Diseases

Quinine in the Aquarium: One very typical example of the profit motive at work is the promotion of Chloroquine Phosphate as an ich medication.

Sulfa and furan drugs do not treat fish diseases very well. They should be thought of as antiseptics which have limited bacteriostatic actions when dissolved in the water column of an aquarium.

There are many medicines marketed for fish diseases that are properly termed antiseptics (other terms are disinfectants and anti-bacterials).

Some medications use a compound called formalin in them. Formalin is simply a 30% solution of formaldehyde, the stuff that preserves frogs for dissection.

Aquarium Dyes like Malachite green and methylene blue are very old remedies that were put forth in the 30s and 40s as fish medications. They have some use against Ich and fungus.

Summary of Salt Treatments for Fish. Salt is often recommended as a “natural” medicine for fish. There are many levels of salt  that can be used with fish.

The best preventative for fish diseases is to have water that is heavily biofiltered, bacteria-free and crystal clear.

Euthanizing a Fish: What is the most humane way to euthanize aquarium fish? This article provides the 5 most humane ways.

Ineffective Medicines for Fish Diseases: All the medicines mentioned in this article can be obtained in large quantities for reasonable prices. Yet none of them are used in commercial aquaculture of fish to treat any diseases!

Treatments Summary for Fish Diseases – this article provides a list of treatments that are supported by science.