Can I use melafix and prazipro together?

[Lindsay1126]

So I got my first 2 fish in QT a few days ago. I got a purple firefish and a royal gramma. They both came from same water supply and I planned to use humbles option 1 for QT. So the second the RG got in the tank he hid, barely moving. He doesn't even come out to eat. After reading, I was hoping he was just being a shy RG. Well I then noticed that they had some white spots (didn't look like ich) so I did a FW dip, to determine flukes. Definetly fluke positive (on RG non on FF) Well I started my prazipro day 1 today. I went to check on RG to make sure it was still alive, and saw white stringy poop. I would take a picture, but its pointless he is hidden under the pvc pipe. Can I use both at the same time? I can't soak the metafix in the food, bc he is not eating. Thanks for any advice.

QT tank, bare bottom, lots of PVC (it was fully cycled before fish):
29 gallon
aquaclear 70 (2 spounges, bag of bio balls)
koralia (put at waterline, so it causes more air bubbles)
ammonia alert
150 watt cobalt heater

Temp: 78F
PH: 8.1
Phosphates: 0
Nitrate: 5
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
Calcium: 425

ETA: my purple firefish looks great, acting normally and is eating well.

 

[Big G]

Prazipro should not be mixed with antibiotics unless really necessary. You can end up with a bacterial bloom. For your second dose of Prazi, you could switch to API General Cure. It has metro already in the powder mix. Here's a link to a good discussion on General Cure: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/api-general-cure.195229/#post-2236352

 

[Maritimer]

Melafix isn't so much an antibiotic, as a gentle herbal aid to a fish's immune system. What you're looking for is "Metroplex", by Seachem.

The medicine Big G mentioned, "General Cure", by API, is possibly a better solution for you, if you can source it. General Cure contains both Metronidazole (the active ingredient in Metroplex) and Praziquantel (the active ingredient in Prazi-Pro). You can add one "Seachem measure" of either Metroplex or General cure _and_ one measure of Seachem's "Focus" to a tablespoon of food to combat internal parasites.

~Bruce

 

[Lindsay1126]

Thanks, yes that makes more sense. Sorry learning all these new meds is mind boggling. I doubt I will be able to get it to eat. I've been soaking frozen fish frenzy in garlic to try to entice him to eat to no avail. This morning he was wedged behind the heater and tried placing food directly in front of his mouth and he barely moved. He moves about in the tank (not very much), but its not looking good. Its crazy, bc I did my check on everything except asking LFS to feed the fish bc he was so active and looked really healthy. I will know better next time. How soon could I add the API general cure? On a side note, why is that not recommended instead of prazipro for the quarantine guidelines if it cures more things? Is it just more harsh on the fish? I noticed it while I was reading the tagged article, but assumed there must be a good reason, so I ordered the prazipro, wish I had just started with the other. Thanks.

 

[Maritimer]

Honestly?

I generally use General Cure, rather than Prazi - even though I have both in house, and paid an awful lot more for the Prazi-Pro. Then again, I've also recently had to deal with internal parasites and a bacterial infection, which is where the GC shines over the Prazi-Pro.

Don't apologize for learning stuff. Take pride in the fact that you're making that effort to absorb, understand and do right by the creatures in your care.

~Bruce, who didn't know from shinola about aquatic medications two years ago

 

[Lindsay1126]

So is it the same general timeline to be able to dose the general cure? Wait 5 days, water change (do I need to run carbon?), then redose. Is there anyway to do it sooner, or is that going to put my healthy fish as risk? I feel horrible, bc of course this is the fish my daughter picked on her birthday.

 

[Big G]

Honestly?

I generally use General Cure, rather than Prazi - even though I have both in house, and paid an awful lot more for the Prazi-Pro. Then again, I've also recently had to deal with internal parasites and a bacterial infection, which is where the GC shines over the Prazi-Pro.

Don't apologize for learning stuff. Take pride in the fact that you're making that effort to absorb, understand and do right by the creatures in your care.

~Bruce, who didn't know from shinola about aquatic medications two years ago

Well said, Bruce. Knowledge is great; experience makes us wish we had more.

