Fish are infected more and more frequently with Aeromonas and Pseudomonas bacteria that are vulnerable to NO antibiotics that we have access to with tropical / pond fish. Total drug resistance.
This doesn’t mean there isn’t an antibiotic against it. It DOES mean that the antibiotic isn’t available to us on the pet side, it isn’t cheap enough, or it isn’t safe for fish.
I would like to set up a half-dozen individual enclosures with specimens to examine the answers to some questions about bath treatments, systemic antimicrobials outside the antibiotic sphere.
But lately (last summer) I cultured a germ that was sensitive to NOTHING we had.
This means we can only:
- Fight the germs with environmental support or temperature
- Fight the germs with novel antibiotics we haven’t even considered yet
- Fight the germs with environmental bacteriocides. BATHS.
I think that something like THAT, betadine, chlorhexidine or any of a dozen different antimicrobial baths could help. There may even be some that actually penetrate (or could be taught to penetrate) fish. For example, are fish sensitive to DMSO at all?
Tricide (Tricide-Ultra and Tricide Neo) holds a promise to be able to destroy germs far into the future without resistance. This is a topical, spray on, squirt on, or bath. This should be more-and-more available as manufacturing increases in response to the need. I’ve used a considerable amount of this and I like it because it’s easy, safe, and anyone can get it and use it. Tricide plus a good antibiotic feed can work almost as well as injections.
But for now, what do we have?
The search would start with oral rinses and other solutions that are “okay” with sensitive tissues.
What we really need is the attention of the elderly guys on the message boards who literally know every. Single. Thing. about everything related to fish, and are heard to say: “Anyone who doesn’t know as much as I say I do, is an idiot”. The pond pundit I have in mind is old, but actually still alive.
What is the anti-microbial dose of hydrogen peroxide in aquatic environments and at what level, and interval of time do we see consequential tissue damage?
Same question with: Iodine, Betadine, Chlorhexidine, Colloidal Silver solutions. I wish he would tell us. Of course the research hasn’t been done but that doesn’t get in the way of him knowing.
Here are two studies. One of them holds out hope for Betadine if done correctly.
Acute toxicity of Betadine Iodine to Carp / Koi
Lethal and sub lethal effects of the biocide chlorhexidine on aquatic organisms – PubMed