# Tea Tree Oil: How much is too much?



## Betta splendens

I have a guppy with badly damaged fins. Like, most of her tail is gone. 

I hear the wonders of tea tree oil and how people use it with fish. However, I'm always weary of things that smell so strongly haha

So in a 4 or so gallon hospital tank, how much should I use?


Thanks, 
Betta splendens


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## <3~Pleco~<3

Well instead of using straight tea tree oil, i suggest getting some melafix, which if im not mistaken has that stuff in it already. It has directions and works wonders with multiple issues that occur in your tank (including fin rot)


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## Betta splendens

Everything's closed here due to snow, assuming Germany even has anything like that (I think I tried looking before but had no luck). I'd much prefer not to wait (with work, and the fact that German stores close ridiculously early on Sat, and aren't even open on Mon, let alone the snow) until god knows when (probably next week)

What else is in melafix? Maybe I could make some similar mixture?


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## <3~Pleco~<3

Ok, you could try the straight tea tree oil thing. I would think its pretty safe. I would try putting in maybe half a teaspoon or something to begin with? 
I think it would be hard to make homemade melafix. Half the ingredients I do not even know.
Hopefully someone else will respond who has a better handle on this kind of thing than me.


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## bmlbytes

The active ingredient in Melafix is a tea tree oil called Melaleuca. There is 1% Melaleuca to 99% inert ingredients. I think you could make your own if you could get those ratios (check the packaging of the Melaleuca you buy to see the current ratio). You could probably just mix it with water if it will mix with water by itself. After you get that ratio, add 1 tsp per 10 US gallons of water (8.3 Imperial gallons or 38 liters).

Pimafix, a bay tree oil remedy for fungus, is 1% Pimenta racemosa, and Bettafix is 0.2% Melaleuca (the same stuff as melafix, but in a lighter concentration).


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