szenic

Hello, wanted to check if this med will harm the beneficial bacteria in the tank? Also, I plan on treating my whole tank for internal parasites, though not all the fish are showing symptoms. Can this med harm the healthy fish in any way?

Seachem

Hello Szenic,

Thank you for your question. We recommend utilizing Metronidazole via a medicated food mix for internal parasites. Using it in conjunction with Focus, a binding agent, and mixing it in with the food will allow the fish to internalize the medication and quickly attack the parasites. There is no potential harm to any fish that are not exhibiting symptoms of disease. This will also minimize any effect that the medication will have on the beneficial bacterial colonies in your filter.

If you would like to read about Focus, please see this link:

http://www.seachem.com/Products/prod...ges/Focus.html

Let us know if you have additional questions.

szenic

The fish that are sick aren't eating, so I was planning on treating the water column rather than through food. Will it still be effective through the water column?

And from the answer, it seems this medication does indeed harm the beneficial bacterial colonies?

Seachem

Any medication with antibiotic properties has the potential to adversely affect the biofilter. However, all of our antibiotics should have minimal impact on your beneficial bacteria.

Metronidazole unfortunately is not the best option for treating directly into the water column, as it is really not very water soluble. Instead, I might suggest that you go with PolyGuard. This is a very effective medication for freshwater fish that is easily absorbed through the scales and gills and therefore does not require ingestion. You can read more about PolyGuard here:

http://www.seachem.com/Products/prod...PolyGuard.html

Please keep in mind that we cannot guarantee any of our medications to be 100% plant or invertebrate-safe, so if you must treat the entire tank, I would keep an eye on any plants and/or inverts that you have.

szenic

Thanks for the quick response, I have just ordered the Polyguard. I think I will still try the metronidazole through the water column while waiting for the PolyGuard to arrive, and will remove my purigen from the filter. Can the metronidazole be used in conjunction with the Polyguard or is that not advisable?

Also, are either of these meds dangerous for scaleless catfish?

Thanks.

Seachem

You're welcome. We don't recommend mixing medications, as there is potential for negative drug interactions to occur when doing so. With that said, if you want to try Metro directly in the tank for the time being, then I would recommend doing your best to pre-dissolve it in some fresh water before placing it into the tank; this will help with the solubility issue and will make it more effective.

Once your PolyGuard arrives, I would wait 24 hours after your last dose of Metronidazole to begin treatment. When used as directed, both of these medications are safe for scaleless catfish.

szenic

Okay, will do. And how often should I do water changes during the course of treatment with metronidazole? It says to treat until symptoms disappear, but does not mention anything about water changes.

Seachem

Just maintain your regular water change schedule. The medication will not build up or climb to toxic levels, so there is no need to increase the frequency or percentage of water changed.

szenic

Okay, thank you so much for your help!

Seachem

You are very welcome!