Medications
KanaPlex™ is a blended kanamycin based medication that safely and effectively treats several fungal, and bacterial fish diseases (dropsy, popeye, fin/tail rot, septicemia). Because it is absorbed by fish it is useful in treating internal infections in those situations where food is refused. It does not adversely affect the filter bed and is easily removed with carbon. When used in a medicated food mix, it is excellent for treating bacterial infections in tanks that contain invertebrates. For use in freshwater or marine aquaria.
KanaPlex™ is appropriate for treating a variety of fungal, and bacterial fish diseases. Below are some of the more common diseases treatable with KanaPlex™. Be aware that many diseases and infections share similar physical and behavioral symptoms, e.g. clamped fins, lesions, loss of appetite.
Bacterial infection
Eyes protrude or appear to be "popping out" of the head. Popeye is caused by a buildup of fluid behind the eye and is often seen in conjunction with Dropsy.
Suggested Treatment Period:
1 week
Bacterial infection
Eye appears clouded or filmed over. Cloudy Eye is a bacterial infection on the surface of the eye. It is common in tanks that are overcrowded or full of aggressive fish.
Suggested Treatment Period:
1 week
Bacterial infection
Fins appear shredded, frayed, or decaying. Fin Rot is frequently mistaken for damage from fin-nipping fish. Contrary to the name, this is actually caused by bacteria, not fungus.
Suggested Treatment Period:
7 days or until infection clears
Special Considerations
Fin Rot is often found as a secondary infection (that’s an infection that started because the fish was already sick). Make sure to check for additional infections.
Aeromonas hydrophilia
Reddish streaks in the fins near the body or under scales. Common in goldfish. Associated with overcrowding and stress, particularly in goldfish and koi. It can also be caused by a virus.
Suggested Treatment Period:
1 week
Special Considerations
This infection is strongly linked to crowding and poor water conditions. Make sure your fish have clean water and plenty of space.
Symptom of internal damage
Fish appears bloated, scales stick out in a pinecone-like manner. Dropsy is a result of damage to the liver, causing fluid to build up in the fish. It often starts as bloat and progresses to Dropsy over time.
Suggested Treatment Period:
1 week
Special Considerations
Dropsy is a sign of severe internal damage, not a symptom of a specific disease. It is treatable with KanaPlex if caught early, but sometimes the damage is too severe to respond to medications. The best defense is to catch internal infections early, before they progress to this stage.
Columnaris
Damaged fins, ulcers and yellowish patches on gills, tissue on head and mouth eaten away. This infection appears gruesome, but is entirely treatable. It is common to see fungus-like tufts around the face and mouth in addition to deterioration of tissue. It is essential to catch this disease early to prevent long-term damage.
Suggested Treatment Period:
1 week
Special Considerations
Columnaris is very contagious. If possible, remove the infected fish to treat separately in a hospital tank.
Dosing in Water
Remove all invertebrates - these are extremely sensitive to medication. Turn off UV filters, ozone filters, and remove chemical filtration like MatrixCarbon™ and Purigen®. Use 1 measure (included) per every 20 L (5 gallons). Repeat this dose every 48 hours to a maximum of 3 doses. In cases of severe infections, it is possible to carry out two rounds of treatment back-to-back. However, this should only be done if fish show no signs of stress at the end of the first round.
Dosing in Food
Feed the medicated food mix (recipe below) every day until the infection clears or up to 1 week. This medicated food can be refrigerated or frozen between feedings.
To enhance palatability use with GarlicGuard™ or Entice™.
After Treating
When the treatment period is over, KanaPlex™ can easily be removed using activated filter carbon like MatrixCarbon™. It does not linger in the substrate or filter media of the tank.
A: Although it is not recommended to mix medications, it is generally safe to use these two products in conjunction with one another as long as you have a well established biological filter. If you notice a white cloudy haze to the aquarium (bacteria bloom), I would recommend you add a power head or air stone to the aquarium to give your biological filter the oxygen it needs to colonize your aquarium. Generally, this is only noticed in an aquarium with a poorly established biological filter.
A: Officially we cannot recommend any medication as being safe for a reef environment simply because there is no way to certify that a particular medication will be safe with the numerous reef creatures that could populate a given a tank. We recommend the use of a hospital tank as the best solution to treating disease and preventing disease in the main tank. However, with that said, if you had no other choice and wanted to try this, at your own risk, it would not be expected that there would be any extreme adverse effects, but again I stress this is not a guarantee. If you do so, proceed cautiously.
A: KanaPlex™ would be a first choice. This medication is readily absorbed by the fish and is still effective even when fish are not eating.
A: Yes, to use MetroPlex™ in conjunction with Kanaplex™, I recommend you mix it with food (preferably frozen) using our Focus™. Focus™ is a binding agent that will ensure little medication, if any, is lost in your water column so all medication will be delivered directly to the fish when eaten.
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Download Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
Aquarium Use Only. Keep Away from Children. For ornamental fish only. Not for human consumption. Not to be used in conjunction with animals used for human consumption.
