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So, a fish in your tank has a bacterial infection. Obvious solution: dose with an antibacterial medication. It kills the bacteria and everyone is happy. Wait a sec, there's a problem. It kills the bacteria!

Of course I mean the beneficial bacteria that disposes of ammonia The way I know of to save some of this bacteria (I really need a different word for bacteria) is to place some of the gravel and the filter media in a bucket of tank water, with areation. I still have the bottle of ammonia left over from the fishless cycle...

Anyone know of another method? Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks

><>Dani<><

gartenzwerfe

There possibly are selective Antibiotics, It is a long time since I have used any (touch wood).
Ask either a good Aquarium or a Vet.

Keith

Last edited by keithgh at 20-Oct-2004 23:46

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actually, a lot of antibiotics just stop reproduction of bacteria. (bacteriostatic, not bacteriocidal) so once you stop treating, it can start all over again from where it left off.

why dont you remove the one fish from the tank?? that would be the ost sensible thing IMO.


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Heya Dani,

There's the whole gram-positive bacteria verses gram-negative bacteria issue too (which is based on the thickness of the cell wall)... ... nitrifying bacteria are gram-negative... according to one thing I saw on thekrib.com, so are 99% of freshwater bacterial infections...

Many antibiotics are designed to either target gram-negative, or gram-positive.

Unless you can be sure you have a gram-positive "bug" then, as suggested above, your best bet may to QT any fish that present with symptoms and just treat those (so long as the fish gets healthy, they will have a better chance of beating back any re-occurrence from anything that may be lingering in the main tank).

That way you could treat with something a bit more broad-ranged too, without the fear of messing up your filter bed.

Also remember the distinction: antibiotics help the immune system fight the bacteria by inhibiting their spread/growth (as Cally said already) and it's the fish that heals itself. Antibacterial agents actually kill the bacteria (and a lot of healthy critters as well), as they are simply a low-grade toxin.

Here's a link which indicates various gram-negative/gram-positive diseases:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diseases_bacterial.php

and a run down of some treatments:

http://www.fishjunkies.com/Medications/

and a link that does both at once:

http://www.fishpalace.org/Disease.html

and an article on antibiotics (and the dangers thereof) and negative vs. positive gram:

http://www.petsforum.com/cis-fishnet/afm/G29155.htm

Dex



Last edited by dextroze at 21-Oct-2004 01:00

Gram stain is, determined, I believe, relative to the simplicity in structure rather than thickness of the cell wall (positives lacking complex lipid + carbs). As a general rule, most bacterial infections in aquariums (or in any micro/macrosystem) is usually the result of a gram negative cell, where the outer membrane and *generally* toxic walls of the cell protect it from many of the internal defenses of it's host. Most antibiotics will halt the growth of the bacteria, but not destroy existing colonies, as they specifically target the bonding between the modified polypept-sugars forming the cell wall, effectively crippling the bacteria's ability to reproduce (as Calla stated). However, ALL species of bacteria contain these kinds of cell walls, thus antibiotics will eliminate (or stunt) the populations of every single existing bacteria in your tank. Ntrifying bacteria, being the slow reproducers that they are, will likely suffer the greatest blow. Also, this process tends to convert the semi-autotrophic "backup" nitrifyers into heterotrophs, which means that they will convert nitrites (or trates, I forget which), into ammonia--kind of like an anti cycle, which you don't want.

Youre best bet is either quarentine or administering the drug orally (aka, mix the meds in with the flake).

remove him like Calla said, if you don't have a QT tank you can rig up a bucket and air pump for treatment.

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