Medicating fish food for white cloud minnows.

[cinnanoodles]

This is a disease-related post as well, but because I am experimenting with medicated food, I put it here. Please let me know if I'm in the wrong place. 

So I'm planning on adding Maracyn and Maracyn Two to my fish's food, and feeding them that for the next week or so. Treating what seems to be a systemic bacterial infection (I have a hunch that it may be enteric red mouth/yersiniosis, but it's only a theory and hasn't been studied in white cloud minnows. Consider it?). 

The last time I tried to feed medicated food to these minnows, it was with API GenCure and the foods in the photo below, minus the blood worms. I tried to finely chop and mash garlic, mix the food into a paste, bake it, and then attempt to feed. They would not eat it. This time around, it's a different med, and I purchased Garlic Guard. 

Have you had experience with feeding medicated food to a fish that usually isn't a picky eater, but won't eat the meds? How did you get the medicine to bind to the food; what was the ratio of medication (especially if using tetracyclines and/or erythromycin); and did Garlic Guard work if you used it? 

Thank you!

[Guppysnail]

Garlic guard is hit or miss to help for me. Some folks say it’s a sure win. Heat deteriorates some medication though. I am not sure which but @Odd Duck may know. Seachem focus binds meds to food without heat. 

[cinnanoodles]

Thanks for the reply. I tried giving them some bloodworms - mixed Maracyn into a separate cup of water like I usually do to make sure it's dissolved before adding to the tank. I took up some of the little Maracyn blobs at the bottom in a squeeze bottle, shook really well until they dissolved, and then put the bloodworms into the medicated water. Then a couple drops of Garlic Guard. Shockingly, they ate it! So that works :))

I'll look into whether heat deteriorates the meds I have, and consider getting some Focus. For now, I'll use the strategy I figured out. 

[Odd Duck]

I would definitely NOT heat food after adding medications.  I’d have to research individual meds and there is not likely to be good info available as far as how heat stable each medication might be.  You’re far better off adding the meds to one of the Repashy foods or @Coluhas a good recipe.  I keep meaning to copy it from him but keep forgetting.  I am on the fence about garlic and recommend it be used with extreme caution since excess garlic has been shown to cause liver failure in some species. We don’t yet have a good handle on exactly how much is too much, plus there aren’t good studies on species of tropical pet fish vs food fish (tilapia, trout, etc).

[Colu]

Some medication such as kanaplex aren't heat resistant I would be careful with using heat with any antibiotic medications @cinnanoodles 

Edited January 19, 2023 by Colu