Aquarium Medications Part 2; Antibiotics

[Carl]

As part of our revamping of the layout of all article webpages, back checking references, & more, we have just finished the "Aquarium Medications Part 2; Antibiotics" article

www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumMedication2.html

Carl

[Carl]

The over haul of "Aquarium Medications Part 3" is now complete

This one deals with chemical treatments, generally aimed at parasites of fish

www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumMedication3.html

Carl

[Carl]

We have complete "Aquarium Medications Part 4, Organic Treatments"

This completes our layout changes to this four part set of articles

www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumMedication4.html

Carl

[Carl]

I have further updated the "Aquarium Medications, Part 2; Antibiotics" article.

This includes an update to the section about Trimethoprim.

Here is a snip about Trimethoprim contraindications:
"*Can be very harsh to nitrifying bacteria in an aquarium, do not over dose and use only in well established aquariums.
*Can cause Thrombocytopenia (lowering of blood platelets), so this is a poor choice if fish have large wounds or are suffering from septicemia. A better choice then would be a pure Sulfa product or other medication combination."

Reference:
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumMedication2.html#trimethoprim

Carl

[Carl]

I have updated my Aquarium Medications Part #3 article.

In this update I expanded my information about precautions of the use of Erythromycin in aquariums and its affect on bio filters.
While this is actually not news among anyone with any REAL experience, a disrespectful young lady (Cara Wade from a Facebook Planted aquarium group) who has the title of a "lighting scientist", despite her real lack of experience and long term research (she is really a marketer IMHO), refuses to respect those such as myself who might have real world experience with Erythromycin destroying nitrifying.
I have added a quote from a medical professional backing this up (even though this should not be necessary)

Snip:
"PLEASE NOTE!! It is also well established among experienced fish keepers (as well as my own extensive use) that Erythromycin is VERY harsh on nitrifying bacteria (even though established as primarily gram negative), especially above 7.2 pH and should be used with care in aquariums, although in established aquariums the nitrifying bacteria will generally bounce back.
When used with faculative bacterial support products such as SeaChem Stability, this lowers the risk of dangerous ammonia spike issues.

Having a "pre-seeded" (with aerobic nitrifying bacteria) sponge filter or other filter media in another healthy tank to move over to the Erythromycin treated aquarium is very helpful in quickly re-establishing/repairing your aquarium nitrogen cycle.
Use of a bare hospital tank with a seeded sponge filter is another idea when practical (not for aquarium wide infections).
Product Resource: SeaChem Stability

I would not recommend Erythromycin in new aquariums or Marine Aquariums due to activity that can harm bio filters.

Further Discussion: TheReefTank; erythromycin & nitrifying bacteria
From the above discussion:
"I don't know who told you that the erythromycin wouldn't hurt the nitrifying bacteria, but let me put this in perspective.
It is very common practice to treat patients prophylactically with a form of erythromycin that is not easily absorbed (so that most of it stays in the gut) the day prior to gut surgery, as it is a type of surgery that is at risk for peritoneal (abdominal connective tissue) infection from the contents of the gut. Normally the dose is 1 gms at 1, 2 and 5pm the day prior to surgery, and the average volume of distribution for most patients at this dose is about 10 to 15 liters (how much apparent volume to account for the concentration of a drug in plasma) If we assume that it is 16 liters, and that there are approximately 4 liter in a gal, then we have 250mg of erythromycin in a gallon of body fluids, but this is the level that is intended to kill as close to 100% of the gut's flora as possible in the short dosing time that we treat the patient.
Even at low doses in the aquarium it will reduce the numbers of nitrifying bacteria, and has little discrimination in which bacteria it kills (the mechanism is that erythromycin binds to certain subunits of the 50S level of bacterial ribosomes, thereby preventing essential protein systhesis in the ribosomes). It's minimun inhibitory concentration (MIC) is as low as 0.003 mcg/ml for some spp of bacteria.""

Reference:
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumMedication2.html#erythromycin

Carl

[Carl]

I have further updated the "Aquarium Medications Part 2" article

Here is an excerpt from the "Aquatronics/Combinations section:

Aquatronics Spectrogram:
Nitrofurazone can be combined with Kanamycin to make an even more wide spectrum treatment, especially for difficult cases of Columnaris or Aeromonas.

For very serious combination bacterial/fungal/parasitic infections (such as Ichthyophonus or even virus infections such as “Angelfish aids”), especially in often difficult to treat Loach, Botia, Cory Catfish and similar fish.
This combination PLUS SeaChem ParaGuard OR better, a Medicated Wonder Shell can often be the “kick” needed for a cure, see below. The Medicated Wonder Shell provides the biggest kick when added to the synergistic Nitrofurazone/Kanamycin combination, especially if Redox Balance is off with an aquarium that may have already been over medicated resulting in oxidative stress.




Carl

[Carl]

I have once more updated "Aquarium Medications Part 2; Antibiotics/ Antimicrobials"

Here is an excerpt:
"Quinine Sulfate/Hydrochloride which is considered the first human anti malarial drug, works by causing a pH elevation in intracellular organelles of parasites, this is thought to disrupt the intracellular transport of membrane components and macromolecules, and phospholipase activity leading to cellular failure of these parasites.

