Maracyn Plus and filter bacteria

H2Ogal

H2Ogal

Betta Be Good to Me
Mar 16, 2010
1,213
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Memphis, TN
Real Name
Deborah
I've been having a very bad month. Four of my five otos died after I messed by the BB in my 20g long and they were nipped by a betta that I tried briefly in the tank. I'm finally getting the cycle re-established, but now all my snails seem to be dying. The ramshorn, which was savaged by a different betta when I tried them as tankmates in another tank, had started to heal but is now extremely lethargic, no longer carrying its shell upright and barely eating. Also, my MTS are disappearing. I used to see several of the larger ones out and about all day and night, but I no longer do. The ones that are out are laying around with their traps open but not moving/feeding. I'm thinking that the snails may have caught some kind of bacterial infection from the bettas and would like to treat the tank with Maracyn Plus.

It's supposed to be snail-safe — but how much damage with it do to my BB? Can I expect a small hit, or will it knock out the colony completely?
 
No way would I recommend Maracyn Plus, or any medication, in a tank that is barely done cycling, I'm afraid...any medication (except for maybe Melafix and salt) will set back the burgeoning beneficial bacteria colonies. My feeling is that bacteria are not as delicate as some say, but medication is not as delicate as some say either. I have never dosed any medication in my display tank without water quality suffering in some way.

Besides, I don't think there is any medication that treats invertebrates. It may be "safe" but it's not going to be beneficial for them...so unless your oto is doing poorly, I don't think you need to use Maracyn Plus at all.

As mentioned in your other thread, I highly recommend finding a way to effectively dose some, at least carbon, and possibly Poly Filter. Adding a lot of junky plants, such as hornwort or anacharis, really helps settle things down, if your tank is not very heavily planted yet.

Really sorry for all your trials and tribulations lately.
 
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I'm sure she can explain it better herself, but she took out her filter and replaced it with a powerhead and sponge combo. I don't think it was a seeded sponge either.

She thought that she had enough BB on her decor, plants, etc. Can't really blame her since people talk about gravel and what not like it's practically equivalent to filter media in BB colonizing capacity.
 
platytudes said:
I'm sure she can explain it better herself, but she took out her filter and replaced it with a powerhead and sponge combo. I don't think it was a seeded sponge either.

She thought that she had enough BB on her decor, plants, etc. Can't really blame her since people talk about gravel and what not like it's practically equivalent to filter media in BB colonizing capacity.
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I agree!

At one time, when UGF's were the primary filter system available, the gravel was the largest host to Nitrifying bacteria since oxygen rich water was constantly being drawn down through the gravel.

If another filter system is used instead of a UGF, then the N-bacteria will overwhelmingly populate that filter system's media, especially since there is far more surface area on a single sponge or filter pad or specialty bio-media than all of the gravel in the tank. For tanks without a UGF, really only the top surface of the gravel gets colonized by N-bacteria since the deeper gravel is not getting any water flow through it and anaerobic bacteria will permeate those layers of gravel. Of course, in a planted tank where roots are growing throughout the gravel, they help to still oxygenate the lower levels but still nothing compared to the filter media of a canister or HOB filter... or even a sponge filter. The N-bacteria are going to go where the food is... and the filter with lots of oxygenated water and ammonia and nitrite in it is like a Sonic fast food place where the N-bacteria can just sit there and stuff themselves with a constant supply of food and O2 being brought to them by hot lilttle rollerbabe-bacteria. LOL

I should add that if she takes the sponge and rubs it on the top layer of gravel to try and get some bacteria transfer, that will help speed things up. Once the bacteria gets seeded on the sponge filter, they will quickly multiple since there would be plenty of food and O2. My understanding, from reading one or more of Dr. Tim's studies, is that N-bacteria colonies can double in size every 24-48 hours depending on the available nitrogenous waste and O2. Maybe he'll pop in here and clarify if my recall is eroneous... but I'm pretty sure I'm correct.
 
Okay, so the Maracyn Plus is a no-go, I think.

I've read a couple threads elsewhere online about people treating apple snails with Maracyn Plus, but any success there might be due in part to the size of the snails and the amount of body surface that can come into contact with the medication. (I realized after I posted that MTS would be virtually impossible to treat with anything at all, thanks to the burrowing and their handy trap doors. Platy, you already figured that out, didn't you? lol)

The oto's hanging in there, eating and pooping, but looking thin which worries me. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Tank is well planted, and I'll continue with the testing/WCs. Also adding carbon as discussed on the other thread.
 
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