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The melaleuca question...

I'd like to hear from people that have used either melafix or bettafix with their bettas. Have you had problems or suspicions that it did not sit well with your betta at the recommended dosage?

I had a case of finrot (meltdown) develop on one of my bettas and soon after dosing bettafix as directed, he just laid on the bottom. He was swimming around as usual just before I dosed it. He did not improve until I did a water change (100%), at which time I just went with Bettamax as directed. He perked right up. That is the capsule with nitrofurazone and methyl blue, among other things. It stopped it nicely after 2 doses, but I'm going one more dose.

I didn't realize it was longer than 7 days since I had changed out his two gallons of water and it really affected him. It may have been as long as 10, which I don't normally do.

I don't think the bettafix sat well with him and would not dose it again.

Last edited by Cory_Di at 12-Mar-2005 10:02

I've never had a problem with it, and i'm a chronic overdoser. (melafix and pimafix, never used bettafix or pondfix)

I am cautious not to use it if the fish is laboured breathing, however once it hits that point i doubt if it matters greatly.


Maleleuca is strong stuff, burns if you put it on neat.


The preparation itself would contain more than just maleleuca oil. It would be diluted, and have things in it to make it blend with the water. It destroys bubblenests like crazy, so i should imagine that if there was a scum layer over something, it could remove it.

At certain strengths, i'd imagine it would irritate slime coat and gill membranes, possibly even at low concentrations if the gills were already damaged.



I would love to be able to explain it away. There is some serious mass hysteria in the betta world about this, and to be honest, you are the only one I can think of from the people who advocate not using it that has actually experienced it first hand.


Its strange, because i reckon i could triple the safe dose without causing too much distress, yet thing problem prings up within minutes of you dosing the standard dose.


It was a definite reaction to the drug? he wasn't showing any lethargy before that?

Could it be that certain strains are more sensitive?

Last edited by Callatya at 12-Mar-2005 11:43

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

If he hadn't been so active and bubbly just before it went in, then abruptly changed, laying in one spot on the bottom. At first, I thought it was that he may had been sicker than I realized. However, the next morning, when he still hadn't moved much, I did a full water change, put in BettaMax and he was back immediatly to his old ways. I feel bad I didn't realize it was some kind of reaction to the stuff. Not unless it was more of a sedative effect and not necessarily detrimental. I did not notice any problems respirating.

All I know is that the rapid meltdown has stopped and the fin is healing very nicely with the BettaMax. As fast as it was disintegrating, I was afraid to use just the BettaFix anyway. I couldn't help thinking to when I first brought my nieces betta, Ruby home with the same thing. It was very difficult to stop the meltdown, even with BettaMax at that point, but it had been going on some time before I "stole" him from her room. He is now a happy resident of my home.

That fin meltdown is something else and I can attest to poor water quality being a cause, now that I've seen it happen twice.


Last edited by Cory_Di at 12-Mar-2005 11:53

Diane, Leslie and I both use Melafix. Though luckily I haven't had to use it on BadBoy. We did have to use it on GoFish last Fall. If you remember I posted about a betta that was all poofed up and looked like a pinecone, and had fungus by the chin. Leslie had been treating him with BettaFix without any luck, and then we started treating him with the MelaFix. Though it took longer than the recommended 7 days, I can attest that he is doing great today...of course he is turning into an old man, but he is more than happy to flare at Valentino, and was flairing at BadBoy while he was visiting...So to answer the question...no nothing but good results...Heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

I think that fish are like people. Not all humans react the same way to a medication. For instance, I have a friend who falls asleep for 3 or 4 hours from one tylenol but they don't affect me at all. Also allergies, some people are allegic to codiene or penecillan (sp?) It could be the same in fish. I do know it is the same in others species of animals.

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