Melafix bad for bettas?

chunkoblue

chunkoblue

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Nov 26, 2006
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Glenwood, IL
I've heard some reports on the web that melafix is bad for bettas. But I've also read that it can be because bettas are often kept in small containers, and that is why betta fix is just a weaker concentration of melafix.

I ask because my friend gave me her betta because it has fin rot that wouldn't get better (it was in a small jar.. mostly an ammonia/nitrite issue probably). Anyways now I have him in a 10 gallon tank by himself and was wondering if some melafix would be ok. Or am I better of without it?
 
Although I haven't used it myself, I can tell you that a friend of mine rescued a Wal-Mart Betta that had terrible fin rot. She treated him with Melafix several months ago and he is still alive.
 
Ive never heard of melafix being bad for bettas. With that being said, if you have removed the fish from the bad situation and put it in a better one, all you should need is extremely clean water for the fish to heal on its on..
 
Melafix has been implicated by some as responsible for deaths in labrynthine fish (including gourami and betta). Others report that it can be used in these specimens with no problem. It seems to be highly dose dependent; Bettafix uses same active ingredient but is more dilute and therefore 'safer' than label usage for Melafix. I personally think that there is enough anecdotal eveidence to suggest there could be a danger. I would either elect not to use the product (concentrating on clean water instead) or alternatively dose the Melafix at the concentration listed with Bettafix. Regardless, without improved water parameters recovery will be difficult so I would concentrate your efforts there.
 
I had one of my females get caught in a decor and she was pretty tore up. I treated her with Melafix and she was fine.

Now, having said that AFTER I did read an article about it not really being safe for the bettas and it has something to do with their gills and the fact they are labrynthine. If I had to do it again I believe I would go with the bettafix...just for safety reasons.

Good luck
 
Yes, he is doing much better than when I got him last week. He eats well, and the water is very clean. Although I setup his tank the day before I put him in, I put a big pot scrubber from a filter in my oscar's tank in the new tank's filter. I've been checking ammonia/nitrite daily. Nothing so far. I think I'll skip the melafix. He has so much more energy already.

By the way... nice avatar DrVader.
 
Beta- and Melafix are the same product, but Betafix is at 1/5 the concentration (.2% melaleuca rather than the 1% found in Melafix) and costs as much for a smaller bottle. I just buy Melafix and use a reduced dose :P
 
I've had some really bad experiences with bettas and melafix. I wouldn't use that or betafix or prima fix on any of my fish anyway. There are better ways to treat what those products are meant to treat.

I've found the best thing for treating fin rot in bettas is clean, clean water, increasing the temp to about 84F and salt. (1 tsp aquarium salt per gal water). That heals fin problems up faster than anything else I've seen, it's cheap, salt never expires, there's a lot of leway with dosing (you can go up to 4tsp of salt per gal without negatively affecting your betta) ...

It makes good sense to me, but ... to each his own.
 
Melafix in high doses is fatal to bettas, and you are right in saying that betta fix is mela fix dilluted. Id reccomend using the betta fix more than the melafix. Unless you research the proportions for water and melafix. Aquarium Salt can also be fatal to bettas.
 
.2 is 2/10 of 1%, so a 1/5 dose of melafix should be the same as a full dose of bettafix for a tank of equal dimensions. I was comparing bottles a few days ago :P.
 
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