Medicine Cabinet Essentials?

[CStufft]

I am currently monitoring a couple of fry that have red streaking in one pectoral fin and the other has what appears to be a small open sore near the penduncle. Currently I have not medicated them as the fish are eating well, isolated and I am not really sure what it is or how to treat it, so I am monitoring them, changing water, and added a bit of salt to the tank.

Anyway the situation got me thinking. What are the essential items, products, medicines, things a goldfish keeper should have on hand at all times to treat these types of things as the come up?

Then if you care to elaborate on how or what you use each thing for that would be very helpful for everyone.

I look forward to your responses.

Thanks,
Chris

[Cincy Ranchu]

Try Oxilinic acid first, then go to Potassium Permangenate or quick cure, or slip over and we will set you up

[CStufft]

Thanks Gary! I will try this.

For the more general question what do people generally keep on hand?

Thanks,
Chris

[Cincy Ranchu]

I keep the following;

Potassium Permangenate
Quick Cure ( formalin and Malachite green)
Oxilinic acid
Prazi /Trichorocide
Methylene blue
Salt
(Melafix)

[CStufft]

I just got back from visiting Jone's Fish Hatchery and Adam was able to get me the small bottle of the oxolinic acid. He also has gotten in the water lettuce and hyacaniths. Picked up a couple for the small garden pond.

[Corrie]

Canning salt
Coppersafe
Formalin (no malachite green)
Oxilinic acid
Potassium Permangenate
Iodine
Fluketabs
Chloramphenicol
Metro
Flubendazole
Levamisole

..and a good pH pen

[suphi]

I only keep 3; Oxolinic acid, Prazi, and Coppersafe.

Prazi I use once every month or two just to make sure I don't get fluke breakout. Coppersafe and oxo are mainly for new fish and emergencies.

[BruceP]

I have a cabinet full of stuff but not coppersafe. What is it used for and how is it used???

[suphi]

Copper kills algae, all parasites in free swimming state, all invertebrates (any animals without backbones, snails, shrimp, etc.)

It's very effective and cheap if you need to purge the fish, especially during QT. However, it's very toxic if you overdose even a bit and will also deplete oxygen in water. It's also more toxic in water with low alkalinity. But if you know what you're doing it's safe enough, just don't use it often. I like it because it doesn't hurt fish gills or skin tissues like formalin. I typically do a 48-72hr bath, then WC and that's it.

[Corrie]

Bruce, I use it just like suphi for the same reasons.

First thing a fish gets is salt and coppersafe in a bare tank.
I move the fish to a new tank with new water every day, and retreat.
For five to seven days.

Seems to hit all the things that new fish mysteriously die from.

My water is hard, but you can make hard water with either/or salt, Arm and Hammer, and epson salt.

[Corrie]

add this to my list:

Chloramine-T
thermometer
and enough cloram-X to treat all of my water at least 5-6 times