 

[Big G]

So is it the same general timeline to be able to dose the general cure? Wait 5 days, water change (do I need to run carbon?), then redose. Is there anyway to do it sooner, or is that going to put my healthy fish as risk? I feel horrible, bc of course this is the fish my daughter picked on her birthday.

According to Humblefish, a dosage of Prazi stays active in the water column for 72 hours. That's almost the 5-7 day waiting time anyway. At that time do a 20-25% water change and then switch over to GC.

 

[Lindsay1126]

Ok that works. I’ll pick up GC tomorrow that way I have it ready. I sure hope the poor royal gramma can hold on. I’m hoping the prazipro at least makes him feel better from flukes, so he will eat.

Is there anything else I can do to help him eat? Thanks.

 

[Lindsay1126]

So this is the best I could do to get a shot of the gramma. That string of white stuff is what I was talking about and it looks attached. He darted around to find a new place to hide and it stayed dangling. I feel so bad for the little guy. In the mean time the fire fish is still doing well and looks great.

 

[Big G]

Firefish are tough little things. If you can find them, black worms are irresistible to most fish and full of vitamins & protein.

 

[Lindsay1126]

Firefish are tough little things. If you can find them, black worms are irresistible to most fish and full of vitamins & protein.

It’s not the firefish that’s worrying me, he is acyting perfectly normal. It’s the royal gramma that won’t eat. I will try to find some black worms. Are they sold frozen at the LFS?

 

[Big G]

Yes. A good LFS will sell them.

 

[Lindsay1126]

So he is not embedding himself into the crack anymore, but still hasn’t came out. The picture earlier I had to life the PvC to get a picture. The string is still attached, just getting longer.

Is there any chance the prazipro will help at all?

 

[Nick617]

Good luck treating the fish. Hope it goes well!

 

[Maritimer]

Prazi-Pro may help a little ... marine fish do drink some of the water they swim in, so he may get some meds that way. It's harder to really hammer an internal problem when the fish won't eat.

Most LFS don't carry frozen blackworms - but some will carry live ones. The wriggling motion of the live worms is what's irresistible. If your LFS carries live brine shrimp, feel free to try those as well, with the caveat that they're not nearly as nutritious as the blackworms.

~Bruce

 

[Lindsay1126]

Prazi-Pro may help a little ... marine fish do drink some of the water they swim in, so he may get some meds that way. It's harder to really hammer an internal problem when the fish won't eat.

Most LFS don't carry frozen blackworms - but some will carry live ones. The wriggling motion of the live worms is what's irresistible. If your LFS carries live brine shrimp, feel free to try those as well, with the caveat that they're not nearly as nutritious as the blackworms.

~Bruce

Are you talking about the live worms they sell for reptiles? The wriggling makes sense. Just want to make sure I go to the right kind of store. My favorite LFS only has sw fish, so they wouldn't have them. If its targeted for reptiles there are other LPS that may carry things like that. Thanks. I really hope this little guy pulls through. My 6 year old daughter rushed down to see him first thing in the morning, and doesn't understand why his is "sleeping behind the pipe".

 

[Big G]

Here's a company that sells blackworms online so you can see what they look like and get a feel for the price. I'd try to get some fast locally first.https://www.aquaticfoods.com/BlackwormCareM.html

 

[Maritimer]

Are you talking about the live worms they sell for reptiles?

I don't know whether anyone sells blackworms for reptiles. Mealworms and superworms are more commonly offered for reptiles, but they're both actually beetle larvae. Blackworms are more commonly sold for freshwater fish - or they used to be. Not one of the local fish shops near me seems to carry them any more. There is a place online that offers blackworms: https://aquaticfoods.com/BlackwormKeepersM.html

That quantity is a _lot_ of worms.

~Bruce

 

[Big G]

Blackworms are more commonly sold for freshwater fish

Used to feed them to my freshwater Angel fish. Normally placid Angel fish would literally jump out of the water to get to the blackworms in my fingers. Crazy reaction to food.