T.C. Tetracycline? Powder and Triple Sulfa? Powder

T.C. Tetracycline™ Powder and Triple Sulfa™ Powder

Has anyone used these medications to treat columnaris? I am 99% sure that is what is affecting my fish, most symptoms match, and the fish are dying pretty rapidly once any visible symptoms appear.

I tried looking for Maracyn / Maracyn 2 but could not find any locally (most places are sold out) but found these medications by API. I had read that Tetracycline is something that can be used to treat columnaris, and also picked up the Triple Sulfa powder as it looked to also cover most of the symptoms.

If anyone has used these, can they be used together? Are they effective medications? I need to at least start medicating my tank before I lose all the fish in there (have already lost about 50% of the stock).

star_rider said:

yes, when properly dosed they are effective medications. however, watch your bio filter. these meds may wipe out the bacteria that reside in your filter. best used in a qt/hosp tank.

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Thanks, I have read that I should black out the tank when using tetracycline, is that something I need to do? would just turning off the lights be OK? or do I need to literally cover the tank with something to black it out entirely.

Would it be worthwhile me moving say half of my bio-filter to another tank temporarily? and then when the medication is done move it back? I think I answered my own question, doing this will probably infect the other tank with columnaris. Probably not a great idea.

Well, so far it appears this stuff is working. Since putting it in the tank on Thursday I have lost no more fish. The tank is a nice yellow/green color though with some nice foam on top!! I did a 25% water change today as per the instructions, and will add the 3rd dose tomorrow, followed by a fourth on Monday, and then will probably do a 50% water change Tuesday and add carbon to the filter to remove the meds.

I have kept the lights off in the tank, and the one side that gets some sunlight I have kept covered during the day. Oddly enough something in the water has triggered my remaining 2 cory cat's to spawn, I scraped 20 eggs off the glass this afternoon, and can see where some more were, and also saw the female carrying some eggs. Not sure if the other cory is a male, but keeping an eye on the 20 eggs I collected in hope to get some free new stock to replace the ones that died.

Makes me wish I had medicated sooner, I have lost 6 peppered cory's, 10 rummynose tetra and 4 black neons. Irritatingly I had just managed to find healthy rummynose about a month ago and finally had a decent number of them in the tank, now down to only 2.

Yup, that's the annoying part about these medications. So far ammonia and nitrite are both 0, and nitrate is somewhere between 0 and 5 (planted tank, it's where it normally is).

Fingers crossed it stays that way! It would really suck to have to start fighting a mini cycle after the disease.