Metronidazole? Anybody ever use it?

[falconut]

I am looking to see if anybody here has used this product before. I am looking to use it to treat an angel that has a minor case of ich. It's eatting fine, no scraping the rocks or swimming weird. The ich has just been going and coming for about 4 weeks. Gets spots for a couple days then gone for a week, then the cycle repeats itself.

I know that the best treatment is to remove all fish and leave fish out for 6 - 8 weeks. This isn't practical, since I don't have enough tanks that could handle them, plus I wouldn't be able to get them out without taking the whole thing appart. So that's out of the question.

I am mainly trying to get imput from others who have used this product. I haven't been able to search for it, since it's not working. I feel that since it hasn't gone away just using garlic & ginger suppliments, I'd like to use some meds. Since I have SPS, LPS, Polyps, Mushrooms, Softy's, a Clam and Inverts, I am leary of other products.

Could anybody that has used the product please let me know how it worked and if it harmed anything in their tanks.

Thanks.

 

[TCU Reefer]

Metronidazale is used for internal bacterial infections rather than ich. You may want to try a hyposalinity treatment for ich. YOu'll have to catch the angel and put it in it's own QT though.

 

[ACBlinky]

Metro is an antiparasitic and mild antibiotic, but not really what you want to use for ich. It's a great drug, very mild, hard to overdose. Discus breeders use it routinely to rid new fish of Hexamita (intestinal flagellates). Do try hypo for the ich, it's easy, free and works well.

 

[falconut]

I'm confused. I've read that metro works for ich. I am considering mixing with food and feeding the fish. I spoke with Sea Chem and they said that it works for ich, just use focus with it to bind the powder to the food.

Also, I don't see how hypo. will help me. First, I'd have to catch her. Second, if I treat her and not the other fish, it won't be gone.

 

[wayne in norway]

It's certainly not reliable for ich, I sniffed around this a bit last year, and people were talking 50% success rates. I know it is commonly used as an antibacterial, but it was actually developed as an antiparasite. If you really can't get the fish out, I would try it. You have little to lose in that case, and I would trust it more than garlic, pot luck. How many fish do you have in th 90? I would assume not so many?
However you are sure it is ich? It's not just sand or snow or similar.

 

[Fitz]

Metronidazole is an antibacterial antibiotic that's indicated for anaerobic bacterial infections. At least that's what we use it for in humans. Most anaerobic infections are gram-negative. It's effective against clostridium infections, which are gram-positive if memory serves, but clostridium is anaerobic, so that's why it works. It's also effective against amoebic infections and trichomonas (tapeworms).

The problem is that most of the bacteria that complete your tank's cycle are anaerobic gram-negatives too. You may really disrupt your tank's ability to metabolize nitrogenous waste by adding it. I can't remember exactly what ich is-and the generic term "parasite" isn't helpful because, medically, metronidazole is more effective against bacterial infections compared to parasitic. You'll have to find out exactly what ich is in terms of its biologic classification and then go from there.

Fitz

 

[falconut]

wayne in norway - It definitely isn't sand. They definitely look to be ich in my opinion.

Fitz - I am planing on adding it to the food not the water itself. Would this still effect the benefital bateria?

 

[LargeAngels]

Only two proven methods of treating for ich is copper and hyposalinity (but don't do both at the same time.) Neither one of them will work in your reef tank. So either live with the ich and hope that the fish can defend against the small outbreaks and it doesn't get worse or buy more tanks to properly treat them.

 

[TheMcs]

Metronidazole is an effective treatment for ich. Much less stressful than removal of the fish or hyposalinity. Followed by use of Focus (secondary bacterial infections) it has had a very high success rate with our customers. I'm trying to think of an instance when I've recommended Metro to a customer with ich and they later came back to say it didn't work, I can't.
I can't quote any science behind it, just what my experience has shown.

 

[falconut]

TheMcs - Thanks for posting your customers experience with the product. That's what I'm looking to do. I plan on mixing the food with a combonation of Focus and Metronidazole as directed by Seachem.