Neomycin is an antibiotic medication for fish that is added to the water as a supplement. It often acts as a wonder drug, curing fish of many common infections. Neomycin and other antibiotics should be kept on hand at all times for emergencies.
Separate a sick fish into an isolation tank. Use this for observation and medical treatment. Make sure that it is set up as a healthy environment, so you do not harm or stress the fish more. If all your fish are sick or a sick fish cannot be moved, you can administer the medicine in your display tank. For the most part, though, you should use a isolation tank.
2
Read the directions on the neomycin you bought. Application will be different, depending on the form or strength. If you are using drops to add to the water, you should treat approximately once a day for 10 days. Larger tanks do not need to be treated as frequently.
3
Use a neomycin and kanamycin combination to treat most bacterial infections, while nifurpirinol and neomycin makes a combination to treat mixed bacterial and fungal infections or unknown problems. Do not mix antibiotics that are not sold together without consultation, as they can turn lethal.
4
Use neomycin or other antibiotic to treat the right illness. National Fish Pharmaceuticals offers advice on how to diagnose marine infections and sells every medication you may need to cure your fish from infections (see Resources below).
5
Replace about 25 percent of the water before adding the medicine to the water. Do this before each treatment. This helps clean out harmful bacteria without stressing your fish.
6
Stop feeding the fish during treatment. Even a small amount of food can raise the ammonia level in the tank. Fish can go an average of 30 days without eating.
7
Continue to change the water about 25 percent at a time each day for at least a week after treatment. Also use a carbon filter during this time to remove extra medication from the water.
Tips & Warnings
Neomycin gel can be fed to sick fish instead of added to the water.
Neomycin cannot be used for preventive dips. This can actually make your fish ill.
Neomycin kills both harmful and beneficial bacteria, interrupting a biological filtration system. Never administer it to a main fish tank containing biological filters. Use an isolation or medical tank even if the medication you buy says it is safe. Alternatively, you can remove the biological filter during treatment.
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