Metro in Perth - without taking fish to vet?

[brad_v]

Can anyone help me out with somewhere to get Metro in Perth - without having to take the fish into a vet.

I think that if I move the fish at this stage I might as well not bother with the med.

Thanks

Brad V

[samir]

order some octozin from ASA, should do the same job.

[Merrilyn]

Yep Octozin is the way to go.

If you ring Rebecca at Xtreme Aquariums and tell her it's urgent, she will send it out overnight mail.

[fishgeek]

if metronidazol is in octozin are the distributors not breaking australia drug regulatory authority rules by distributing it without a prescription?


andrew

[samir]

order some octozin from ASA, should do the same job.
never said it was metro. I don't think we need to get into a debate about its legality. I'm sure you would feel the same if you lived in Australia and had to pay a vet close to $150 for a bottle of metro that costs next to nothing.

[fishgeek]

samir , i have read here others suggesting that metronidazol is in octozin, i realise you didnt say it

as users of any medication, in england anyway, the purchasers of illegally obtained medications are liable to prosecution, whether this would ever occur is a moot point

i dont recall metronidazol ever being an expensive medication when i was using it as a vet in australia, prehaps it has changed

i have no problem with people sourcing the most financial suitable and effectie option , in fact i think that is just plain sensible

what i wish to understand is why waterlife wont disclose what is in there products

andrew

[samir]

i had a vet charge me $50 to look at the fish (yes I had to go back home and bring the fish in) and another $100 for the metro plus two hours of driving up and down. I guess if there's anything wrong with Octozin the government shouldn't allow it in, in the first place.

[Merrilyn]

i dont recall metronidazol ever being an expensive medication when i was using it as a vet in australia

andrew

Ahhh Andrew, that explains you vast knowledge of meds and anatomy. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.

As far as octozin goes, I honestly have no idea of the ingredients, as you say, Waterlife don't disclose that information. However, it seems to have similar effects to metro, and it can legally be purchased over the counter in Australia at the moment.

Used sensibly, it can be a very valuable tool, but if abused, it will become as useless as tetracycline is today, due to overuse.

Use of drugs in fish, especially when used as a bath, is little understood, and there are so many differing opinions out there I'm reluctant to offer advice these days. For instance, one scientific paper that I read advised that metro should be used at the rate of 250 mg per 40 litres of water as a once only dose, and don't change the water for three days.

Another paper advised that metro has a half life of 8 hours, and should then be dosed every 8 hours for a period of up to 5 days, to treat the same disease. Neither of them mentioned that metro is affected by light, and that the tank lights should be turned out during treatment. I read that in another scientific paper ! How much of the drug is absorbed by the mucus membrane, no seems to know. Is it any wonder that hobbyists are confused. Ideally the drug should be ingested, but how do you get a fish to ingest the drug, when it is not eating ?

Even my wonderful local vet, who has a great deal of knowledge of fish diseases, can't answer those questions.

I'm seriously thinking of using injection next time I have a valuable fish suffering from a bacterial infection :?

[brad_v]

Octozin went in the tank yesterday. Will see how it goes.

Rightly or wrongly, I have already treated the fish with tetracycline, given that's what I could reasonably get my hands on. This did make a significant improvement in appearance and behaviour, but it did not return to eating and has been going backwards again since. Even if the Octozin would have done the trick, it might all be to late due to total time without food. I'll see what happens.

[samir]

how long have they not eaten ? any chance of a pic ?. tetracycline does still work, just a lot less than it used to.

[brad_v]

Just hand fed a few frozen blood worms (stuck my hand in front of its face in its little hidy hole, took a while for it to get the idea), it also possibly took a live brine shrimp earlier in the day. So looking positive after the octozin at this stage.

[Cafe Tropical]

Any updates brad_v ?

Did the octozin work ?

I think I will be trying to get some tomorrow...