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Re: Plants versus medication




> 
> Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 15:35:06 -0600
> From: John_P_Bonin at eFunds_Com
> Subject: Plants versus medication
> 
> I've given up on medicating my tank for a fish disease that I/stores
> haven't been able to remedy.  I'd like to remove the remaining fish and
> treat the tank with something very aggressive.  Has anyone experienced
> using something that would really do the trick, whatever the disease is,
> but won't jeopardize my plants too badly.  I don't want to pull up all my
> plants if at all possible, but then again, I don't want them to die either.
> Is this possible???

First, what's the disease? You cannot treat if you cannot answer that simple
question.

The vast bulk of fish diseases cannot live for long without any host, so
just removing the fish and doing some cleanup on the tank is probably all
you need to do, there.

Treat the fish in a hospital tank, for the most likely disease. Use a chart
like in Untergasser's book to get a pretty good identification, first,
*then* apply medication sufficient to get a cure. Follow through, to be sure
it is gone. If the fish aren't worth that, euthanize them and wait a couple
of weeks before adding more fish. By then the tank should be free of hostile
bacteria or viruses.

Most plants can stand a little salt (rock or kosher) for a few weeks (a
tablespoon for 5 G or so). Resting organisms (cysts) like Ich and velvet
cannot survive in water that salty without any host animal. [Obviously you
don't have those, for all novices can easily recognize them.] Having that
small amount of salt in the water is helpful for stressed fish, too, by
lowering osmotic pressure,

There is no substitute for getting the disease identified. That's where a
good book is worth its weight in gold. You do not need to hurt your plants
in the process, IMHO.

Wright

-- 
Wright Huntley, Fremont CA, USA, 510 494-8679  huntleyone at home dot com

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