# I messed up this time :(



## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

My betta, morty, was fine in his 10 gallon with 8 white clouds. Well he started to show signs of being picked on. Now his fins are shredded and parts are missing. I need a place to treat him but i don't have a invert free tank for treatment. I have a 10 gallon the i throw old filter pads in so it'll cycle. I bet by now it's broken in, can i add the betta to this tank, add a filter, and medicate it there? Right now the betta is in the white cloud tank, in a net sitting in the tank like a breeder net. What meds should i use?


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## Fishboy93 (Jun 11, 2005)

Melafix would probably help your betta...


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## Sprite42 (Mar 10, 2006)

You could probably just put him in clean, warm water and let his own natural immune system do the rest.

I usually don't recommend Melafix. Have you ever smelled that stuff? It even smells painful...anything that smells like that cannot be soothing *shudder*. I wouldn't use it on me, much less something that can't say *ouch*. Some folks do swear by it, though. It is really an herbal remedy that only has enough true meds to build resistence to real meds when needed.

If your betta isn't showing any signs of fin rot or fungus, I wouldn't treat him with any meds.


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2006)

melafix is like magic, IMO. I used it on a tinfoil barb that got torn up and he was healing within a few days. grew his scales back and it healed his fins.


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## Ramis (Apr 10, 2006)

Well, fish food smells pretty bad too Sprite, lol. You probably could just put him in a bowl without a filter as you said, he's just turn apart, not sick so the filter is not a necessity, but it would be nice to have I'd imagine.


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

Sprite42 said:


> You could probably just put him in clean, warm water and let his own natural immune system do the rest.
> 
> I usually don't recommend Melafix. Have you ever smelled that stuff? It even smells painful...anything that smells like that cannot be soothing *shudder*. I wouldn't use it on me, much less something that can't say *ouch*. Some folks do swear by it, though. It is really an herbal remedy that only has enough true meds to build resistence to real meds when needed.
> 
> If your betta isn't showing any signs of fin rot or fungus, I wouldn't treat him with any meds.


Melafix is made of Melaleuca Oil or Tea Tree Oil - thats what the smell is.. that stuff does wonders - you would really be surprised!


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## Sprite42 (Mar 10, 2006)

I actually have some of it in my fishie med cabinet. And...I have used it on two different bettas. The first one...you would have thought I had put him in acid. The other one...it never fazed.

I am just not a 'medicating' person....I do not believe in treating prophylactically. Fish usually deal with eough stressors in home aquaria as it is, I just prefer to wait until I have a clear diagnosis and treat with the appropriate meds, if needed. 

I do know people use Melafix, Bettafix and Pimafix faithfully and with good results. I don't doubt that it does work to some extent. However, in a closed environment, I just feel that a fish's own immune system needs to be as strong as possible. And, using things like Melafix causes his immune system to rely on outside intervention instead of it's own natural ability. In this case, with no clear sign of treatable illness, clean, warm water (with or without the filter, depending on the fish) is usually enough to give the fish's own immune system a chance to serve its purpose. IME, it does work.

Of course, this is just my opinion...I am always happy to share it....


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

I dont know about Bettafix and Primafix - but Melafix is made of a natural non-toxic substance. I used it on a syno cat that the fish store slipped me that was beat all to peices. he didnt even have any fins when I brought him home! He was completely healed in two weeks using that stuff. I know what you mean though about the fish needing to be able to rely on thier own immune systems and I also agree about not treating what you cant see.


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## meyerhaus (Feb 27, 2006)

Next time you have a fever, lock your self in a closet with a hepa filter...but don't take any asprin. Nyquil tastes like death, but I always get a good night's sleep and all of my fins are grown back...I mean my stuffiness is gone.

I understand that people may have an aversion to herbal meds, but you can't discount the use of medication on fish. I know that your post does not say that, but I think that it is important that people try to use meds with their water to see how it works for them.

I just reordered some Melafix from PetSmart (it is on sale).


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## Sprite42 (Mar 10, 2006)

> but I think that it is important that people try to use meds with their water to see how it works for them.


To me, it is not a matter of what works with their water...but, what works _for_ the fish.


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

Ok, he's going in the quarentine with some melafix, I'll update his condition. We'll see the true results of this stuff


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

meyerhaus said:


> Next time you have a fever, lock your self in a closet with a hepa filter...but don't take any asprin. Nyquil tastes like death, but I always get a good night's sleep and all of my fins are grown back...I mean my stuffiness is gone.
> 
> I understand that people may have an aversion to herbal meds, but you can't discount the use of medication on fish. I know that your post does not say that, but I think that it is important that people try to use meds with their water to see how it works for them.
> 
> I just reordered some Melafix from PetSmart (it is on sale).


