Pseudacanthicus and Sores/Melafix

Rey

Member
Feb 17, 2011
74
0
6
Texas
Has anyone had bad reactions with Pseuda species or any Plecos and Melafix?

I noticed some red sores or cysts and wounds on a female L65, so I dosed the entire 40gl tank at a little more than half. I thought it was safe as I recall the LFS telling me they would add some melafix to the same tank that originally housed the l65's I bought over a year ago when I noticed one had injuries.

After seeing the red sores on the female I thought I'd better check online and I got nervous after reading some other forums where keepers reported pleco deaths occurring after dosing melafix.so I moved them in a hurry, to a nearby 40gl.
 

ccole

Member
Jan 15, 2011
1,163
1
36
norfolk
hey there

I have had red type sores appear on my smaller/younger albino bn's and all my plecos seem to heavy breath so I have to always add two more air lines due to the oxygen all meds seem to zap out of my pleco's water.
I always half dose now what it says on the bottle and only ever use in dier situations.

hope this is of some help
 

Doodles

Retired Staff
Apr 8, 2009
8,786
2
36
I've heard about problems with oxygen issues which is why you should increase aeration, should really do this with all meds.

Have you got any links to anywhere that you have read about pleco deaths?
 

Rey

Member
Feb 17, 2011
74
0
6
Texas
so far it's been near 24 hrs all my l65's look normal and have found new spots in the tank. The female l65 wound has healed already quite a bit.(there is no melafix in this tank) she appeared to be near dead when I moved her yesterday, swimming upside down, very slow etc. but she has moved to several spots, and is slow which concerns me, yet appears to breathe normal or the same rate as other plecos in that tank or elsewhere in that room. She has found a spot on the floor of the tank behind an internal filter that sits atop a bubbler, so it worries me that she is looking for oxygen but possibly just rested on a good spot to recover. Her eyes appear a bit sunken or cloudy but not sure how much more than normal for a sub adult L65 they look a lot less prominent than other plecos, so hard for me to judge. But her body coloration looks very normal aside from the sores, which appear to be a sub-dermal thing and look like there is one on the left side of her back that will rupture again. Not sure what it is? I will try and get some photos for future reference.


I've heard about problems with oxygen issues which is why you should increase aeration, should really do this with all meds.

Have you got any links to anywhere that you have read about pleco deaths?


http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?442474-Melafix-Killed-my-Plecos


There is that one and a few others, but on the contrary I found one account on a singapore pleco board of a keeper of pseudas using it regularly with no issues.

However, I will only use it on scaleless fish from now on to be safe. I know I have used for a week with angelfish and emperor tetras.

there is a thread on pleco planet too with some good info on the API co.'s info on melaleuca. incase anyone else needs info on melafix and finds this thread first.

http://www.plecoplanet.com/forum/showthread.php?p=43611
 
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