# Melafix-is it any good?



## BrynnaCC (Jan 5, 2014)

I have had great success with Melafix on fish with shredded tails. It's not super effective on already existing infections but it's a good preventive measure against bacterial issues. One fish had a completely missing tail and it made a full recovery only treating with Melafix.


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## NatureGirl (Dec 30, 2015)

I picked them out specifically because of their beautiful tails and fins. I don't believe there is an underlying issue, just an injury. I will be trying to figure out who caused it! Thanks for the input.


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## Fish_wiz (Dec 20, 2015)

I use it on my koi pond, definitely works, but needs to be dosed exactly or under the directions. Overdosing from my experience causes my koi to be less energetic and even gasping for air at the surface even when I run big air membranes from the bottom. Water changes as soon as treatment is over.


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## MtAnimals (May 17, 2015)

I really like it for Angelfish,I used it to perk up listless new angels with fin problems,Really seemed to bring em around.you just don't want to use it on bettas and gouramis,they say it clogs their labyrinth structure.

It made a huge difference in my Angels when I got them,and I gotta think it might be like some of the organics that end up in their water in the amazon basin.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

I have used Melafix and Pimafix on Angels. I had a very long finned male that was prone to fin rot problems. I would catch it early, big water change and dose M and P for a week. 

As noted above, these work great when the problem (bacterial or fungal) are on the outside of the fish, or as a prevention when you have seen an injury as described. 
If you wait too long, and the infection has gone inside, these materials are not good. 

UV sterilizer might (probably does) break down these, and most other meds.


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## NatureGirl (Dec 30, 2015)

Thanks so much for the input. I have a feeling that the problem may be one of the gourami, not positive though. If I catch one of them nipping the Angel then it's outta there! Since I do have Angels and Gourami in the same tank though, sounds like I can't use the melafix. Any other suggestions?
I do have a uv sterilizer in my canister filter but it's not turned on at the moment.


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## lksdrinker (Feb 12, 2014)

I've used it and my conclusion was that pristine water conditions seem to do just as well to help heal torn fins and other minor issues that it claims to help with. Certainly shouldn't hurt if the proper dosage/concentration is used. I believe one of the main ingredients is teatree oil (or a close variant thereof). oils can lead to issues with respiration in fish if I recall. I also believe it (or maybe pimafix) contains clove oil. Clove oil under very high concentrations is used to sedate and euthanize fish. So overdosing this stuff certainly wouldn't be recommended (unless you're trying to sedate or euthanize your fish!)


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## jaliberti (Dec 5, 2015)

NatureGirl said:


> ... I was wondering if anyone has an opinion on whether Melafix will work or help him heal? ...


284 reviews for Melafix on Amazon: amazon.com/API-Melafix-Antibacterial-Remedy-8-Ounce/dp/B0002567SW/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1453343886&sr=1-1&keywords=melafix#customerReviews.



BrynnaCC said:


> ... It's not super effective on already existing infections ...


IME I need to second this as I have lost fish with skin infections after 3 days of Melafix treatment (the duration for sick fish is 7 days).


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## NatureGirl (Dec 30, 2015)

Here is the little guy I'm talking about. Not sure if you can even tell his tail is split in the picture. It's the silver and black striped one. I did read a bunch of online reviews on the melafix and it seems that I can't use it with Gourami in the tank. Water parameters are good. Just checked minutes ago. I do a 40-50% water change weekly. Should I just wait and see if it heals on its own?


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## NatureGirl (Dec 30, 2015)

Apparently the pictures didn't post the first time...


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## LB79 (Nov 18, 2011)

Melafix with large frequent water changes and many feedings of good food will boost the angels' metabolisms and they'll be healthy enough to fight off any infection and heal on their own. Be sure to change the water a lot if you feed them a lot, though. 40/50 percent weekly is probably sufficient.


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## The Coffee (Oct 12, 2013)

If you would but lend me the ring!! Sorry couldn't help it when I saw the quote lol

Now back from Middle Earth...Melafix hasn't really done anything for me. It didn't help for any kind of bad skin infection in angels. 

For cuts and fin damage it did seem to help, but the healing could have just been due to good water conditions and otherwise healthy fish, rather than the treatment. I kind of feel its a waste of money.


