Loaches Online Forum

I am wanting to stock up a loach medicine cabinet, What all do you recommend to have on had at any time. Could you also include where you got your and approximate cost?

Thanks,
Tom

Melafix, as I recently discovered. Bought it at my lfs. £8.07 for 237ml which treats 1,814ltrs according to the label (bear in mind thats in British measurements).

Yes, Melafix is good for wounds and torn fins. I don't know what the cost is in the US, but its rather reasonable. I have a bottle on hand but can't find a price. Keep in mind, if you use it, it smells like Vics Vapor rub, and not something you would expect to use in a fish tank. You can find it at most fish stores including Petsmart.
Good antibiotics to keep include Maracyn and Maracyn 2 which treat a wide variety of common and not so common bacterial infections. I have mostly used these for some nasty hillstream bug or patchy disease.
Both tend to run about $5 for 8 doses (I think) but can be bought in larger number of doses. You can also get these at most fish stores as well as Petsmart and Petco or order up to 100 doses on sites like BigAlsonline.

Is Metro good? I have some of called Fish-zole. Anyone use it with loaches?

Metro is also good. I had used it a few times for other fish with loaches included. Pretty mild treatment and stimulates the fish's appetite.

I quitted on Botias. They just can't stop eating all my plants.

By the way, I used Sera Baktopur and Sera Baktopur Direct combination to treat for bacterial infections. I lean more on Sera products though as they are quite effective.

i second melafix. jim i believe its very reasonable. i got a pint for about 6$ us. i also use maracin and maracin 2 as well and works great.

I have malachite green that is useful for treating ick & some other diseases, half dose for loaches. The kind without formalin etc has a very long shelf-life. (Formalin tends to go bad, I think it gets a bad smell so you can tell if it's ok or not but it's also a useful drug)

I also have levamisole in the dry powder form kept in the refrigerator to last.

I would be careful of expiration dates especially with antibiotics, don't stock up too much (although if like peolpe drugs they are probably good for up to a year after) I have a few left over doses to get started with in an emergency until I could get to the store.

(BTW Tom I'm sorry for your losses. sometimes disease hits so hard & fast there's not much you can do.)

Thanks Nancy, I just want enough on hand for an emergency, I keep Ich meds on hand at all times, you never know.

There are pond versions available in both Melafix and Pimafix that cost less per oz. if you treat larger tanks.

My weather loach just made it through a bad bout of popeye (both eyes). This was my first experience with this.

I am thankful I had Maracyn Plus on hand because he wasn't eating the medicated food (Medi-gold antibacterial food).

I recommend Maracyn Plus for anyones medicine cabinet.

Prazi-pro/prazi is another one for me. I am not sure how all loach species would react to prazi though and have to research this more. My weater loaches were in a goldfish tank at the LFS and goldfish more often than not are affected by flukes prior to arriving at the LFS.