MEDICATION AND DOSING

The following information and data is provided as a reference for dosing common aquarium treatments. Always be sure to have identified the possible illnesses before using medication. The following is only a reference, and is not necessarily accurate information for your specific aquarium or stock. Follow the administration instructions provided with any medication.

DO NOT use any medications without first understanding what they are for, what they do, and how safe they are to use in your tank. Some stock are especially sensitive to medications.

In General, the following may be useful, but do not attempt treatment without a proper diagnosis or understanding of the drugs in question...

Proflavine Hemisulfate - Treatment of External Lesions - 20 ppm for 30 minutes

Nifurpirinol (nitrofurazone-furnace) Baths are an option for vibrios infections - 10ppm active ingredient for 1 hour

Quaternary Ammonium Compounds - Can be used to treat Mycobacterial gill infections - 1 to 4 ppm for 1 hour

If other compounds are not available, 500 ppm Copper sulfate dips for 1-30 minutes could be useful.

Kanamycin Sulfate is effective against gram-positive and negative bacterial infections. Treatment for Aeromonas, Vibrio, Flexibacter, and Mycobacterial infections, as well as various other infections.


From WARNINGS At Beginning:

  • ALWAYS FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS ON MEDICATIONS PRIOR TO USE. Medications are a last resort, Some medications may not be appropriate for tank inhabitants, so be sure to pick out safe ones for your tank and stock Be sure to double check online if you are unsure.
  • NEVER MIX MEDICATIONS UNLESS THEY BOTH SAY THEY ARE SAFE TO MIX OR ARE RECOMMENDED TO MIX. Some medications may contain the same ingredients, which could cause an overdose in one medication. Others may react poorly and cause more harm than good for your fish.
  • Remember to factor displacement into medication dosing. Tanks usually aren’t filled to the very top and are generally not exactly the gallon count they are sold for, more or less.
  • Certain illnesses may appear to be what they are not, and may need extra attention to be properly diagnosed and treated.
      • Be aware that certain fish and inverts are very sensitive, and some suggested treatments may be potentially deadly for them.
  • AQUARIUM SALT AND EPSOM SALTS ARE DIFFERENT. Be careful not to mix them up.
      • AQUARIUM SALT IS NOT FOR MARINE USE. MARINE SALT WILL NOT TREAT FRESHWATER FISH. DO NOT USE MARINE AQUARIUM SALT. There are specific aquarium salts made by brands such as API for use with freshwater fish. Be sure to read labels and make sure you are getting the right type of salt

Recipe for medicated gelatin food (ornamental omnivorous fish):

      • Materials:
        • 6 oz. can of shrimp
        • 2 oz. frozen spinach
        • 1 oz grated carrots
        • 3 tbsp baby cereal (dry)
        • 2 tbsp Brewer’s yeast
        • 2 oz. unflavored gelatin
        • 15 oz water
        • OPTIONAL: 0.5-1 tsp liquid vitamins
      • Procedure:
  1. Blend 5 oz water with shrimp, spinach, carrots, cereal, yeast and (optional): vitamins. Set aside.
  2. Boil remaining 10 oz of water
  3. Add boiling water to the gelatin in a bowl, and allow it to cool until hot but not burning
  4. Add blended mix to gelatin mix, and add any necessary medications.
  5. Pour mix into flat pan and refrigerate.
  6. Cut mix into cubes and store in freezer.

NOTE: Dry medication may be mixed into dry foods using fish oil as a binding agent.

Dosing of medication in gel foods should be carefully determined before being added to mix. All medications vary in dosing requirements. Be sure to do your own research on orally administered medications and gel foods prior to use if using this method.

  • Metronidazole weighs 2.25gm per teaspoon. This means 2 teaspoons should be added to each pound of prepared gel food before it is refrigerated.

a. Intensity of Infection represents the average number of Hexamita in four 100x fields.

b. Control 1 represents the average Hexamita count in the water change group (not measured on day 4).

c. Control 2 represents the average Hexamita count in the no water change group (not measured on day 4).

(Chart from: “A Comparison of Metronidazole Treatments for Hexamitiasis in Angelfish” - https://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?id=3981436&pid=11108&print=1 See #48 in References for full citation)



This chart shows the effectiveness of medicated gel foods when used and prepared properly against internal infections. In this case, hexamita, with medicated feed using Metronidazole and the above recipe.


Common treatments for stickleback infections, indicating treatment dose, duration, repeated treatments and frequency:

Above Chart From: Advances in Parasitology, 2017 See #98 in REFERENCES for full citation.

CHEMICAL TREATMENTS FOR EXTERNAL CILIATES: