Medicine cabinet - what do I need

[fischkopp]

I am planning on setting up a medicine cabinet for any emergency. What would you think should it contain?

[KLKelly]

My medicine cabinet contains:
Pure metro - bought at mops.ca - for making into a medicated gel food
Kanaplex antibiotic - bought at mops.ca  - for making into a medicated gel food
Prazi - for flukes (goldfish)
Maracyn Plus for fish that aren't eating. 
Aquarium salt/rock salt.

Lots of debate on melafix and pimafix.  I don't like them.

[KLKelly]

And levamisole now.

[washefuzzy]

melafix and pimafix and salt are my basics for emergencies with my fish.

[Dorrie]

melafix and pimafix and salt are my basics for emergencies with my fish.

Same here, plus Jungle Parasite Clear.
Note that I'm in Québec, where some substances are not allowed for sale, so I keep my fish emergency stock to a minimum.

[Laura]

Aquarium salt and clove oil for euthanizing.

[smalltownfan]

Aquarium salt and clove oil for euthanizing.

Clove Oil?

[KLKelly]

Good suggestion Laura.  Everyone should have it.

[henry]

melafix and pimafix and salt are my basics for emergencies with my fish.

yes.... melifix/primafix and I wouldn't be without a vortex diatom.

[dan2x38]

I have:

Metro (pure)
Maracyn - for gram negative bacteria
Clout
Prazi
Fluke tabs
BiFuran+
Aquarium Salt
Potassium Permanganate

I have grain alcohol for dissolving meds. I read on Hikari's website to place the meds with fish flake then dampen with grain alcohol. Then leave sit open the alcohol evaporates in less than a day. The meds are absorbed into the food. This prevents damage to the meds by heating with cooking or hot water. I did it and it works great. The fish ate the food. Grain alcohol is pure alcohol. NEVER use any other alcohol it is poison!

Clove Oil is used for several things. One euthanizing fish. Second to anesthetize for surgery mix 9-1 with treated water but needs (HCL) hydrochloric acid to dissolve the clove oil. Place the fish in the bath. Can then put the fish on a sponge with a V cut into it. I read about this for pop-eye sometimes it is an embolism. You can use a tiny syringe stick in the embolism and that releases the air bubble. Can use for other things like damaged fins, etc...

I don't have any but have read a lot that Tri-Sulph is a good antibiotic.

[Laura]

Clove Oil?

As Dan said, it is typically used for euthanizing fish. Here's a link on it.
http://thegab.org/Articles/Euthanasia.html

I haven't had luck using it with a betta, but otherwise it's a handy item to have around.

[KLKelly]

I used clove oil with a dojo loach once and it traumatized me.  Rubbing my crying eyes, my eyes burned all to heck so I'm sure they feel it.  I wouldn't use clove oil on surface breathing fish even cutting off access to the surface.

[dan2x38]

Use the clove oil in smaller concentrations first to sedate them. Then stronger concentrations. OR once they are sedated enough to lift out place on a cutting surface and with a large very sharp knife do the deed. Do not use a sawing motion one quick one. I've had to do it and it was not fun but it was humane.

[fischkopp]

Thanks everybody four your suggestions! I have some of these, but I will add a few to the shopping list.

Where can I find clover oil?

[dan2x38]

clove oil at the pharmacy... there is another stuff I forget what it is called that is suppose to work better... will check my favs I think I saved it...

[KLKelly]

I got mine at a natural food store.

[artw]

erythromycyn and tetracycline are a good thing to have in bulk if you have lots of fish - you can buy it online by the 100's.
the best way to euth fish is to put them in the freezer in a little bowl of water, they just slowly painlessly fall asleep, much easier and cheaper than alternatives. (progressively cooler/colder water just slowly shuts down their system)

[fischkopp]

erythromycyn and tetracycline are a good thing to have in bulk if you have lots of fish - you can buy it online by the 100's.
the best way to euth fish is to put them in the freezer in a little bowl of water, they just slowly painlessly fall asleep, much easier and cheaper than alternatives. (progressively cooler/colder water just slowly shuts down their system)

Good info.

I used to to a similar euth method: I used saturated salt water our of the freezer, it's freezing point is a few degrees below normal water. A small fish dumped into this water freezes instantaneously. I used scissors on bigger fish.

No back to topic: meds to keep the fish alive.

[Aquaviewer]

With regards to clove oil as an anesthetic the dose has to be adjusted for the fish as each species tends to respond differently.  In preparation for surgery and exams the fish should only be left in the bath until it has lost equilibrium (i.e. flips over) and has reduced opercular pumping, but has not stopped.  Also the clove oil solution needs to be administered while the fish is "on the table" to keep it sedated and supply the gills with some oxygenated water.  Otherwise it would be like a human going into surgery with on shot of general and having their head submerged in water for the procedure.

WRT Meds, always good to have some broad spectrum antibiotics on hand, but many meds have a shelf life or degrade if not stored at the right temp or exposed to light.  Be selective when shocking up on meds as you may not need something for a year or so and then its effectiveness is diminished and not any good anyway.

For internal parasites don't underestimate the power of garlic.

There was another thread a while back on the euthanization topic, so I won't belabour the point here, but the freezing method is not as painless for the fish as you think even though it looks like they are just going to sleep.  Small issue of water crystallizing in the cells and then bursting....