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I'm hoping Brandon will add to this one, as he's our resident pathology guru. A general bit on antibiotics and medications I've had experience working with:
All medications administered orally should be mixed with Seachem Focus. It's a nitrofuran binder with mild antibiotic properties. It causes the medication to stick to the food. Without it, most of the medication washes off as soon as it hits the water. Not sure what's in the product you're using? Read the active ingredients.
If you do not see positive results within 48 hours of starting a treatment, you're probably using the wrong antibiotic. Be sure to strip all other medications from the water column before dosing a new one, as some combinations can prove instantly fatal to fish.
Antibiotics must be administered properly, as failure to do so will create resistant strains. If an antibiotic is working, you must run it for the full course, not just until the fish looks healthy. The target bacteria must be elminated.
The terms 'gram-positive' and 'gram-negative' refer to the results of a stain test. A strain of bacteria that reacts to a specific color of stain is 'postive'. If it does not react, it is 'negative'. It's this reaction that tells us which construction of antibiotic will be effective. Just about everything you'll be treating is gram-negative.
Metronidazole is not effective as an antibiotic. It is antiparasite and antiprotozoan, and works best on internal parasites, but still useful with external. It is best administered orally. It's in the same class as praziquantal.
Praziquantal based medications are best for treating internal parasites suchas worms. It's best administered orally or as a bath. It's useful life in the water column is not much more than a few hours, as it degrades very rapidly.
Kanamyacin is an antibiotic that is very effective against a wide range of gram negative strains of bacteria. This is probably the best antibiotic we have out there right now. If you know you're dealing with a bacterial infection, but not sure which one, you should reach for this one first. This product is best administered orally. It also works well used inside a QT system for internal infections as it is absorbed easily through the gills.
Neomyacin is an antibiotic that is very effective against a wide range of gram negative strains of bacteria. Neomyacin is best used to treat external infections inside a QT system. It can also be used to treat internal infections, though not as effectively as Kanamyacin. It is the main active ingredient in Neosporin.
Sulfathiazole is not a true antibiotic, but has antibacterial properties. If you have no clue what you're treating, this is a good one to use. It treats bacterial, fungal, and protozoan infections. It doesn't work as well as a specific antibiotic, but is more effective than doing nothing. The dosage can also be increased substantially, safely. It is one of the ingredients in the popular product Triple Sulfa.
Eurythromyacin was at one point a great antibiotic. Overuse in the industry has led to a large resistance against this by most bacteria. It's only practical marine use now is to treat true secondary fungal infections and cyanobacteria.
Nitrofuracin is an antibiotic that is very affective against a wide range of gram negative strains of bacteria. It's second only to Kanamyacin, but has the drawback of staining the water very yellow. It is the main ingredient in the popular product Furan-2.
Malachite Green is a toxic dye and is an ingredient in many parasite medications. It works by staining and being absorbed by the parasite, killing it.
Formalin is formaldehyde. It's toxic and should be used only if you know exactly how to use it, as an overdose will kill your fish. It is very affective when used properly.
Well, I've have to run for now, I'll try to update this more later.
All medications administered orally should be mixed with Seachem Focus. It's a nitrofuran binder with mild antibiotic properties. It causes the medication to stick to the food. Without it, most of the medication washes off as soon as it hits the water. Not sure what's in the product you're using? Read the active ingredients.
If you do not see positive results within 48 hours of starting a treatment, you're probably using the wrong antibiotic. Be sure to strip all other medications from the water column before dosing a new one, as some combinations can prove instantly fatal to fish.
Antibiotics must be administered properly, as failure to do so will create resistant strains. If an antibiotic is working, you must run it for the full course, not just until the fish looks healthy. The target bacteria must be elminated.
The terms 'gram-positive' and 'gram-negative' refer to the results of a stain test. A strain of bacteria that reacts to a specific color of stain is 'postive'. If it does not react, it is 'negative'. It's this reaction that tells us which construction of antibiotic will be effective. Just about everything you'll be treating is gram-negative.
Metronidazole is not effective as an antibiotic. It is antiparasite and antiprotozoan, and works best on internal parasites, but still useful with external. It is best administered orally. It's in the same class as praziquantal.
Praziquantal based medications are best for treating internal parasites suchas worms. It's best administered orally or as a bath. It's useful life in the water column is not much more than a few hours, as it degrades very rapidly.
Kanamyacin is an antibiotic that is very effective against a wide range of gram negative strains of bacteria. This is probably the best antibiotic we have out there right now. If you know you're dealing with a bacterial infection, but not sure which one, you should reach for this one first. This product is best administered orally. It also works well used inside a QT system for internal infections as it is absorbed easily through the gills.
Neomyacin is an antibiotic that is very effective against a wide range of gram negative strains of bacteria. Neomyacin is best used to treat external infections inside a QT system. It can also be used to treat internal infections, though not as effectively as Kanamyacin. It is the main active ingredient in Neosporin.
Sulfathiazole is not a true antibiotic, but has antibacterial properties. If you have no clue what you're treating, this is a good one to use. It treats bacterial, fungal, and protozoan infections. It doesn't work as well as a specific antibiotic, but is more effective than doing nothing. The dosage can also be increased substantially, safely. It is one of the ingredients in the popular product Triple Sulfa.
Eurythromyacin was at one point a great antibiotic. Overuse in the industry has led to a large resistance against this by most bacteria. It's only practical marine use now is to treat true secondary fungal infections and cyanobacteria.
Nitrofuracin is an antibiotic that is very affective against a wide range of gram negative strains of bacteria. It's second only to Kanamyacin, but has the drawback of staining the water very yellow. It is the main ingredient in the popular product Furan-2.
Malachite Green is a toxic dye and is an ingredient in many parasite medications. It works by staining and being absorbed by the parasite, killing it.
Formalin is formaldehyde. It's toxic and should be used only if you know exactly how to use it, as an overdose will kill your fish. It is very affective when used properly.
Well, I've have to run for now, I'll try to update this more later.
