Taking care of your fish and things you might need.

I find it absolutely amazing that so many people have nothing to care for their fish.

I have a list of things I keep that I think are basic essentials.
It is kind of like a first aid kit for my fish.

SALT
EPSOM SALTS
PRIMAFIX
MELAFIX
ICK MEDS (OF YOUR CHOICE)
METRONIDAZOLE (ANTIBIOTIC)
I have quite a bit more than this but this would be the basics.

These are a few things I try to always have so if I have a problem I can get a jump on it.
If I am not sure of the problem I go to fishyfarmacy and try to determine what it is. At least I have a type of med to attempt to treat my fish.
If you wait until you find out online (especially if at night) by time you get a answer you have lost valuable time.
Then you have to try and get something to treat with. A guy on another site posted a fish in really bad shape and had no clue.
That is what led me to post this here. He had it in a plastic tub with no air pump and no filter.
PEOPLE A sick fish needs the best of conditions, as he is fighting for his life. This fish was gasping for air and using up the oxygen
really quick with no source for replacement. He had a really great chance of pulling through this.

You don't just need meds you need to spend 5.00 at a yard sale and have a 10 gal. hospital tank with a air pump and filter.
Cycle it and have it ready for your fish. Mine are worth the extra time God I hope yours are.
If you don't have 5.00 come by I will give you a 10 gal. until the 40 I have in storage run out.

If my fish were not part of my life I would not put the time and effort I do into them. I certainly don't want to sit back and watch them suffer.


If any of you have anything you want to add feel free to do so. There may be some things I might want to have on hand that I don't.
There is still no replacement for good fish keeping and clean water. But sick fish is just the nature of keeping fish I guess.
It seems that even the best fish keepers have had problems at times. If it is just damage due to aggression from other fish.

The items on your list are the same as what I keep on hand. The only thing I would add is a heater for that 10 gallon. I don't keep my hospital/quarantine tank running, because I will take a filter or filter media or sponge from another tank that I already have running and cycled. If I don't do it this way, it's almost guaranteed that I will fill it with something else and then it won't be available for sick or injured fish if I need it.

I think that good, clean water is very important in the treatment of any sick or injured fish.

I also have a first-aid cabinet with the same as you & Roger + PraziPro for quarantine , Aquari-sol , & de-los just in case of a wild parasite infection .

I agree on the hospital/quarantine tank . All my 20 & 30 gal tanks have 2 sponge filters running . I also have home made plexiglass boxes that work as recovery & jail boxes . I have 3 in jail right now . I have way too many fish not to have scuffles & beat downs requiring immediate action to give the fish in the best possible chance to survive.

Thanks the more info the better.

There is something I would like to add that has saved me ( Well my fish ) on more than one occasion, battery powered air pumps. When the power goes out not only do they keep the sponge filters ( BTW I love sponge filters ) going but a run of tubing stuck into the media of a hang on back filter will help keep things from going anaerobic untill the power comes back on.

Very good advice Rockfish..

very good advise

i keep as above & always have a bottle of octozin incase of an unfortunate bloat outbreak.

cichlid lake salts
bicarb to raise my ph

i also make sure i always have a new bottle of safe start in case of any mini spikes & for introducing new fish, i think this stuff is fantastic

i also have a tub of actvated carbon for removal of any meds