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I was wondering if anyone knew anything about Melafix? I am on my 6th day of usage. I took my filter cartridges out and now my tank is getting really dirty and disgusting. The bottle says to remove filter "If possible". Do u think the Melafix will still work if I put the filters back in?

You are not supposed to actually remove your filter cartridge, what they mean is to remove the activated carbon found in your filter cartridge. if left in this could render the melafix useless.

[span class="edited"][Edited by Jessnick42503 2004-08-14 15:38][/span]

Melafix is an antiseptic treatment usually all you take out is your black carbon in your filter.

No idea about melafix. but I'm using a diffirent brand of ich removal stuff, and it seems to be working fine with the filter in. Maybe up the dosage a little bit/ continue adding the stuff for longer if you keep the filter in, but I'm not sure.

Plus a little side note i have tried Melafix along with Pimafix, to treat some fin rot on my bettas with no success at all....however i used the same treatment on my community tank which was having many problems, and now tank is great.It also stinks....the room the treated tank was in smelled of it very badly.

I have just recently purchashed this 72 gal bow front and it has two Whisper #3 filters on each side of the tank. The cartridges came with the filter with the carbon already in them. How do u remove the carbon & will u be able to use it again?

On the Whisper filters you will eventually have to get refill "bio-bags"..each one you buy comes with activated carbon which you put in the bag yourself and then rinse thouroghly to activate it and remove all the carbon dust...removing this after a tank has cycled should not affect your nitrogen cycle in your tank if you need to medicate it.

Can anyone tell me how long it should take for mouth fungus to be completly removed? I used the Melafix for about 6 days and it says to use for 7. I'm only noticing a slight difference. I was going to just use the entire bottle if its not gone in a couple of days. ANY ADVICE??

I have found melafix to work quite well, however there are some points to the treatment that I must mention. Do NOT treat with Melafix every day!!!! Tea Tree Oil will actually build up to a lethal level in your tank if you just continue to add it. I have killed a couple of white clouds this way. Heres how to safely use Melafix.
Keep your filter running, with the carbon in it. The carbon in those little pads isnt enough to take the melafix out anyway.
Day 1ose 1 capful per 10 gallons water melafix.
Day 2: Nothing.
Day 3: Dose 1 capful per 10g Melafix.
Day 4: Nothing.
Day 5: Dose 1 capful per 10g.
Day 6: Very very important, 20% water change!!! DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.
Day 7: Repeat from day 1.
If your fish havent cleared of their fungus by a full 12 day cycle, look to other medicines.
Another way to treat your fish, if it is not a loach or other scaleless fish is this:
Take a bowl, fill half full with water from your aquarium.
Add 1 tablespoon aquarium salt, stir well. Net the affected fish, dip it in the salty water for 30-60 seconds. Repeat 3 times daily for 2 days, and treat the main tank with melafix at the same time.
Just be careful with melafix, it may say completely safe, but in High levels, it builds to a toxic state. Thats why you should never put more than 3 treatments in every 2nd day without doing a water change.
I would do a large water change, maybe even 50% if the water is truly nasty, then follow the proper dosing schedule, and try salt dips if the fungus is particularly bad. A good product to use if you find the melafix doesnt work after the 12 day treatment, is Jungle Brands Fungus Clear. Works great, but is harsh on your beneficial bacteria. Use only if the melafix completely proves unuseful.
Hope this helps,
Sneaky Petes Keeper, Koran.


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well said...Hey!

sneaky_pete, Thanks for your help. I put in the full amount of medicine as stated on the bottle for 6 days! I unfort. lost one of my opaline gauramis last night but as soon as I saw your info. I changed 20% of their water. The water is still alittle dark and smelly!
I am going to stop treating with the Melafix for 3-4 days because I need to treat for ICH. My LfS really did me in with sick fish. I'm trying to find out if Quick Cure (ingred. Formalin & Malachite Green) is safe for snails and red clawed crabs. Any advice? If the mouth fungus is not completely removed then I will continue treatment after the Ich treatment because ICH IS TAKING OVER MY FISH!!! HELP!!

QUICKCURE will almost definately kill you snails, but I ont know about the crab. If you have any scaleless fish, it will probably kill them to. copper, from what I understand, is less invasive to fish, but will also kill snails. You may have to remove them. (snails will survive just fine in a large tupperware container filled with aquarium water for months on end if need be, just change thpart of the water once in a while, cause snails poop a lot.)


Melafix will not cure fungal infections. It only works on bacterial diseases. Pimafix, made by the same company, is designed for fungal problems.

I have noted in my own tanks, and by the reading of many other accounts, that melafix has very limited success in actually curing bacterial infections. Its not bad, i think at preventing the spread of disease from one fish to the other, and its absolutely fantastic at speeding the healing process in damaged fins, skin, etc. but I don't think it should be relied on by itself to treat a serious outbreak. It can however, be used to prevent secondary infections.

AS far as ich is concerned, i'm not entirely sure, but you may want to look at MARICIDE, or COPPERSAFE, by mardel, before using quickcure. The formalin (a close relative of formaldehyde) is very toxic.

my two cents.....i have used Coppersafe myself with very good success.