I Need Maracyn 2 Help

[JessicaandMarshall 2]

Here's the question.

With Maracyn 2 on day one you add 2 tablets. On day two you add one more, on day three one more etc until day 5.

You don't need to do water changes if your pameters are in check.

But what if you want to do daily water changes?

Could you add the two tablets on day one, then on day two, scoop the fish out with some of the tank water.

Then add the fish to fresh water that you dissoved two tablets into, and then add the fish and the third (day two tablet) all on the same day.

Then on day three, do the same thing (basically dissolve 3 tablets) add the fish and the fourth tablet?

Or do the meds somehow evaporate or become less effective over time, making the meds more toxic if you dissolved that many on the same day?

Did anyone understand what I was trying to ask? LOL.

I can tell my problem in another post if anyone is interested, I think this post is already long enough and complicated enough LOL.

Please if anyone knows the answer, could you let me know asap? This is important.

Jessica

Edited April 20, 2005 by JessicaandMarshall

[LaurieP 0]

Jessica I am not sure if I do understand. Let me try.

First I wouldn't do a water change if not needed. Of course meds can often mess with the cycle so watch them closely. And do them if the ammonia or nitrites get high.

With the Maracyn I didn't dissolve it in water first I just put them in the tank.

I do know if you remove the tablets out of the package before time to use them, they become ineffective.

Does that help?

[JessicaandMarshall 2]

Basically I want to do bucket to bucket.

So in the first tank I have the two tabs of Maracyn from yesterday. Today I need to add the third tablet, but I need to move the fish into the next tank/tub.

So can I add two tablets to the new tank and add the fish, then add the third tablet (today's tablet). But really all three would be added on the same day. Because it's a new tub. Whereas if the fish stays in the same tank, two were added yesterday and one today.

I am wasting a lot of meds :0/

Jessica

[JessicaandMarshall 2]

Out of pure curiosity, why would taking them out of a package make them ineffective?

[mary 15]

Jessica, I don't know for sure, but Sal (the older guy who's so helpful at House of Fins) told us recently that, if a fish is going to absorb any waterborne meds, he/she will do it in the first three hours. Then the meds start to break down. It's sort of like taking oral antibiotics - imagine you had a stomach upset while taking them. You wouldn't double or triple the dose to make up any med you might have lost! (You'd probably switch meds, but that's another story!) So-

I would guess that, with the bucket to bucket treatment, you would add your two pills the first day, then one in the next bucket, then one as you switch back, and so on. It's most likely not necessary to double up your dosage just because you are going to clean water, because light, metabolic processes, etc, will have broken down your first dose anyway.

BTW, that's also why maracyn 2 might need to be dropped in water right after opening - possibly exposure to light and air cause it to lose potency.

HTH (and I hope I'm right!)

[JessicaandMarshall 2]

Ok so if I kept the same water on day 5, I'd have 6 pills in there.

But if I want to do bucket to bucket, I only need one pill in each bucket?

GAH this is so confusing.

But my fish is looking much better today!

Jessica