# Need a Plant Safe Antibacterial Medication



## Rtifs (Nov 6, 2009)

Title says it all. My Pumpkinseed seems to have a bacterial infection. Looks like a blister between the eyes. I need a medication that won’t kill the amazon sword and frogbit that’s in the aquarium.


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

it may be hole-in-the-head disease. they get that if you keep them in tropical tanks. 

no antibacterial meds are safe in an established tank. They will kill your biological bacteria that keeps the tank safe. I would check the water quality- that is likely the culprit for either HITH disease or a bacterial infection.

GL


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Most fish antibiotics are labeled as safe for the biological filter. They are safe for plants. Sometimes I have seen issues with the bio-filter, and other times (same medicine) the nitrifying bacteria comes through just fine. 

I see a couple of options, but basically the idea is to treat, and either save or buy new bacteria to add as soon as the medicine is cleared from the water. 
You can save the bacteria by running the filter on a separate container and feeding the bacteria with ammonia. Simplest version of this is to throw the filter media in a 5 gallon bucket and run a fountain pump or bubbler in the bucket. Ammonia used for cleaning, no surfactants, no perfumes will feed the bacteria. 
You can save the bacteria by moving the fish to a hospital tank, and feed the main tank the same amount of fish food as if the sick fish was still there. (Fish food ultimately becomes the ammonia that feeds the bacteria)
You can replenish the bacteria after treatment with Dr. Tim's One and Only or Tetra Safe Start. All other 'bacteria in a bottle' products do not have the proper species of nitrifying bacteria. 

No matter which way you go, monitor the conditions in the tank with the sick fish and be ready to do water changes as needed. Better to do water changes, and re-dose the meds than to add to the stress with rising ammonia, nitrite or nitrate while the fish is fighting some other problem as well.


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