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## WaterLife (Jul 1, 2015)

Melafix does work. But as with all meds of course, they only do work on certain types of infections.
Here is a good read on Melafix (there is also info on Pimafix and another natural med I like to use, Kordon Ich Attack/Rid Fungus)
Organic Aquarium Treatments; Melaluca, Pimenta, Naphthoquinones

With that said, for the infections it can treat, I consider this for use on mild/moderate infections, any severe infections/really weakened fish, this med doesn't seem strong enough to reverse severe outbreaks. Still a nice med to have on hand and it's great since it's gentle on fish. The article touches on their experiences with Melafix and Labyrinth fish, but I can't really comment on that issue as I have no personal experience in that aspect, but from the reports of negative reactions, I would be on the safe side and half dose Melafix (full dose Bettafix). I make my own DIY Melafix with Tea Tree Oil as it is a lot more cost effective (article touches on this as well, and I believe the TTO found in essential oils -Melaleuca alternifolia- is more beneficial than the similar oil found in Melafix -Melaleuca leucadendron-...maybe it was a cost/profit reason for them). You can also make your own Pimafix.


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## NatureGirl (Dec 30, 2015)

Thanks for the info! That was a very interesting read. I have decided to just watch it for now and see if his tail heals on it's own. I don't want to chance hurting the Gourami's. I will be setting up a quarantine tank soon, I have a 15 gallon in the garage. I should have it set up already but don't. If the tail doesn't get better on it's own I will put the Angel in there and treat it.


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## blinky2088 (Oct 16, 2006)

Just as a side note you can make your own melafix. As i recall its diluted tea tree oil. You can google the recipe


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

I keep almost all cichlids and have never used it with types who it might hurt but for me it is the one med I do keep on the shelf and use at the first sign of trouble. But then I also would not treat the angel at this point but would watch it. Cichlids and especially angels with large fins do get some splits and it is often nothing to worry about. That is when I really like Mela and Pima, as I can trust them both to not create a problem with the bacteria and they are cheap enough to not worry the cost of treating a full tank at times.


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## NatureGirl (Dec 30, 2015)

I'm going to be watching him quite closely until the tail heals. As for the melafix-I still can't use it in my big tank with the Gourami's so I definitely will be setting up a QT tank just in case I need it. Should have one set up anyway for adding new fish...


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## WaterLife (Jul 1, 2015)

You can still use Melafix with the Gourami, just dose half strength if necessary. API also makes Bettafix, which is half strength of Melafix and is marketed as safe for Bettas (and other labyrinth fish -gourami-).

It's not so easy to say if Melafix really does harm labyrinth fish or not as those reports are unverifiable, and so it's possible the bad experiences were caused by something else the users may not have been aware of, or it could have been the disease/infection itself. As seen in the article and from other users that had no problems, some people don't have any issues with it. Maybe Melafix puts a oil film across the water surface and that causes the problem if there is not enough surface agitation?

Just mentioning. You can try half dose which would be safe, and monitor the fish and dose the other half dose if you feel it's safe to do so.
But yeah, you can just keep the water healthy and see how things go without any meds.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

NatureGirl said:


> I just got two baby angelfish on Saturday and already noticed last night that one has a split in his tail. Not sure how he got it. Someone may have picked on him. I will be watching very closely for the culprit. I was wondering if anyone has an opinion on whether Melafix will work or help him heal?
> Any other suggestions would be helpful as well. I have zebra danios, H. rasboras, and 2 dwarf gouramis in the tank as well.


 Is possible the tail fin was damaged by the net when they caught it from the store tank.?
I am not a believer that oil of any kind adheres to much of anything in water, whether it is tea tree oil, or aloe such as found in some other product's.
Any thing that claim's to coat the fishes skin, must then also coat the fishes gill's in my view, making it more difficult for the fish to breath if you accept that the oil does indeed stick to the fish in water.
Good care ,good food's,regular water change's are often just as effective as the tea tree product's in my humble opinion. 
Should see improvement within ten day's with good care and assuming no other fish are harassing the young angelfish.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Melafix and Pimafix are specially formulated to work in water. I also would assume they will contact the gills and other structures such as the labyrinth organ of Anabantoids. But they do work when used per label directions.
I do not think you can simply make your own by diluting tea tree oil. This is not a miscible material.


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## garfieldnfish (Sep 25, 2010)

In my opinion it's chicken soup for fish. Won't do much to help with a disease but will make the fish feel better and that may speed up healing in a fish that would heal up anyway. A sick fish need some real meds.


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## WaterLife (Jul 1, 2015)

I am unsure about oils sticking to fish. I suspect it depends on the oil composition/chemical make up that determines whether or not the oil would "stick/adhere"/absorb or not. And I would assume water chemistry/parameters make a difference in the fish to oil interaction. As for Melafix/Pimafix sticking to fish, I am not sure. If Melafix were to stick to gills though, I would suspect ALL fish, would gasp due to their gills getting coated, which is not the case, at least a recommended dosage (still don't see any increase in breathing). The meds that "promote" slime coats, aren't coating/sticking to the fish, I have read that they slightly irritate the fish's skin so the fish naturally produces more slime coating. But it's clear that oil spills in the ocean do stick to certain parts in fish (I recall only some parts/organs found coated in whales, not the whole whale/skin/body covered in oil). There are some articles detailing the effects of oil spills on aquatic life, and some did mention oil-clogged gills. But again, I really think it depends on the particular oil and chemistry. Whatever it may be, at these therapeutic levels with Melafix, no distress is seen.

