Are Pimafix and Melafix Effective? The TRUTH.
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- čas přidán 5. 08. 2024
- Hello everyone, it’s Pierre and welcome to my channel!
In today’s video, I’m going to talk about why Pimafix and Melafix are just not useful aquarium remedies, and what you should use instead.
Pimafix and Melafix are two products from API that claim to treat various fungal and bacterial infections in fish. They are made from tea tree oil and bay oil and are touted as safe and gentle for your fish and plants. However, many aquarists have reported that these products do not work as advertised, and may even cause more harm than good.
One of the main problems with Pimafix and Melafix is that they are not specifically targeted to kill the pathogens that cause fish disease. This means that the infection can persist or worsen, and spread to other fish in the tank. A 2015 study from the North Carolina State University showed that Melafix had no significant bactericidal or inhibitory effect on any of the pathogens tested.
Another problem with Pimafix and Melafix is that they can reduce the oxygen levels in the water, which can stress your fish and make them more susceptible to disease. These products create a thin film on the surface of the water, which prevents gas exchange and oxygen diffusion. They can also interfere with the biological filtration, which is essential for maintaining a healthy aquarium. Some fish, especially those with labyrinth organs, such as bettas and gouramis, may have difficulty breathing and suffocate if exposed to these products.
So, what should you use instead of Pimafix and Melafix? Well, the best way to prevent and treat infections in your fish is to keep your water quality high, and your fish stress-free. This means doing regular water changes, avoiding overstocking and overfeeding, and providing adequate filtration and aeration. Fish have immune systems which have evolved to handle most diseases given enough time. In fact, the reason some people swear by many “natural” treatments is because the fish would have gotten better anyway even if nothing was done!
If your fish do get sick, you should use a proper medication that is designed for the specific type of infection. I am linking a website below that can help you diagnose and figure out what’s wrong with your fish and it’s not a website that has advertising nor does it try to sell you anything.
aquariumscience.org/
Remember, Pimafix and Melafix are fairly useless, and you should avoid using them. They are made from cheap to produce leaf oils and are sold at a high markup in pet stores to unwitting, concerned fishkeepers. If someone recommends a treatment to you (or anything for that matter), always check to see if there’s a profit motive behind it.
That’s all for today’s video. I hope you found it helpful and informative! If you did, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel for more content. I also am happy to answer any questions you may have so feel free to leave a comment!
Thank you for watching, and I’ll see you in the next video!
#Pimafix #Melafix #aquarium
Some fair use footage in this video is from API. Fair use of copyrighted works, as stated in US copyright law, “for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.”
This video contains soooo much false information. Don’t listen to this guy!
If you have an air stone or a sponge filter, then no oxygen will be taken out of the water as this is manifestly an all NATURAL product and is sold in Canada where all fish medication has been banned since 2020.
Again, ignore this false news and misleading video!
Hello! CZcams blocked your comment automatically but I allowed it to be posted and even pinned it so that people may see and be educated.
I request that you back up your assertion with evidence. Specifically, please tell us how this product works against disease. Show me a clinical trial where either product is demonstrated to be superior to placebo.
Your sentence is a little difficult to understand… you go from talking about oxygen and air stones to how these are “natural” to the banning of medications for fish in Canada.
It’s too bad that Canada bans fish medication… that doesn’t change the fact that these 2 products are absolutely useless in treating disease.
Caveat emptor.
Happy fishkeeping! Also if your fish are sick, I may be able to help.
I tried Melafix and Pimafix in concert, as directed by API, a couple weeks ago in a 50 US gallon tank. Even if they had made a significant difference, I should have tried them in my 10 gallon (which was full of amanos, nerites and peppered corys awaiting transfer to the larger tank) first. This would have been cheaper but I couldn't do it at the time. I couldn't transfer my oldest male cory who appeared to have sustained pectoral fin damage and had a cottony-type of growth at the injury site. I had initially tried dosing the 50 gallon tank containing the same types of inhabitants using kosher salt for one week. I used 25 level tablespoons. There was a bit of improvement and could have (apparently) increased the dosage to one tablespoon/US gallon for another week. I didn't want to risk this as I have never tried it before. So, I waited a week, did a 50% W/C, and tried these two products for one week and started staggering W/C's up to 50% with alternate filter cleanings (I have a HOB, 2 Fluval 207's and 2 airstones...well filtered). Result: The filters were plugged with oil. Airstones were not delivering as much (coated with oil...I generally blow them with oiless compressed air to clear them, anyway). The affected cory was worsening. Some of the other corys began to develop a bit of this fungus/bacteria and began darting to the surface more frequently than usual. The shrimp and snails seemed unaffected. But what a mess. The basic water parameters were good throughout this whole situation. I use an API master test kit (?). Beginning to wonder about that! Never again!!!
