Question about non-reef safe meds

[ichthyogeek]

I'm doing some web searches for meds that won't negatively affect corals, snails, and macroalgaes, and was hoping somebody could attest to why certain meds are considered non-reef safe. This is for prophylactically treating some diseases that may/may not be present but I would prefer to be 100% certain are not present due to their prevalence. The diseases I haven't found good solutions for are: Vibrio bacteria and Uronema. The ones I have found solutions for are: Ich/velvet/Brooklynella (fallow period of 11 weeks), and Flukes (Praziquantel, which I think is reef safe).

Why is metronidazole not considered reef safe? Is it coral, snail, and/or macroalgae safe? I'd like to use it to treat for Uronema. If not, is there a safe alternative?

I've found some stuff on the use of Erythromycin on Vibrio cholerae, and aside from killing beneficial bacteria, it should be safe for everything else, correct? I've heard that Nitrofuracin Green may not be safe for invertebrates, but is it?https://www.cdc.gov/cholera/treatment/antibiotic-treatment.html

 

[vetteguy53081]

Non reef safe such as copper/copperbased will kill as coral and inverts.

 

[ichthyogeek]

Non reef safe such as copper/copperbased will kill as coral and inverts.

Well yes, but my questions pertained more to metronidazole. erythromycin, and nitrofuracin green, rather than copper.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Most of those are penicillin based and can cause harm to corals and shrimp

 

[ichthyogeek]

Most of those are penicillin based and can cause harm to corals and shrimp

As in the meds that aren’t coral/shrimp safe are all penicillin based? Or that metro, erythro, and nitrofuracin green are all penicillin based and are harmful to corals and shrimp? I wouldn’t think that any of the meds I mentioned are penicillin based, especially after looking at the chemical structures...