New Life Spectrum

[asylumdown]

responsible use of the ich shield would look like this:

Once you start using this medication, you should use it for long enough to break the life cycle of parasite and completely eradicate it from your system. You should not use it for a few days here or a few days there, or for a couple of days after you add new fish. It should be treated like a course of antibiotics prescribed by a doctor, taken to completion, even if you (or your fish) feel better.

If you are using it in a mixed tank where not every fish eats the pellets, or eats enough to get a therapeutic dose, you shouldn't use it.

If you're not sure if your fish are actually infected with C. irritans, you shouldn't use it.

If you're not going to properly quarantine new arrivals and just re-introduce the parasite back in to your display, you shouldn't use it.

Go ahead and use it prohylactically on new arrivals if you can get them to eat it (The LAST thing my powder blue started to eat was pellets, nearly a full year after I got him - my cowfish wouldn't eat a 3mm pellet unless I shoved it down his throat), but do it in a QT tank, and follow the proper protocol, which means making sure they eat it every single day for at least 21 days.

[mikellini]

First of all, your fears are based on the idea that bacteria and parasites develop resistance to medications in a similar manner. They don't. Bacteria multiply at an exponential rate, and are therefore much more likely to mutate in a short period of time than parasites, which have a life cycle on the scale of days, not minutes. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it's not nearly the same as antibiotic resistance.

Second of all, anyone who reads the packaging will know to give it for 21 days. If your argument is that it shouldn't be sold because people can't read instructions, then we need to start pulling all kinds of crap off the market. I think it's just as likely that someone would misuse chloroquine phosphate in a hospital tank with NO INSTRUCTIONS other than what they found on google.

Thirdly, most of the people that you're worried about won't even buy the product when they see it costs three times as much as other food, and only a little less than a new fish.

No need for a soapbox, or fear mongering. It's just another option

[Nate]

Originally Posted by mikellini

First of all, your fears are based on the idea that bacteria and parasites develop resistance to medications in a similar manner. They don't. Bacteria multiply at an exponential rate, and are therefore much more likely to mutate in a short period of time than parasites, which have a life cycle on the scale of days, not minutes. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it's not nearly the same as antibiotic resistance.

Second of all, anyone who reads the packaging will know to give it for 21 days. If your argument is that it shouldn't be sold because people can't read instructions, then we need to start pulling all kinds of crap off the market. I think it's just as likely that someone would misuse chloroquine phosphate in a hospital tank with NO INSTRUCTIONS other than what they found on google.

Thirdly, most of the people that you're worried about won't even buy the product when they see it costs three times as much as other food, and only a little less than a new fish.

No need for a soapbox, or fear mongering. It's just another option

He is right for posting if his goal is awareness, many people do not read the intructions.

The post indicating that it should be fed for a couple days when adding new fish, while I have customers I know will do this, should be given the full dose, he is correct.

I hope that this thread turns around and has some success stories that involve these product.

[Nate]

You are correct in your advice for the proper useage of this product.

I can also appreciate that you have educated yourself more than the average aquarist on parasites and diseases within the hobby. I also agree that misuse of these can hurt us all.

But dont you think that there is a place for this medication in the market? I feel like there are certainly situations where these will be used properly by the aquarists. Unfortuantely there will likely be others that could misuse the product.

I wish this food had been on the market last year during the floods when I was scraping together to save a few reef aquariums that were without power for 21 days, in a building that I could not get a generator on. It was weeks of unhealthy fish after that. I still remember how sore I was carrying 10 gallons of salt water up 27 stories over and over. And buying D batteries like it was doomsday.

I agree with your stated issues, but feel like there certainly is a place in the market for this product.

On another note, I have had issues getting meds from vets in the past for aquarium use.

And on another note, I have never had issues getting fish to eat pellets. With the vast array of pellets on the market, more often than I have ever seen it in the past, most fish will eat pellets. Sometimes it is using fish that are eating pellets to teach others to eat them. These fish are usually assertive, but not aggressive eaters in the tank. Something like a tomato clown, or a blue tang, where the fish is excited to eat, can help get others eating. Aggressive eaters, such as sohal tangs, which will often chase fish from the food are not going to help in that situation. There are however some stubborn ones, like your cowfish.