Does Peroxyde salt treat for bacterial infections?

[Pete Hammersley]

Hi.

ive been having the dreaded tank crash over the last 3 weeks. I have lost 8 out of my 21 fish from a bacterial infection that has spread in my tank. Some fish it shows as a haze on their scales, others dark grey patches (see photo), others just losing appetite and seemingly disappearing.

My LFS has given me polyp labs medic, which is just peroxide salts, as the only named ingredient.
Reading the instructions when I got home, it seems to be mainly aimed at parasites such as ich / velvet etc... does this type of treatment help with the problem I’m experiencing?
Thanks.

 

[Montiman]

If the fish are still eating I would immediately switch to a true antibiotic. I usually use metronidazole like in SeaChem Metroplex. Adding this to fish food is a great way to give the fish true antibiotics in a reef tank.

While peroxide can kill bacteria the levels needed are high enough that I doubt the medic is having a huge effect.

 

[Pete Hammersley]

If the fish are still eating I would immediately switch to a true antibiotic. I usually use metronidazole like in SeaChem Metroplex. Adding this to fish food is a great way to give the fish true antibiotics in a reef tank.

While peroxide can kill bacteria the levels needed are high enough that I doubt the medic is having a huge effect.

thanks for the advice. My only problem is here in the UK I can’t buy that product. I can’t seem to find a product that calls itself an antibiotic on eBay or amazon.

 

[Montiman]

Another product that I have found effective is API Melafix. However I have always administered this as a fish dip where I removed the fish placed it in a bucket with the solution and an air stone, and returned the fish to the tank in one hour. This may not be possible with fish in a reef tank but it will not harm any corals. Melafix is also herbal and not an antibiotic.

 

[Pete Hammersley]

Another product that I have found effective is API Melafix. However I have always administered this as a fish dip where I removed the fish placed it in a bucket with the solution and an air stone, and returned the fish to the tank in one hour. This may not be possible with fish in a reef tank but it will not harm any corals. Melafix is also herbal and not an antibiotic.

Thanks, and I wish I could administer a medication in that way. My problem is that my reef is aquascaped with so many caves, overhangs and ledges that I have never been able to catch a single fish! It’s a 6 foot tank and the fish are so fast!
thanks for the tip.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Melafix is also herbal and not an antibiotic.

I'm not sure how you are defining antibiotic, but most definitions include this material since it is a chemical that kills microorganisms. Lots of antibiotics have a natural origin. Melafix happens to be a natural antibiotic.

 

[Montiman]

I'm not sure how you are defining antibiotic, but most definitions include this material since it is a chemical that kills microorganisms. Lots of antibiotics have a natural origin. Melafix happens to be a natural antibiotic.

I understand this.

In my locality a license is needed for aquarium pharmaceuticals including antibiotics, but whatever material is in melafix is not regulated. So antibiotic in the linguistic and scientific sense, but most importantly not an antibiotic under the law.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I understand this.

In my locality a license is needed for aquarium pharmaceuticals including antibiotics, but whatever material is in melafix is not regulated. So antibiotic in the linguistic and scientific sense, but most importantly not an antibiotic under the law.

OK.
Fair enough. Law often lags science. My wife is a lawyer. lol