The Puffer Forum

Evening update.

I got a bit happy with the siphon, as I usually do, and ended up doing a 75% water change. I was so obsessive about getting every bit of mulm possible from the tank, paranoid that this fungus may be popping up from a hidden morsel in some plant roots or the like.

After I treated with Prime and filled back up, I read the directions for the Prima and Mela again. One teaspoon per 10 gallons. Nuclear is definitely right with the ~24 realistic gallons in the 29, but I ended up dosing two teaspoons of each for the tank. I made sure to not completely fill the teaspoons, just to be on the conservative side.

I immediately added an air pump and stone set darn close to full blast. It breaks the surface quite a bit and makes lots of bubbles, so hopefully that will help the oxygen exchange. I'm sure that my CO2 levels will suffer as a result, but fish > plants. If I end up with BBA next week, I'll deal with it.

I haven't seen a reason yet to change my routine otherwise on account of the medicine. Routine being dosing liquid plant fertilizers and Excel. I assume that it's alright to keep my water change schedule as long as I replace the medication taken out with each change. If I'm wrong, someone please set me right on that.

Still confused about why people are knocking the Melafix and Pimafix. I've heard nothing but good things until my research today when I wanted to be sure that it was safe for everyone else in the tank.

I find 1 drop/g to be an easier measurement for smaller tanks.

Hopefully nothing else goes wrong.

Anyway, every medication is bad according to someone if you look hard enough.

Primafix and Melafix have worked for me many times, so I wouldn't consider them crap. Perhaps whoever is calling them that used it wrong, or diagnosed their fishes problem wrong.

For melafix and pimafix, the instruction is to douse daily. I always use a plastic syringe to measure med. Its easier for me. As for mela and pima, 5ml/38l. I would use the full dose though for pimafix though.

You have a much bigger tank. I also use a syringe for mine.

I have tons of that.. courtesy of the med dispenser when my daughter falls sick.. smallest on can measure as low as 0.01ml. Real handy!

The teaspoons weren't difficult but I'll definitely try the drops and see which works better for me. Thanks for the idea!

I tried the drops and found it a bit fiddly. I may stick to the teaspoons. Thank you for the idea, though, PP.

For anyone wondering, all inhabitants seem fine. I'm eager for the treatment to be over so that I can take that airstone out and get back to my CO2 regimen, but as long as my fish are healthy, I'm happy.

I'm pleased that I have the tools to deal with this in the future, should it crop up again. If it ever does, I really hope that it gives me more than a few hours of notice.

To bertie and nuclear, I won't be replacing my lost girl. I'll keep just the four DPs in the tank. I'd also like to catch a few of my non-breeding otocinclus to move to the plant holding tank, but who knows how that will go!