Pimafix

[bryan]

I am trying out Pimafix to dose my tank as several fish are having a fungal attack. The instruction states 5ml every 10USG every day for 7 days??? I am not sure if that is correct. Has anyone tried following the instructions strictly?
I've gone through a few forum threads on Pimafix and Melafix. Some swear by it, some curse it. Some claim the instruction is wrong and may result in overdose. An interesting post by one states that he makes his own melafix by mixing Tea Tree Oil with distilled water.

[Quixotic]

I have used Melafix but not Pimafix before. Here's some food for thought.

In my experience, I find Melafix quite effective and it isn't bad if you don't consider it as a cure all miracle medication. Some people may have different expectations and expect it to perform miracles but didn't realise that the water conditions must be good as well. The medication will be of no use if water conditions are not good in the first place.

And to be safe, I never ever use the full recomended dosage, despite claims that there will be no harm. With medication, I always always dose in moderate amounts and not the entire full cycle.

There may be cases where things are already beyond repair and when things don't go well, the workman will always blame the tools.

[aquarius]

Hope you can post your observations cos i was thinking of getting it as well.

Today i went over to two LFSes and found that there is a Pimafix and Melafix in the market which is of dubious background. Don't get the white bottled one. I read the instructions on Pimafix and Melafix both which is white bottled. The front is different but the instructions on the back is THE SAME!! Including the contents!!!
At another LFS they only have the blue bottled ones and the instructions on the back of the Pimafix and Melafix is different including the contents. They even have a batch no and expiry date.

[bryan]

I bought the blue bottle.
I did a 25% water change on Sunday, after I lost 2 rainbowfish.Last night was the 2nd day of treatment. I tried half dose. Fungus has disappeared on some of my fish and appeared on others. There was one rainbow that was swiming abit wobbly last night. This morning it was dead.
I think the frequent scuffles among them leaves open wounds exposed to the nasties.

[Quixotic]

Hope you can post your observations cos i was thinking of getting it as well.

Today i went over to two LFSes and found that there is a Pimafix and Melafix in the market which is of dubious background. Don't get the white bottled one. I read the instructions on Pimafix and Melafix both which is white bottled. The front is different but the instructions on the back is THE SAME!! Including the contents!!!
At another LFS they only have the blue bottled ones and the instructions on the back of the Pimafix and Melafix is different including the contents. They even have a batch no and expiry date.

Do you mean the label of the bottle is white, like this? http://www.koivet.com/html/articles/...ch_term=ulcers

I think they are authentic but... could be old stocks or discontinued products. They do change labels and packaging from time to time and my guess is the white labelled product is either of old packaging or discontinued.

There is supposedly different concentrations of products as well, where one has 1% and the other has 5% active ingredients.

But I do not know which is which and what they looked like. I'll search around and see if I can get some answers.

And I *think* there is a new packaging where the caps are different and the blue ones we have now are of "old" packaging. Do note that there is also a Pond version of Mela/Pimafix as well.

I bought the blue bottle.
I did a 25% water change on Sunday, after I lost 2 rainbowfish.Last night was the 2nd day of treatment. I tried half dose. Fungus has disappeared on some of my fish and appeared on others. There was one rainbow that was swiming abit wobbly last night. This morning it was dead.
I think the frequent scuffles among them leaves open wounds exposed to the nasties.

Any aeration? As with most medications, I think the filter bacterias could be affected and therefore, most advocate heavy aeration during medication.

[bryan]

Any aeration? As with most medications, I think the filter bacterias could be affected and therefore, most advocate heavy aeration during medication.

In fact I've just started running an air pump with 2 airstones this morning as well.

I may leave it running alternating with the solenoid when my CO2 tank come back from refilling.

Meanwhile the fish including the ones with fungus are eating and swiming/sparring as usual.

[aquarius]

Do you mean the label of the bottle is white, like this? http://www.koivet.com/html/articles/...ch_term=ulcers

I think they are authentic but... could be old stocks or discontinued products. They do change labels and packaging from time to time and my guess is the white labelled product is either of old packaging or discontinued.

There is supposedly different concentrations of products as well, where one has 1% and the other has 5% active ingredients.

But I do not know which is which and what they looked like. I'll search around and see if I can get some answers.

And I *think* there is a new packaging where the caps are different and the blue ones we have now are of "old" packaging. Do note that there is also a Pond version of Mela/Pimafix as well.

It doesn't look like the one on the website you gave. The 2 bottles on the website is blue but the one i say is dubious has white/translusent bottle.
Pimafix's ingredient starts with Pi--- something something while melafix's ingredient is melaleuca. But the dubious Pimafix's active ingredient is the same as melafix - melaleuca

I've seen the blue bottled melafix with two different "designs" at the front of the bottle and will agree with you that they are probably new and old packaging but the white/translusent ones just don't look right.

[Quixotic]

Oh dear, that doesn't sound good. Just what we don't need, damn...

[bryan]

Good news is that there are no casualties today.The bunch seem perky this morning although there is fungus still present.Have been doing half doseage. Will be doing a water change tomorrow. The nutmeg-like scent is starting to grow on me.

[Quixotic]

That's good news. Wishing your fishes a speedy recovery.

[bryan]

Hope you can post your observations cos i was thinking of getting it as well.

.

Hi aquarius, so far I have not lost anymore fish to fungus, the fish are as lively as ever.

However the fungus has not cleared and the rainbows are not helping as they seem to be going at each other all the time, tearing fins and losing scales.

[aquarius]

Thanks for the feedback.

[bryan]

Well to sum it up, it has not been successful. I just lost another rainbow this morning after I quarantined it. It was probably dying anyway that's why I could catch it. Total death toll after start of pimafix treatment numbers 4 rainbowfish and one rummynose. The rest of the fish not suffering from fungus are not affected. I might have wasted my $11.

[Quixotic]

Sorry to hear about your loss. Fish death is part and parcel of fishkeeping. Different aquarists will always have different milages, what works for others may not always work for you.

On hindsight, it may be better to have quarantine them in a hospital tank in the first place. This will help isolate other factors that may affect the recovery.

Frankly, I have never had good sucess with ill fish. They simply can't survive once their health weakens.

[bryan]

Sorry to hear about your loss. Fish death is part and parcel of fishkeeping. Different aquarists will always have different milages, what works for others may not always work for you.

On hindsight, it may be better to have quarantine them in a hospital tank in the first place. This will help isolate other factors that may affect the recovery.

Frankly, I have never had good sucess with ill fish. They simply can't survive once their health weakens.

Thanks for the condolences, good news is the fungus have cleared (or rather all the fish with fungus are dead). Everyone is happy again. I would have prefered to quarantine the sick fish as you mentioned, but I have the kind of tank which most of us have. The type which a fish goes in and can't be netted out. ie. heavily planted with big branchy bogwood.

I however will not write off pimafix or melafix in future. I might try increasing the dosage if I ever need to. The good thing I see is that it really does not affect the other tank inhabitants (snails included).

[SGFrontosa]

Thanks for the condolences, good news is the fungus have cleared (or rather all the fish with fungus are dead). Everyone is happy again. I would have prefered to quarantine the sick fish as you mentioned, but I have the kind of tank which most of us have. The type which a fish goes in and can't be netted out. ie. heavily planted with big branchy bogwood.

I however will not write off pimafix or melafix in future. I might try increasing the dosage if I ever need to. The good thing I see is that it really does not affect the other tank inhabitants (snails included).

Sorry for your loss.
Just a note that I have and still using Melafix and occasionally Primafix.
They are good cure especially for the fin growth of the fish as well.
The smell of the tea leaf, is very nice too.