I dont think Sprite has an aversion to hebal meds - I think what she was trying to say is that he should move the fish to clean water and someplace alone and see how he does. If he starts looking better after a dayt or two then maybe the fish doesnt need the meds.. If theres no reason to medicate then why should he..


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## Christine (Nov 4, 2005)

Georgia Peach said:


> I dont know about Bettafix and Primafix - but Melafix is made of a natural non-toxic substance.


Bettafix is just weaker Melafix.

Pimafix is like Melafix but for fungus.. it is also natural. It is Pimenta Racemosa oil


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## Sprite42 (Mar 10, 2006)

Thank you, Peach!  It just wasn't coming out of my mouth right!


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

well I still need to get out and buy some melafix but i managed to slap together a like cascade in tank filter, a 10 gallon, and a strip book light for a hostipal tank. I'm gonna keep him healthy as possible till i can get the melafix. What are good conditions for a betta when it comes to water? Please get back to me ASAP so i can keep this little guy healthy


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

I would think that very clean water that has been dechlorinated and that is as close to the same temperature and PH that he is in now. A big change in water temp and PH will make him even worse. Keep the water very, very clean while he is in the healing process - I suggest doing small partial water changes everyday while he is healing.


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## BettaMomma (Apr 20, 2006)

I don't actually like to use melafix either - if used according to the instructions on the bottle, it can (and did, in my case) burn the gills and fins of bettas. One of my bettas, Harvey, was on a full dose of it and within a few days he was panting at the bottom of his tank. Later I realized it had burned one of his gill rakers so bad that it doesn't come out anymore when he flares. 
And another one of my bettas that was getting dosed on it at the same time had severel crumpling of his fins. He, too, was panting at the bottom of his tank with a stress bar and no color.

After a full water change, both perked right up.

Now, I do know that folks have used it before with great results, but I am very leary of it. 

That's just my opinion too.


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## Dgjimbob (Jan 11, 2006)

The only thing with melafix is to use it sparingly. The directions say to use 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons, but a guy at the pet store said to use a little less because it is very potent. I had a betta who was about to die. He literally would just float around the tank from place to place. He would barely move to eat his food. His fins were all rotted too. Within a week he was starting to swim freely all the time.


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## MarineFish (Mar 6, 2006)

i love the stuff even though they are susposed to be safe for all marine inverts you need to use a smaller dossage i still use it i jsut cut the dosage in 1/2 and still does the trick


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## meyerhaus (Feb 27, 2006)

Never meant to bite back at anyone. I was just saying that sometimes, medication is needed to keep them alive. Torn fins can quickly become infected.


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## Guest (May 12, 2006)

Only use the Melafix for 4 days straight, then do a water change. If you use too much it can be lethal.


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## msdolittle (Mar 4, 2006)

I'm no expert on fish but I think I'm pretty knowledgeable about medicines and alternative meds in general. Someone said that Melafix is non toxic. Well, depends what you mean..... ANYTHING that has the power to HEAL also has the power to HURT. It doesn't matter how herbal a med is, just because its natural doesn't mean it won't hurt you/animals. 

I tend to agree with Sprite on the med issue........(med issue in general, like I said, I'm no fish expert). I don't medicate prophylactically and I don't medicate if an animal isn't sick. I believe in allowing the immune system to do its job. Kinda like a fever in a kid. The fever is there for a reason.....don't pump meds just because. And sometimes meds will just weaken an immune system even more. I'd think fish fall into this system too.


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## violet (Mar 17, 2006)

I got really curious about Melafix. It is the only thing I use other than just constant waterchanges unless it is a serious fully identified problem.

Cat scratched my arm. Nothing new, not deep just one of those rough surface scratches . I had just read this thread so I said what the heck. I put full strength Melafix on it. No sting at all, if anything it was slightly anesthetic.

But the thing that really surprised me and made me post now is that the scratch is basically gone. It healed differently than I am used to.

Was it a good idea to try? No, probably not. Would I try it on a more serious wound? No. Plus a more fair test would be to put it in my EYE or something that is very sensitive. Not going to happen.

But now I feel better about using it. True, I'm not a fish, but once it's diluted it probably isn't as irritating as the smell might suggest.

violet


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## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

Plastic tubs are good hospital tanks in a fix, and cheap too. I think it might even help the fish heal not to be distracted by the outside world through clear glass, but I could be wrong.

I usually use a half dose of Melafix. Pimafix on the other hand can be quite nasty indeed. I try not to use it unless I am out of ideas. Full strength dose for 7 days in a row will probably kill your fish.


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