Tea Tree Oil

[sly2kusa]

Someone was telling me today at Petsmart that Tea Tree Oil is a healthy additive for your aquarium (along the lines of the benefits of Evaporated Sea Salt and Garlic - slime coats benefits and general immune system boosters).

Any truth to any of this?

 

[dorkfish]

As you said this is just like salt - it will give you a short term benifit, but long term, the fishes immune system will deteriorate until the fish falls ill and ultimitaley dies prematurely. Don't know if it works or not, but that shoul dbe a good reason to not use it.

 

[Rbishop]

Heard the rumors...I lump it with the myth of salt in general and any other slime coat additive.

 

[sly2kusa]

So are saying that the use of any of these 3 additives - long term - (Salt, Garlic, Tea Tree Oil) are bad things to use on a regular basis? Or just the Tea Tree Oil?

 

[naps]

It's what's in Melafix. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melaleuca
Tea tree oil(Melaleuca) it's also an anti-fungal. I've used straight tea-tree oil and honestley it doesn't do much but make the tank smell better. I've also heard that the oil can make it harder for the water to aerate.

 

[sly2kusa]

Thank you all...

It's so hard to get good info on all of this (not that it's probably not good info, but I just get so many different stories that it's hard to know what's what).

Thanks again!

 

[Rbishop]

So are saying that the use of any of these 3 additives - long term - (Salt, Garlic, Tea Tree Oil) are bad things to use on a regular basis? Or just the Tea Tree Oil?

Long term...yes.

 

[sly2kusa]

Long term...yes.

Sorry for coming off like such a dullard here r, but do you mean all 3? Or just the Tea Tree Oil?

 

[TheZoo]

all 3, I believe. If used when appropriate, for treatment purposes, and for an appropriate length of time, it should be fine. As far as melafix/tea tree oil, the benefits of using it are (argueably) the same benefits that could be reached by doing extra water changes.

I think there is some truth to the idea that melafix or tea tree oil can make it harder for the water to oxygenate...adding an extra bubbler might help.

 

[plah831]

I agree with naps that the Tea Tree oil makes aeration more difficult. This is because it makes the water slimy and more viscous (thicker). At least that's what I've noticed when I've used Melafix. So whenever I've used Melafix, I've had to turn my air pumps/filtration up to maximum for the fish's benefit.