Are Antibiotics Helpful for Fish Diseases?

If you own a pet fish or have an aquarium you have probably had to deal with the issue of disease. Keeping the tank clean and balanced helps but even this is no guarantee against the development of disease. Multiple products have been sold to help cure diseases in fish, some good, some not so good. Here I would like to explain the possible uses for antibiotics to treat fish disease.

Antibiotics are powerful medications which should be used cautiously and generally speaking should be reserved for problems that cannot be controlled or cured using other treatment methods. Remember too, that antibiotics are useful against bacterial infections – NOT viral infections. I would also only recommend using them under the advice of a specialist with experience dealing with fish diseases. A hospital tank is recommended so that the medication will not harm the beneficial organisms in your main tank and you should not use a carbon filter during treatment as it will filter out the medication. There are several classes of antibiotics used for treatment of fish disease. The following is a list of medications along with diseases they may help treat.

1) Penicillins: The most common medications in this class include penicillin, amoxicillin, and ampicillin. The penicillins are broad spectrum antibiotics which are effective against gram-positive and some gram-negative bacteria. They can be effective against a number of pathogenic bacteria associated with marine and freshwater ornamental fish diseases including Infected eyes, Fin and Tail Rot, Skin ulcerations, Pop-eye, Columnaris disease, Gill disease and White Body Slime.

2) Tetracyclines: Several commonly used medications in this class are tetracycline, minocycline and doxycycline. These are broad spectrum antibiotics most effective for gram-negative organisms. Often used to treat Gill disease, Fin and Tail Rot, Pop-eye, Anorexia or other Unusual Behavior, Internal infections and General Listlessness.

3) Macrolides: Commonly used to treat Swollen eyes, Clamped fins, Patchy coloration and Heavy or Rapid breathing. This class of antibiotics are similar to the penicillins in spectrum but have a broader range. The most frequently used medication in this class in erythromycin.

4) Quinolones: This class of medication is quite potent and can be effective where others fail because it stops bacterial replication and DNA repair. Ciprofloxacin is the most popular and can be used to fight Vibrios, Furunculosis, Flexibacteria, Aeromonas and Columnaris infection.

I hope you enjoyed this brief explanation of the classes and uses for various antibiotics in relation to fish diseases. Before starting any treatment regimen you should check with a local specialist who can recommend effective treatment.