lion_crazz
Active Member
I had a pretty good discussion with the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals sales rep this week about using melafix and pimafix and I learned a pretty interesting tidbit that I thought I would pass along.
I was talking to him and told him how so many people complain that when they use Melafix and/or pimafix, the fish start gilling rapidly and many times, their use even results in fish loss,almost immediately.
He explained the gilling rapidly was in-fact from the medication. Melafix and pimafix do not kill all bacterias, only some. Thus, when the medication is used in tank that is not maintained well or at least up-to-par (not enough frequent water changes), the bacteria in your tank that the Melafix does not kill will actually feed off of the Melafix, which will result in a large bacteria bloom and a loss of dissolved oxygen. The fish will start breathing rapidly because the oxygen in the tank is actually going down.
Thus, when using either of these products, an oxygen test would be of great importance, and if you see that it is dropping, adding more water movement and oxygen would be in your fish's best interest.
I was talking to him and told him how so many people complain that when they use Melafix and/or pimafix, the fish start gilling rapidly and many times, their use even results in fish loss,almost immediately.
He explained the gilling rapidly was in-fact from the medication. Melafix and pimafix do not kill all bacterias, only some. Thus, when the medication is used in tank that is not maintained well or at least up-to-par (not enough frequent water changes), the bacteria in your tank that the Melafix does not kill will actually feed off of the Melafix, which will result in a large bacteria bloom and a loss of dissolved oxygen. The fish will start breathing rapidly because the oxygen in the tank is actually going down.
Thus, when using either of these products, an oxygen test would be of great importance, and if you see that it is dropping, adding more water movement and oxygen would be in your fish's best interest.
