Ich or velvet?

[cmcoker]

Sorry to Hi-jack the thread, in my experience (24+ years) I have found that feeding metronidazole to newly added fish a successful proactive method of preventing ich. Eradication of everything with a poison is not always the best option either. Nothing is 100 percent successful in Eradication of anything besides death. Think about cancer and the autoimmune conditions that use chemotherapy and autoimmune drugs eradicate your immune system? Copper is a old school flawed method and should be saved as a last ditch attempt. Can you ever successful eradicate it anyways? Diseases are stress, environmental related induced. We tend to treat the symptoms and assume destroying everything is good strategy ( think antibiotics). So I am going to respectfully disagree with you both...Copper is a short sided method and the cost to the health of the fish is more than you think. The real issue at hand is due to stress, water conditions and a compromised immune system of the fish (Copper compromises the fish immune system also). The issue is compounded by isolation in aquariums allowing the diseases to spread and grow into plague like proportions that then overwhelms other healthy fishes natural defenses. This is why I think metronidazole is effective as it controls the outbreak from turning into plague like proportions. My goal is to get the new fish stabilized and to allow there natural defenses to do their jobs (with a little help). Some food for thought before you go forth and eradicate everything. Time and a place for all options but copper will and always be a last ditch attempt for me. After Reading another thread by Dr. Humble he is a eradication man and I get it. Just not for me...Good luck.

Happy Fish keeping and good luck in the fight.

Good luck with that.


@melypr1985 @4FordFamily I'd appreciate if y'all had any input on post #11 above. Thanks.

 

[Humblefish]

@cmcoker You will be fine mixing General Cure w/Copper; just point a powerhead towards the surface of the water (or run an air stone) to compensate for the possibility of a bacterial bloom.

 

[cmcoker]

@cmcoker You will be fine mixing General Cure w/Copper; just point a powerhead towards the surface of the water (or run an air stone) to compensate for the possibility of a bacterial bloom.

Thanks, I will add it tomorrow once it gets here. Already run a powerhead breaking the surface. I'll add another, I'm sure there's a spare around here somewhere.

 

[4FordFamily]

Good luck with that.


@melypr1985 @4FordFamily I'd appreciate if y'all had any input on post #11 above. Thanks.

Agree. I can’t say for sure if it has flukes but I think I see what you mention — it’s not uncommon for fish to be afflicted by both, these days!

The only way to know for sure is to freshwater dip the fish in a dark bucket and look for white sesame seeds at the bottom of the bucket afterward.

Good luck, friend!