We’ve all done it before. It’s profit-driven predatory marketing by API (not that all their products are crap by the way).
Sorry about the cory… a cottony growth is usually indicative of a fungal infection (the fungal elements are filamentous under a microscope). I recommend a true imidazole antifungal like itraconazole or fluconazole.
The reason some “fungal cures” like Maracyn (which is sodium chlorite, an antiseptic) and API Fungus Cure (which is acriflavine, another antiseptic) is because the fungus is a secondary infection on top of a bacterial one. Treating the bacterial problem is often enough to allow the the fish’s immune system to handle the fungus.
I have used melafix in my ponds and tanks for years, great stuff.
Glad to hear it!
Great job!
Thank you Sarah! 😊
Iv'e used Melafix to treat cloudy eyes and pop eyes and found it great both cleared up completely after 3 days.
@@calvinpurdy2668 great to hear!
Hi! I rescued a couple goldfish from an event where they were being used as centerpieces 😑
I'm having an issue with one of them, the other 2 have already died unfortunately. The other two got very lethargic, they floated odd (head down, tail up, etc.) Occasionally they would go up and gulp at the surface but overall they were just laying at the bottom and sometimes seizing erratically. This would usually be the first 24 hours. The second 24 hours they would usually develop a bend in their spine and they would be curved. This stopped them from swimming well at all (although usually they were still at the bottom). Within the next 24 hours their gills got pretty swollen and red. Their breathing would get very slow and then they would die. It was sad and i felt awful. At first i thought it was nitrate poisoning or ammonia poisioning. I used test trips and an ammonia water liquid test kid and both tested at 0. Although the PH was kind of high. I've been doing water changes and have added a filter assistant with bacteria beads in it from my sisters healthy aquarium. I have a hygger powered filter and a stone bubbler. Its a 10 gal tank (i know its small, im working on it) Anyways, i only have one left that im TRYING to help but i dont know what they had!! Hes doing okay so far but ive definitely noticed his energy dropping which scares me. Unfortunately, i just dosed melafix so hopefully it doesnt kill him. But if you have any ideas or solutions, please let me know!!
I've also used the perfect start kit, aquarium salt, stress zymes, stress coat, AND aqua clear. They were kept in DRINKING classes for hours at the event.
@@beeposanimatics7916 change the water to get the melafix out. The ammonia that they were exposed to from being in the glasses most likely caused this. Tough situation. Was your tank cycled previously? Kudos to you for rescuing them… The abuse that fish go through is insane.
Hello I have A Red Blood Parrot Fish That Has Develop Some Black Spots And Strips On him What is It And How Do I Treat Him
Are you able to post a link to some pics here? You can use Imgur
I’ve tried Pimafix yesterday not sure if it’s working but I’m trying everything, haven’t opened the bottle of Melafix or Super Ick Cure yet because the little white spots spotted on Oranda wen seem to just be wen growth. My Oranda hides often and sits at bottom of tank with slow breathing but have spurts where he swims around for a while acting normal. My Nitrates are 0.5 which I know is supposed to be 0 but idk if that is what is causing the issues since I have a fancy goldfish and a comet aswell in a 75 gallon tank. If you know anything please help! I can give more details
Do you mean nitrites are 0.5? If that’s the case the tank may not be cycled. How long has it been up? Give me as many details as possible so I can help you.
@@TheFishBeast yes nitrites are 0.5 my bad, the tank has been up and going for 2 months or so everything is good except for nitrites, carbonate hardness is at 40 and general hardness is at 60 which needs to go up but I’m unsure on how. Seems there is algae growing on decorations not sure if that’s good or bad, I have 3 live plants in tank with total of 3 fish the fancy goldfish and comet seem fine besides maybe some crazy spurs where they go 100mph. Water temp is around 75, have the 3 layer fluval filtration system with the biomax, carbon pouch and sponge rated for up to 110 gallons. The Oranda seems perfectly fine at some points other times decides to hide on left side of tank just beyond the filter at bottom in between a plant and some driftwood. Not sure if it could be possible nitrite poisoning but the other fish seem fine so I’m just lost
@@SavvyKBM goldfish are super tough and can handle nitrites. Do the other fish have any signs of disease or any lesions? Can you upload some pics of the Oranda to Imgur and link here? I’ll analyze and let you know what I think. Also try posting in some goldfish forum as well.