Chloroquine was developed from Methylene Blue (also used starting in 1891 as an anti-malarial drug) & Quinine Sulfate in 1934. The formula of Chloroquine & Methylene Blue is also similar (MB: C16H18ClN3S / Chloroquine: C18H26ClN3).

As noted, Chloroquine or Chloroquine Phosphate is a related drug to Quinine Sulfate or Quinine Hydrochloride that is more effective from my experience (but also easily and fatally overdosed). When combined with Pyrimethamines as in the now unavailable product "Marex" by Aquatronics, it can be very effective for treatment of Oodinium.

USE: Quinine Sulfate/Hydrochloride is useful for resistant strains of Ich (especially on scale less fish), as well as Protozoan caused sliminess of the skin and Rams disease (symptoms of whirling disease).
Also useful for resistant strains of Hexamita when combined with Metronidazole.
When Quinine Hydrochloride is combined with Malachite Green, this is one of the most effective and proven Ich and similar single cell ectoparasite treatments available! AAP Super Ich Plus is one such product that combines both and is the Ich treatment of choice for difficult cases of Ich (although for sensitive fish such as Cory Cats & Loaches this product/combination should be used at half dose and combined with Triple Sulfa)."



Carl

[Carl]

I once more updated the Aquarium Medications Part 2, and again more to the Quinine/Hydrochloride, Chloroquine section

Here is an excerpt:
"Chloroquine Phospate is a drug that degrades quickly and must be pure to be effective, with most aquatic sources are not 99% pure.
With this in mind be mindful of the discount aquarium product seller placebo product "New Life Spectrum's Ick Shield Pellets", even assuming properly soaked with pharmaceutical grade 99% pure Chloroquine Phospate (which is doubtful), this product simply cannot work because Chloroquine Phospate has only been proven to successfully target the free swimming stage of external parasites. Which is why you must dose the powder in a hospital tank. There is no proof it is effective on trophonts feeding on the fish. Even if food soaking were somehow effective on preventing trophonts from attaching, you'd have to be sure each & every one of your fish ate it for 72 consecutive days.
Bottom line, AVOID this product (as well as their fish foods)."



Carl

[Carl]

I've made another update to "Aquarium Medications Part 2; Antibiotics"

Here is an excerpt from the Kanamycin section:

"KANAMYCIN SULFATE;

ABOUT/ USE: An easily absorbed antibiotic, it is used to treat many sensitive gram–negative and some gram–positive bacteria.
Kanamycin is a water-soluble aminoglycoside antibiotic that is derived from the bacterium Streptomyces kanamyceticus and has a very low adsorption rate in the intestine of animals including fish.
Aminoglycosides work by binding to the bacterial 30S ribosomal subunit, causing misreading of t-RNA, leaving the bacterium unable to synthesize proteins vital to its growth.
Aminoglycosides such as Kanamycin are useful in infections involving aerobic gram-negative bacteria such as Columnaris (especially when combined with Nitrofurazone).

Also useful for Pseudomonas-Open red sores or ulcerations, fin and tail damage, fins and tail are eaten away, in severe cases, down to the body.
Kanamycin is very effective in high pH applications, especially Vibrio, making it useful for brackish and marine treatments. Kanamycin is easily absorbed skin absorbed, making it an excellent choice for systemic infections.

Kanamycin is one of the more effective broad spectrum antibiotics available with recent tests showing it to surpass the Tetracycline class antibiotics in cultures including Minocyline (found in Maracyn II), although Kanacyn has been also been shown in these studies to be even more effective when combined with other antibiotics such as Nitrofurazone or Tetracyclines for a “super” antibiotic effect.

I personally have found this to be one of the more effective antibiotics available (similar properties to Chloramphenicol, although still not as effective as Chloramphenicol which is no longer available in the aquarium trade).
Kanamyacin can be effective for symptoms of whirling disease (not actual whirling disease), suspected kidney disease and dropsy. Kanamycin tends to be absorbed quickly by the kidneys which makes it effective for treatment of Kidney infection, but also lends itself to the destruction of the kidneys with over use.
Kanamycin sulfate appears to prevent bacteria from making their cell walls, so the cells die.

As noted earlier, Kanamycin can be blended with other medications in particular Nitrofurazone to make a synergistic wide spectrum treatment.
Best is an already blended medication so that both are treated at the same time for maximum synergistic benefit as is found in AAP Spectrogram especially for difficult cases of Aeromonas or Columnaris.
When it comes to treating Columnaris in freshwater aquariums, when Spectrogram's synergistic blend is also combined with the topical treatment of AAP Wound Control/Merbromin as well as fixing stressors that often make Columnaris more virulent, one can have a powerful treatment for this often lethal disease.

Kanamycin can also be combined with Furan 2, although not quite as effective since these have different treatment schedules that do not allow for maximum synergistic effect and also separate treatment voids the negative affects of high pH upon Nitrofurazone that the use of AAP Spectrogram over comes. "




Carl