API products WARNING

[bigcountry]

This is a warning to everyone out there who loves their fish. I tried API melafix to cure some mild cloudy eye in one of my cichlids. I followed the directions to the letter, removing my carbon filter, and adding 5 ml of product per 10 gallons of water each day. Treatment is supposed to be for 7 days straight and then a 25% water change. On day 3 all my fish were dead. No warning, fine one night, dead in the morning. I contacted API and they said it wasn't the product, but that I had overstocked my tank and the ammonia got to high and killed the fish. They told me this only knowing what size my tank was. They did not know what kind of fish, how many, what size, what type/size of filter I use, etc. I called them on this and they repeated that they are not to blame. I have since done some research online and found this is a common problem. Many fish killed by their products and they always blame the customer. I am writing this to spread the word that their products are unsafe. You don't have to trust me. Do some research and you will find the same thing. Please, if you love your fish, stay away from API!

[devonjohnsgard]

I have to think that something else was at play, as melafix is a mild pretty safe treatment. There's others that are much more harsh.

That said, if there's not a solid biological filtration or there was a disease that was fast moving that melafix isnt meant for, it could appear melafix caused the issue.

Carl wrote something about this some time ago.

www.google.com/amp/s/aquariumopinions.com/2012/10/15/fishlore-review-such-as-melafix-dangers/amp/


www.fish-as-pets.com/2008/12/melafix-dangers-labyrinth-fish.html

[Carl]

This is very unfortunately that this kind of bad science is again resurfacing.
While Melafix is far from a great treatment (it is more of a first aid treatment), it also is no more dangerous when used correctly than aspirin

Professionally & Research based reading:
www.fish-as-pets.com/2008/12/melafix-dangers-labyrinth-fish.html

Here is just a little from this MUST READ article above (please read the article in full for context):
"Some Background

Although I have extensively used and tested Melafix on many Labyrinth fish (in particular Bettas) and not found these results that some are claiming.
This does NOT mean these persons are making up the results, this just indicates that there are more than one factor in this equation, such as a chemical trigger, incorrect disease diagnosis, less than optimum water parameters, etc..

I also know of many other aquatic professionals that have not observed the deaths in Labyrinth fish/pencil fish, but again this just tells me that we need to look deeper and not make non-scientific knee jerk proclamations based on anecdotal evidence which often all too common in this hobby, even by well meaning aquarists!
In other words, I suspect that what has become all to common in our hobby, especially in groups and social media is that scientific method was NEVER followed!

An important point, which I will cover in more depth later, is that Melafix is primarily for minor wounds & gram positive bacterial infections, NOT serious infections.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
From my experience in the professional aquarium maintenance industry since 1978, often persons will treat with the wrong medication and then when their fish die, blame the treatment rather than realize that they used the wrong treatment in the first place!!

CURRENT RESEARCH/HYPOTHESIS
From: Aquarium Medications Part 4, Melafix, Pimafix, Usnea

First I will start off in pointing out that so much which has been said about Melafix or Bettafix dangers with Bettas and other Labyrinth Fish is based on observations, often by persons with little or no knowledge of how medications work or water chemistry and its effect on these medications.
Unfortunately, even in the before mentioned forum one important point was not brought up and that is that Melafix is primarily effective only with minor injuries and gram positive bacterial infections.

This is worthy of note since MOST aquarium infections are gram negative and using a product such as Melafix for a disease such as Columnaris will likely result in failure.

Reference: Columnaris; Treatment, Identification of this Gram Negative Aquarium Fish Disease

So unfortunately the observation could be made that the medication killed their fish, which of course is totally incorrect (especially when Melafix or Bettafix is overdosed)!

Now that is not to say that some of these anecdotal observations were incorrect and that Melafix did indeed kill their fish (still generally in an extreme overdose), however there is a water chemistry explanation for this too, so please read on!

Currently the best scientific information shows that there may be link between the tea tree oil in Melafix and toxicity in Labyrinth fish/Pencil fish, but this link is NOT what many are anecdotally assuming.
The best information points to liver function, which would explain why some (such as myself) have not observed these problems in our tests (admittedly the studies did not focus on over doses).

How is Melafix Toxic in Certain Water Conditions?
Basically Tea Tree oil (Melaleuca leucadendron and Melaleuca alternifolia) is a phenol-containing essential oil.
Its active ingredients are cyclic terpenes which have a similar structure and action to turpentine (a KNOWN liver toxin).
The acute toxicity for the major terpenic compounds (linalool, ocimene, alpha-terpinene, 1,8-cineole, terpinolene, camphene) is 2 - 5 g/kg body weight, which is considered a moderately toxic range.

From a toxicological point of view Tea Tree oil is comparable to oil of turpentine, which is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and then finds its way to the liver. What may be the problem is that under certain conditions Melafix may be toxic to the liver in Labyrinth fish/Pencil fish."

Carl

[Carl]

As well as an professional in the area of fish treatment since 1978, Melafix is NOT the correct treatment for cloudy eye.

Cloudy eyes is often a symptom of serious internal infections which Melafix not meant for ANY serous infection.

Streptococcus is just one strong possibility for the cause of a cloudy eye in fish (AAP Myacin would have been a much better choice assuming Streptococcus)

Sorry to be so blunt, but treating Streptococcus with Melafix is akin to treating a brain tumor with aspirin and then blaming the maker of aspirin for loss of life from the brain tumor

www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2009/01/streptococcus-eye-infections.html

Carl