If it’s just on the wen then it could just be wen growth which is generally not an issue unless it gets red/inflamed. What’s throwing me off is the behavior…
hi im in australia and its hard to get good medication like api general cure and metroplex for hole in the head do u know what could help
Can you go to a farm store and get some levimasole or fendbendazole?
I have used Melafix and Pimafix together for a week. I was going to try 2 weeks but the fish started spitting their food out so I didn't want to go any longer and did a 50% water change. These were 2 different bettas and yes it worked very well! One of my bettas made a remarkable difference... The other wasn't so bad to begin with but I can see it made him healthier too. So I wouldn't say they are useless based on my experience...
Thank you for your comment! I’m so happy they worked for your fish. It’s most likely that they would have recovered spontaneously whether or not you used these products. Cheers!
My new saltwater fish was sick with parasites for weeks and weeks. After doing rounds of meds, and realizing that the parasites were gone but the fish had a secondary bacterial infection and was scratching for that reason, I used melafix. After the first day my tang started to recover, after a week it stopped scratching and stopped breathing rapidly. So you're wrong FishBeast! The product does actually work in some situations! It definitely worked for me! There's also a study by humble fish that proves it's effective on treating uronema parasitic infection in saltwater fish!
@santosherrera5486 I’m glad your tang recovered! It was the medications that most likely cured it or even the fish’s own immune system. If you really believe it works, good for you! Keep using it for your fish!
I will never use the stuff again until someone does a randomized control trial using it. For example: 200 fish infected with the same organism. Each in its own tank with the same parameters. 100 will be treated with nothing and the other 100 with Melafix. Melafix has to cure more than the tank with nothing.
In the realm of science, your evidence is called “anecdotal”. It’s unfortunately the weakest form of evidence. It’s like saying my cough went away after 2 weeks because I saw a red parrot. Now every time I’m sick, I’ll seek out a red parrot even though I can’t explain why it “cured” my cough. In reality, my cough got better due to my immune system. This is why so many quack cures still sell to this day…
Before you attribute the “cure” to melafix, I ask you to answer these questions:
1. How do you know that the “scratching” was from a bacterial infection?
2. What specific bacteria was it infected with?
3. How exactly did the melafix “cure” the “bacteria”?
Melafix is tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is claimed to be able to do many things but in reality it does very little.
N.B. That “study” you mention for uronema is shows that tea tree oil is NOT superior to formalin and copper. The fish which were “bathed” in melafix also received methylene blue OR antibiotics.
I had a fish with cotton eye, ended up worsening, and had to use clove oil to put my fish down as it started to develop fin rot and had trouble staying a float.
Dang I am sorry to hear that. 😢
@TheFishBeast it was very heartbreaking, but when the fish got the point, it no longer ate. I knew I had to intervene. I tried melafix for weeks, and I can say from first-hand experience that it didn't help any
@@jazzyboooHave you tried fin and body cure? If so, how was your experience with it?
@pankildoshi289 of the API medications I've tried, fin and body cure is the only one that seems to have worked extremely well for me. (My experience)
@AlexisSebicon good to hear! That actually contains an antibiotic (doxycycline) which would explain its effectiveness in the right situations!
What’s the best medication for dropsy?
Dropsy is a symptom and not a disease in and of itself. There are hundreds of possible causes. How long has the fish been sick? What other symptoms are there? What size is the tank and was it cycled before you added fish? I guess a decent thing to try would be kanamycin. Unfortunately, when dropsy manifests, it’s usually fatal since it’s the end stage of another illness.
After using melafix my skimmer is overflowing in marine tank
Please do a big water change, the oil in melafix is causing excess bubbling… good luck 👍
After all of this nobody recommended one specific treatment that will help cure common fish diseases... Other than water change.. diseases happen so treatment..??
It depends on which disease. There isn’t one specific treatment… it’s important to accurately diagnose a fish’s condition first and then use a medication that targets it.
