pale-face disease

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Dear Jay,
I finally just got the enrofloxacin. The fish is already in a quarantine tank that has already been turned over, so there are already bacteria. Do I want to restart the quarantine tank with 100% new water, no 'starter' bacteria, and no filter pad? Or is it OK to simply bring the concentration up to the initial 200 ppm by way of a partial water change and leave the filter pad (fibrous, but no carbon) in there? In other words, are existing nitrifying bacteria going to 'saturate' the antibiotic?
Cheers, Peter

Is the 200 ppm a typo? Noga gives 2 ppm as the dose to use. I would not dose higher than 5 ppm.
I don’t think Enro will kill off the beneficial bacteria, but I’m not positive. You should always monitor ammonia levels when dosing antibiotics n aquariums.
Jay

 

[Peter Houde]

Dear Jay,
I finally just got the enrofloxacin. The fish is already in a quarantine tank that has already been turned over, so there are already bacteria. Do I want to restart the quarantine tank with 100% new water, no 'starter' bacteria, and no filter pad? Or is it OK to simply bring the concentration up to the initial 200 ppm by way of a partial water change and leave the filter pad (fibrous, but no carbon) in there? In other words, are existing nitrifying bacteria going to 'saturate' the antibiotic?
Cheers, Peter

Oops, yes, 2ppm (!)

 

[Peter Houde]

Is the 200 ppm a typo? Noga gives 2 ppm as the dose to use. I would not dose higher than 5 ppm.
I don’t think Enro will kill off the beneficial bacteria, but I’m not positive. You should always monitor ammonia levels when dosing antibiotics n aquariums.
Jay

Dear Jay and anyone else who may read this,

It is nothing short of miraculous. The enrofloxacin seems to have worked. After ~10 years, the damselfish has recovered its facial color! Of course I can't discount for sure that this wasn't a latent effect of some other medication or a change in water conditions in quarantine, there are too many uncontrolled variables, but the result came immediately with the conclusion of five days of enrofloxacin treatment. It will be telling if the condition returns now that the fish is back in the display tank.

Unfortunately, I can't say the tang has shown the same improvement as the damsel. Maybe a little, but if so then not by much, at least not yet. I'll certainly post a note if it does.

Thanks for all the great advice. Enrofloxacin is a lot less expensive and a lot less effort than Regranex!

Cheers, Peter