Effect of antibacterial med on tank

louistheloach · 03-23-2009, 03:41 PM

Does anyone know for sure how the use of an antibacterial med like maracyn 2 (among others) will affect the good bacterial colony in a tank.

Does the med kill everything, thus sending my tank into a mini cycle.....or even a fully new cycle, like it does in humans?

Thank you

ltl

Jay · 03-24-2009, 02:50 PM

I believe maracyn 2 is Erythromycin. Without going technical... Erythromycin will not kill the beneficial bacteria.

Jay

louistheloach · 03-24-2009, 08:53 PM

Thank you. The tank that had the fungus now has one guppy that seems to be a little bothered in the gill area. I've seen him rubbing a number of times, and he would constantly swim in place against the current of the filter. So I turned the temp up to 80, I added a little guppy salt, but it only raise the tds by 10-15 ppm so I think I will add a little more tonight. Since increasing the temp he does not swim in the current hardly at all and seems a little less irritated.

I wasn't sure if the irritation was due to the tank going into a cycle or what.....could be just a mild case of ich in the mouth and gil area...will continue to watch.

ltl

Jay · 03-25-2009, 03:02 PM

Quote:

could be just a mild case of ich in the mouth and gil area

IME there is no such thing as a mild case of ICH..

The tank is either ICH free or infected, there is no middle ground.

Jay

louistheloach · 03-27-2009, 12:22 PM

Okay,

so then any ideas why he would have been rubbing a little and swimming in the current of the filter, as if trying to get lots of fresh water to rinse something out?.....just curious, because when I did the things I said ( lower temp, a little more salt) those behaviors ceased....just coincidence maybe?

ltl