Using Medication for no reason Good or Bad

[Snakes]

I am still currently running my tank with 3 platties and I have done a 25% water change sunday

My Next Change is due sunday as I am doing a weekly change as per info on
this site

I am not sure if the platties are sick or will get sick

If I decide to add ick medication without any reason is it good or bad

as in real life they prevention is better than cure

Does this apply in fish as well

Please Advise

 

[Dangerdoll]

in fish case, the prevention is the water changes and keeping the parameters at par or better. Adding meds to the tank as a preventative is only going to weaken the medication job when and if the fish do get sick. To explain it better, if you kept a certain dosage of "ich" in the tank at all times hoping to prevent the disease, the disease may still come but will then be immune to the prescribed dosage on the bottle because of the fish being exposed for so long to it.

 

[Snakes]

if a fish time and again rub against the heater is that a sign of something
it happens often that it does that

 

[LeahK]

Plus, some meds can harm your good bacteria. I had a major "mini"-cycle once after using Rid-Ich+.
That said, some people do use preventative meds in their quarantine tanks. But if this is your main tank, I wouldn't treat for ich (or anything else really) unless your fish actually have it.

 

[Dangerdoll]

you'll need to look for other signs of the disease. If the heater is the only thing he is doing this to then I would wait.... usualy if they flash (what yours seems to be doing), they don't pick on thing to do it on.

 

[Snakes]

Thanks
I will have a closer look to see if I notice anything
I am doing regular water changes with dechlorinated water so that should keep my tank and fish healthy thus far

 

[jm1212]

some meds can acctually harm the fish if they are used constantly.

 

[wataugachicken]

not only that, but using meds improperly and/or when they are not necessary can give the diseases (bacteria, fungus, parasites) a chance to become resistant to the treatments, thereby making it even more difficult to get rid of when a real outbreak occurs.