Under the "Possible Dangers" section on Melafix, it talks a bit about Melafix on Labyrinth fish, then read on to the "Current Research/Hypothesis".
Organic Aquarium Treatments; Melaluca, Pimenta, Naphthoquinones
I don't know too much on all the chemistry stuff, so I can't comment much on the subject. Interesting read though.




Melafix and Pimafix just contain water, the essential oil and an emulsifying agent (allows the oil to stay mixed within the water and not just float to the top, unmixed). You can make your own using distilled water and just the essential oil. It has been discussed about the need of the emulsifier, but from many peoples experience, simply shaking the DIY Melafix/Pimafix for 60 seconds before use, mixes it up enough and it does indeed disperse/mix within the aquarium very well and not much floats (if it does, simply shake it more next time. Good surface agitation and circulation does help it mix/disperse better though). Many (myself included) have used the DIY version and it still does work just as good.

I still think Melafix is a good med, as it is does help and is a safe med (still uncertain on Labyrinth fish). But again, I do see it as a mild strength med. And as with ALL meds, they all have their limitations, you can't expect this or that med to treat this or that if it scientifically can't. This med does have health beneficial properties with scientific evidence, so it's not like it does nothing (for those that assume the med is useless and water did it all). While there is no doubt that healthy water will give the fish's immune system a better chance at fighting over infections and recovering for itself, a med still can aid it (just like a person who is sick and takes a mild med to help them overcome the sickness). Depending how prolonged the infection has gone and how weak the fish has gotten, it is possible the fish has become too weak to fight off the infection (not the OP's fish), even with healthy water changes, and so a med like Melafix can indeed make the difference in recovery.

And who knows, maybe using Melafix to speed up healing would keep it living longer, rather than letting the fish "suffer"/stress longer from a slower recovery by just letting it's immune system do all the work with no aid, albeit probably not a very noticeable difference in comparison to having the fish subjected to a more severe infection/stressor.

Heh, we are probably making a bigger deal out of this than the OP was asking for (still a healthy discussion). But to recap, this is just a very minor problem, keeping the water healthy is fine and the fish should recover on it's own. Use the med or not, either way, the OP's fish will be fine if the water is good.


As pointed out by roadmaster, it is pretty common for angelfish to get their fins damaged when being netted (you can find a bunch of threads on how to catch angelfish without damaging them). We didn't see a pic of the fin damage, so we can't tell if it was a split from handling or fighting, or fin rot, or fin nipping. Either way, with clean healthy water, the fish would heal fine. Melafix can heal those as well. But if the fish are fighting or getting nipped, the damage can come back, even get worse if they stress out enough.


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## NatureGirl (Dec 30, 2015)

I've been watching him very closely the past several days and feeding blood worms every other day. He is a voracious eater and very active. I think the tail is starting to go back together on it's own. Thank you everyone for your input. I do appreciate it.


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## Mikevwall (Jul 27, 2015)

Hope you haven't already started dosing melifix. It will kill your gouramis, or any other fish with a labyrinth organ at the recommended dosage.


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## NatureGirl (Dec 30, 2015)

It seems as though not everyone is reading through this entire thread before commenting. No I haven't dosed the melafix because of the Gourami's. And I did post pictures before. Here are some more. The first one is the day I got the fish. No tears in fins at all. The second picture was taken this weekend.

Bump: Ok, just realized that you can't see his tail at all in the second picture. I will try to get a more close up pic tonight when I get home from work...


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## WaterLife (Jul 1, 2015)

Oh yeah, sorry I missed the pics the second time skimming through the thread. Still not sure which are the damaged fins. Can you comment which fins we should be looking at/has the damage?


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## NatureGirl (Dec 30, 2015)

It's the black and silver striped Angel's tail fin. Admittedly that is not a good picture of the damage. The first picture is the day I got him with no damage. Definitely not caused by netting him because he hasn't been netted since I put him in the tank. I'll get a close up pic of the damage tonight. It's kinda strange how the pics get a little fuzzier when I post them. On my phone you could clearly see his tail fin, but when I transferred it to the the computer it got a little distorted I guess.


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## NatureGirl (Dec 30, 2015)

Here is a couple better pictures


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