really wouldn't recommend adding pure oil to a fish tank, it will only sit on the surface, which could cause problems with oxygen exchange.

I don't know what the active ingredients of Myxazin are.

 

[loraxchick]

i for one have had a perfectly healthy looking/acting/swimming/eating betta die in no more than 5 hours after administering for treatment of another fish in the tank. seems a bit too coincidental if you ask me.
and in a lab, are they using store bought random fish, or lines that the lab has bred and raised themselves? that would take the randomness out of it using your OWN genetic line as it doesnt affect ALL bettas similarly. some just cant tolerate it. perhaps the lab knows this and uses "falsified" data. im in the field. i know how it can work sometimes with certain studies. so instead of letting people think its 100% safe at recommended dosage and risk losing a fish that could have otherwise been saved by something simple like doing more waterchanges, i give fair warning to folks who are asking about it. someone else says it is ok and their fish reacts badly and dies and then they will think it would have died anyway and it wasnt the meds fault. i learned the hard way and tell everyone to be careful. dont really know what it is about it that some fish dont tolerate (labrynth organ or otherwise), but i know it killed my otherwise healthy fish!
i will continue to tell folks to only use half dose if they have their heart set on using it for whatever reason.
cheers

 

[GuppyGoddess]

i for one have had a perfectly healthy looking/acting/swimming/eating betta die in no more than 5 hours after administering for treatment of another fish in the tank. seems a bit too coincidental if you ask me.
and in a lab, are they using store bought random fish, or lines that the lab has bred and raised themselves? that would take the randomness out of it using your OWN genetic line as it doesnt affect ALL bettas similarly. some just cant tolerate it. perhaps the lab knows this and uses "falsified" data. im in the field. i know how it can work sometimes with certain studies. so instead of letting people think its 100% safe at recommended dosage and risk losing a fish that could have otherwise been saved by something simple like doing more waterchanges, i give fair warning to folks who are asking about it. someone else says it is ok and their fish reacts badly and dies and then they will think it would have died anyway and it wasnt the meds fault. i learned the hard way and tell everyone to be careful. dont really know what it is about it that some fish dont tolerate (labrynth organ or otherwise), but i know it killed my otherwise healthy fish!
i will continue to tell folks to only use half dose if they have their heart set on using it for whatever reason.
cheers

Can I step in to ask what to do about my Betta? I gave both a small dose of Metafix the last few days. . .they both seem fine, so should I give them the last dose of the minimum 3-day treatment? The little fish was given it because I got her from a chain store and I wanted to be sure she was healthy. The bigger betta has large fins and has a tiny tear in one of them. I was under the impression that with the bigger Betta, he would need the 7-day treatment. Should I finish that up with very small amounts and do partial water changes or just stop?

Thanks.

 

[loraxchick]

if they seem fine so far (two days in) then you could keep it up for another day. i dont outrightly think it should never be used, but i caution betta folks about melafix. your fish seem to be tolerating it fine (if they are otherwise acting normally) so they should be fine finishing up their treatment.
cheers