Giving pond fish medicine may just seem odd to those who have no familiarity with the treatment of illnesses in fish, but there are a few things you should know about giving pond fish medicine of any kind.
Once you know you have a problem in your pond you’ll have to figure out how to solve it. You can turn to information from a variety of sources from magazines, to books, to the Internet. There are even now veterinarians who specialize in the practice of fish medicine. Many times if your fish contract illnesses you will be giving pond fish medicine.
The first rule of thumb once you have established the nature of the problem in your pond is to follow directions exactly. Your pond is set up to operate within a very strict and delicate biological cycle. Anything you do to your pond or your fish will have an impact on the ecological balance in your pond. Therefore, treating fish for illness will cause the fish to react differently and the chemical reactions within the pond will also be spurred into reacting differently as well. This is the reason directions must be followed to the letter, regardless of the medicine with which you are treating your pond. Failure to follow directions can result in the death of your fish and the decimation of your pond’s biological cycle.
When you are giving pond fish medicine, remember that there are four basic types of fish medicine. Since fish need water to survive, most average pond owners don’t get too high tech when treating their fish. The four basic types are medicated food, granules, tablets and liquids. Medicated foods treat primarily infections in pond fish. They are antibiotics and over use of these antibiotic medicated foods will cause your fish to become immune to the antibiotics, so use with care. The labels clearly state how much food to offer and for how long. Granules are relatively easy when giving pond fish medicine. They are used for treating diseases along the lines of ich. A predetermined amount of the granules is sprinkled into the pond’s water and the medicine then begins to work. You may have to use this a few times to get the best result. Tablet medicines are also used to treat ich, as well as several other illnesses in pond fish. When giving pond fish medicine in tablet form, the package will clearly state how many tablets to use in relation to the pond’s size. Liquid fish medicines are very common and are also used for treating a large array of sicknesses in pond fish. These are also measured in ration to the size of the pond.
There is one primary rule when giving pond fish medicine of any kind, follow the directions for each particular medicine exactly to save your fish pain and even death.