Hi, Somer... I'm so sorry Maurice is not doing well. Is it possible to upload another photo, maybe full face shot.
I was hoping that with keeping his water pristine, and with possibly a slight anti-bactericidal effect from the Melafix this would keep Maurice from getting an infection. I usually try to avoid using an antibiotic until I feel that there are signs of infection.
On hindsight, I wish I had advised you to go ahead and use antibiotics prophylactically, especially since the eye was pulled almost totally out of its socket and the tear in the tissue extends to and includes the delicate tissue that surrounds the eye.
I think Maracyn II is a good choice for Maurice. If you could get Kanamycin that would be really good. It's especially effective if you can get it inside him, in some food... but I'm sure it tastes like crap.
If you use the snello recipe and with the addition of garlic to make it more tasty, you could try to mix up some for him to eat. Kanamycin is, however, supposed to be absorbed from the water through the fish's skin so it works well in the water, but internal dosing would be an addded benefit.
I know there's an antibiotic medicated goldfish food, but I can't think of the name of it. You might pm Lupin, he would know.
I wouldn't wait to start treatment, however, if you can't find Kanamycin locally. If you've got the Maracyn 2, I wouldn't wait to start treatment.
Don't kick yourself over this. You didn't make a bad decision trying Fungus Clear because acutallly it does contain two antibiotics and another ingredient more specific to true fungus, so it is useful in both bacterial and fungal infection. This product does help in many, if not most, cases of infection. I have used it, myself, in the successful treatment of a pretty serious case of popeye in an Oto.
I have spoken with Jungle Labs in the past to find out about its efficacy. The man I spoke with said that the company decided on calling it Fungus Clear because most people see the cottony, filmy lesions of Columnaris, a bacterial infection, and think they've got a case of true fungus.
Fungus Clear does have two antibiotcs in it. One is Nitrofurazone which is effective against a wide variety of gram neg and gram positive bacteria. I've read that it is also used prophylactically in serious burns in humans, and in treating frank infection in those patients as well.
The other is Furazolidone which is described on Kordon's website:
"Furazolidone is an antibacterial, possessing both bacteriostatic and bacteriocidal properties. It is active against various gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria pathogenic to fishes. It is indicated for the control of Aeromonas salmonicida (furunculosis) and other bacterial pathogens. Furazolidone has also been shown to have an inhibitory effect on spore formation of the sporozoan Myxosoma, when administered orally."
I'm including the above information because I know you're probably beating yourself up and you shouldn't be. I think Maurice looks bad right now but I think he's still got a really good shot at getting over this.
I would continue with the added salt in his water. Are you keeping all traces of ammonia and nitrite out of his hospital?
Doing big water changes each day right before you dose his tank with Maracyn II will take care of keeping his water pristine, however, since he's a goldie and they are especially messy, I would be sure to use Prime, just in case, to detoxify any traces of ammonia or nitrite in his hospital.
Please let me know how he's doing. I haven't been able to be on AC but for a moment or two the last few days and haven't kept up with Maurice, for which I am very sorry.
I was hoping that with keeping his water pristine, and with possibly a slight anti-bactericidal effect from the Melafix this would keep Maurice from getting an infection. I usually try to avoid using an antibiotic until I feel that there are signs of infection.
On hindsight, I wish I had advised you to go ahead and use antibiotics prophylactically, especially since the eye was pulled almost totally out of its socket and the tear in the tissue extends to and includes the delicate tissue that surrounds the eye.
I think Maracyn II is a good choice for Maurice. If you could get Kanamycin that would be really good. It's especially effective if you can get it inside him, in some food... but I'm sure it tastes like crap.
If you use the snello recipe and with the addition of garlic to make it more tasty, you could try to mix up some for him to eat. Kanamycin is, however, supposed to be absorbed from the water through the fish's skin so it works well in the water, but internal dosing would be an addded benefit.
I know there's an antibiotic medicated goldfish food, but I can't think of the name of it. You might pm Lupin, he would know.
I wouldn't wait to start treatment, however, if you can't find Kanamycin locally. If you've got the Maracyn 2, I wouldn't wait to start treatment.
Don't kick yourself over this. You didn't make a bad decision trying Fungus Clear because acutallly it does contain two antibiotics and another ingredient more specific to true fungus, so it is useful in both bacterial and fungal infection. This product does help in many, if not most, cases of infection. I have used it, myself, in the successful treatment of a pretty serious case of popeye in an Oto.
I have spoken with Jungle Labs in the past to find out about its efficacy. The man I spoke with said that the company decided on calling it Fungus Clear because most people see the cottony, filmy lesions of Columnaris, a bacterial infection, and think they've got a case of true fungus.
Fungus Clear does have two antibiotcs in it. One is Nitrofurazone which is effective against a wide variety of gram neg and gram positive bacteria. I've read that it is also used prophylactically in serious burns in humans, and in treating frank infection in those patients as well.
The other is Furazolidone which is described on Kordon's website:
"Furazolidone is an antibacterial, possessing both bacteriostatic and bacteriocidal properties. It is active against various gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria pathogenic to fishes. It is indicated for the control of Aeromonas salmonicida (furunculosis) and other bacterial pathogens. Furazolidone has also been shown to have an inhibitory effect on spore formation of the sporozoan Myxosoma, when administered orally."
I'm including the above information because I know you're probably beating yourself up and you shouldn't be. I think Maurice looks bad right now but I think he's still got a really good shot at getting over this.
I would continue with the added salt in his water. Are you keeping all traces of ammonia and nitrite out of his hospital?
Doing big water changes each day right before you dose his tank with Maracyn II will take care of keeping his water pristine, however, since he's a goldie and they are especially messy, I would be sure to use Prime, just in case, to detoxify any traces of ammonia or nitrite in his hospital.
Please let me know how he's doing. I haven't been able to be on AC but for a moment or two the last few days and haven't kept up with Maurice, for which I am very sorry.
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