Aquarium Pharmacy 💊🐟 [list]

I am not a pharmacist nor a vet. I wrote this for my own reference. Verify usage and dosage yourself. Using these improperly can kill fish, kill plants, disrupt nitrogen cycles, or leave permanent stains. Follow at your own risk.

Antibiotics

• Kanamycin sulfate
  • Type: Antibiotic pharmaceutical
  • Use: Fin rot, dropsy, pop-eye, columnaris
  • Contained In: Seachem Kanaplex
• Erythromycin
  • Type: Antibiotic pharmaceutical
  • Use: Fin rot, pop-eye, columnaris
  • Contained In: Fritz Maracyn, API E.M. Erythromycin
• Doxycycline hyclate
  • Type: Antibiotic pharmaceutical
  • Use: Columnaris
  • Contained In: API Fin & Body
• Sulfathiazole
  • Type: Antibiotic pharmaceutical
  • Use: Fin rot
  • Contained In: Seachem Polyguard
• Nitrofurazone
  • Type: Antibiotic pharmaceutical
  • Use: Columnaris, fin rot
  • Contained In: Seachem Polyguard, Furan-2 (discontinued)

Antifungals

• Methelyne blue
  • Type: Chemical compound
  • Use: Inhibiting fungal disease, fungus on fish eggs, cotton wool disease
  • Contained In: Kordon Methelyne Blue, also found in small amounts in Seachem StressGuard
  • Stains aquarium surfaces and kills plants, suggest using only in a dedicated quarantine tank
• Malachite green
  • Type: Chemical compound
  • Use: Inhibiting fungal disease, cotton wool disease, velvet
  • Contained In: Seachem Polyguard
  • Malachite green may be a human carcinogen

Antiparasite

• Praziquantel
  • Type: Antiparasitic pharmaceutical
  • Use: Flukes, general internal parasites, especially the Tapeworm
  • Contained In: Hikari PraziPro, Fritz PraziCleanse, Fritz Paracleanse, API General Cure
• Metronidazole
  • Type: Antiparasitic pharmaceutical
  • Use: hole-in-head, general internal parasites
  • Contained In: Seachem MetroPlex, Fritz MetroClenase Fritz Paracleanse, API General Cure
  • Metronidazole may be a human carcinogen
• Some aldehyde (formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde) with Malachite green
  • Type: Chemical compound
  • Use: Ich, velvet, flukes
  • Brands: Hikari Ich-X, API Super Ick, Seachem ParaGuard
  • Formaldehyde is a human carcinogen
  • Malachite green may be a human carcinogen
• Quinacrine dihydrochloride
  • Type: Antiparasitic pharmaceutical
  • Use: hole-in-head
  • Contained In: Seachem Polyguard
• Levamisole hydrochloride
  • Type: Antiparasitic pharmaceutical
  • Use: general internal parasites, especially the Callamanus worm
  • Contained In: Fritz Expel-P
• Copper
  • Type: Chemical compound
  • Use: Ich, velvet
  • Contained In: Seachem Cupramine
  • Copper in miniscule amounts will kill invertebrate tank mates such as shrimp.

Non-drug / natural ingredient

• Salt (sodium chloride)
  • Type: Chemical compound
  • Use: Osmogregulation (fish breathing), inhibiting growth of bacteria/fungus/parasites
  • Salts do not evaporate. You need to be mindful of how much salt you add over time. To remove salt, you must do water-removals.
• Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate)
  • Type: Chemical compound
  • Use: Constipation
• Tree extract oils
  • Type: Natural extract
  • Use: Dubious anti-microbial properties
  • Contained In: API Melafix, API Pimafix, API Bettafix, Imagitarium Bacterial Remedy