Is Metronidazole reef safe?

[pixelhustler]

I have a wrasse with uronema following an aquarium move.

Is metronidazole reef safe for softies and LPS? If so, what’s the recommended dose for display tank treatment?

I have dosed cipro in tank before without issues and I know people have used metro for dinos, but I’m wondering if there are any reported coral deaths.

 

[MnFish1]

I have a wrasse with uronema following an aquarium move.

Is metronidazole reef safe for softies and LPS? If so, what’s the recommended dose for display tank treatment?

I have dosed cipro in tank before without issues and I know people have used metro for dinos, but I’m wondering if there are any reported coral deaths.

First - Metronidazole is not going to cure Uronema. Second, If you are going to treat anything - perhaps the vest thing is to set up a hospital tank. There is no clue per your post that this is uronema except what you say - can you post multiple pictures in white light.

 

[pixelhustler]

First - Metronidazole is not going to cure Uronema. Second, If you are going to treat anything - perhaps the vest thing is to set up a hospital tank. There is no clue per your post that this is uronema except what you say - can you post multiple pictures in white light.

Difficult to get a good picture but the wrasse is missing a chunk of tissue on its side. It emerged from the sand this way a week after the move and it’s unlikely to be an injury as it went into the sand un damaged the day after the move.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Seachem says their metroplex is safe for invertebrates. I've always avoided using it in a tank other than a fish-only quarantine, so I do not have any data to support that.

However, Metronidazole will not control internal Uronema (which is rarely contagious) as @MnFish1 said, so I would not dose that in a tank with corals - no real benefit, with possible adverse reactions.

Jay

 

[Sharkbait19]

Looks like an injury - uronema will appear more like a straight red bar, and the wrasse would be dead in days.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

This looks more like a bacterial infection from some sort of injury.

Jay

 

[pixelhustler]

This looks more like a bacterial infection from some sort of injury.

Jay

In that case, are there any in tank treatments that might aid against further infection? It’s going to be very doffult to catch this wrasse and I’ll probably need to tear down the tank again.

How does Ciproflaxin differ from metronidazole? I’ve done in tank cipro to remediate an infection on euphyllia and with no I’ll effects. I followed this dosage: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/e...ic-treatments-for-brown-jelly-disease.782438/

I would also dose microbacter or similar as I’ve definitely lost part of my bacterial colonies during the move.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

In that case, are there any in tank treatments that might aid against further infection? It’s going to be very doffult to catch this wrasse and I’ll probably need to tear down the tank again.

How does Ciproflaxin differ from metronidazole? I’ve done in tank cipro to remediate an infection on euphyllia and with no I’ll effects. I followed this dosage: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/e...ic-treatments-for-brown-jelly-disease.782438/

I would also dose microbacter or similar as I’ve definitely lost part of my bacterial colonies during the move.

Metronidazole is an antiprotozoal drug that has some limited affect against anaerobic bacteria. Most external bacterial infections of fish are aerobic, gram negative species, so it has no benefit for those. Ciprofloxacin is a general antibiotic that has some benefit against gram negative and some gram positive bacteria....but not Uronema.

Dosage is the key here - cipro is used by some aquarists at lower doses in reef tanks to control some bacterial issues of corals.


Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

I agree this is bacterial and not uronema or close to. ALWAYS best to identify and verify conditions Before throwing a fish into meds which can prolong real issue and even make matters worse.
Quarantine tank will be needed using Seachem Kanaplex or even neoplex for this issue and increase oxygen with air stone and maintain Good water quality