Bacterial infections need antibiotics such as erythromycin, azithromycin, amoxicillin, cephalexin, cipro. Antifungals would be the imidazoles like fluconazole and itraconazole. Parasites would respond to things such as formaldehyde, copper, salt, and of course nitroimidazoles such as metronidazole, benzoimidazoles such as flubendazole or mebendazole..
augh. I literally just bought a huge $24 bottle of melafix too.....
screw petsmart
Return it! Tell me what’s wrong with your fish, I’ll help you!
@@TheFishBeast thank you :) I'll try returning it.
Right now i've been doing everything I can for my poor betta, gimble. He's had fin rot for a while, and i just recently found out he had blackworms or some sort of parasite. Right now, FRITZ bacter-shield has been doing some good for him. I've also been giving him salt baths for a while to heal the rotted fins but it seems no matter what I do the fin rot ALWAYS comes back.
@cirnothefairy999 I am so sorry about gimble. Unfortunately, Fritz Bacter-Shield is no better than Pimafix and Melafix. It’s herbal snake oil and a waste of money. Fin rot is caused by a bacteria or sometimes a fungus. Salt baths will just stress him… it forces his gills and kidneys to work harder to maintain his electrolyte levels.
If the fin rot keeps coming back, this means that something is wrong in his environment that is creating immune stress.
How are your water parameters? Specifically what are your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels? How big is his tank? Any tank mates?
@@TheFishBeast Arggghhh. That's really annoying. The last time , about a week ago, I checked his ammonia levels and those were fine, but i didnt check the other ones. I'm going to do a water change and clean up his tank today, i may also just give him a couple rounds of API fin and body cure, but im not sure if that would get rid of the parasties. He Had two little black dots on the side of his body, and he had black under his breathing gills. He also had tiny little white spots, it looked cottony almost but not super fluffy. Since I've use the fritz the black dots seemed to have gone away atleast a little. What medicine should I get to help my poor boy?
I also use sponge filters for his tank. I have a 3.5 gallon right now and no tank mates.
@@cirnothefairy999 how long has the tank been running? What temperature is it? How did you cycle it? I am hoping he will pull through! 😁
The fin and body cure will help! It’s an actual antibiotic called doxycycline. I also recommend using metronidazole like Seachem Metroplex at the same time… if you can upgrade to a 10 gallon that would be the best.
This wasn't helpful at all.. what should you use? And your answer was don't get them sick.. it would be better if you broadly touched on recommended products for common diseases.
Sorry but the whole point of the video was just to talk about how ineffective these 2 products are. It’s too hard to recommend treatments without guiding people on diagnosis… are your fish sick? Maybe I can help.
Just as I suspected....LOL.....
Snake oil comes in many forms! 😂
This video doesn't help you, not even say what is good
Sorry, the video is just to say that Pimafix and Melafix are useless… what issues are you having with your fish? Maybe I can help. Have a great day!
Horrible video. Does not offer any real reason as to why they don’t work outside of conjecture. And reading from a script does not instill any sense of confidence in this opinion.
Thank you for your input! It isn't conjecture nor is it an opinion.
It is based on informed research conducted by an individual who is a biologist and medical doctor who has a good understanding of organic chemistry and vertebrate physiology.
That individual is me.
There are ZERO compounds in these oils that cure disease. Sorry to disappoint you! If you wish to prove science wrong then please present the manuscript of your clinical trial.
Have a great day and happy fishkeeping!
@@TheFishBeast so people who use the product with success must be lucky or simply a coincidence?
And there are many who use it with success (including myself). This product does not cure all bacterial diseases, nor does it claim to. It works in a lot of cases and is mild enough to try before using more aggressive treatments.
To discount it with your own studies does nothing to validate your opinion. Saying that you have done the studies (sprinkled in with the arrogance of your reply as a biologist and medical doctor) further proves a bias to your own research rather than an independent study which would include Patient testimony. In this case... customer reviews based on experience using the product.
There are too many positive reviews that contradict your findings including my own success using the product in treating some cases of bacterial infections..
Have a great day!
@@WhyNot-sb9kk Arrogance? 😂 You were the one who called the video horrible without providing a single shred of credible scientific rationale for your assertion. My opinion is informed by science, not anecdote. If you have any background in the scientific method, you would understand what “strength of evidence” means. Hint: “There are many who say it works” is not strong evidence.
I will be the first to change my mind and start using these products to treat disease as soon as you or anyone can publish the results of a study that shows they are superior to placebo. Otherwise, I’m going to save my money…
Happy fishkeeping and enjoy your snake oil.