# Negative Reaction to BettaFix? (or MelaFix?)



## Nippyfish (May 12, 2011)

I’m wondering if anyone has ever experienced a negative reaction in their bettas from BettaFix, MelaFix or similar medications that utilize Melaleuca (Tea Tree Oil). Over the last 6 or 7 years I have heard of stories about melaleuca allergies, repertory/gill problems and spasms in betta fish. The story is that BettaFix is diluted BECAUSE of just that reason. I tried to call API and ask them for their research, but I missed their business hours. I always caution people when using it, but am careful to tell them the claims are unsubstantiated. I’d love to put it to rest. Has anyone here ever witnessed a negative reaction in their betta? Can you elaborate on the details if you have?

Thanks so much!


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## callmeconfused (May 4, 2011)

I hope this isn't true! I am using it to treat a girl with damaged fins.


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## Nippyfish (May 12, 2011)

It may not be true callmeconfused. It's one of those things that have floated around the web for a long time. Just curious what individuals experiences have been.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

Bettafix & Melafix is proven to harm a bettas labryinth organ over a short period of time using it. I think bettafix is just diluted and sold "for bettas" is just to make more money.


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

I've heard the big problem with betta's is that BettaFix doesn't help heal them that much. It actually damages their Labyrinth organs and causes breathing problems.


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## nowzem (Apr 14, 2011)

I read that there is NO evidence to substantiate that it damages labyrinths. I've used it for years to treat gouramis/other anabatids. I use it with my bettas and will until one has an adverse reaction to make me reconsider my choice. IMO, ANY med can have adverse effects..just like with people. Bettafix is a waste of money...just dilute the Melafix yourself. I have one betta who appears to not like the melafix, however I can't ask him if that's why he's grumpy...so I can't be sure  But none of my fish have ever shown signs of an allergy or respiratory problems. I think dosing is key. Bettas may actually be more sensitive to it than other fish, so I always underdose my melafix (about 1 drop per half gallon/gallon) Best bet:if it makes you nervous, don't use it


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## Nippyfish (May 12, 2011)

I _do_ know of a study that proves Melaleuca shortens the healing time of open wounds in ocean fish (I'll see if I can find it), but it sounds like all the betta related stuff is still hearsay. 

For me, it's not about using it... I'm trying to clear up or confirm the rumor for my website. Maybe I'll try and reach API again today. 

Please continue to share your personal stories about Betta/Melafix. Any information helps.


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

When I first started keeping bettas I used it on a fish that had his tank knocked over...It didn't really do anything for him..It just scented the water I think?haha
My sister tried to use it on her fish for mild finrot and he died....:-(...I can't be 100% positive if it was the cause or not though...
Because of this I have stopped using bettafix...

I have found that I have better luck treating minor problems with aquarium salt and daily water changes...


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## nowzem (Apr 14, 2011)

In my personal experience...it helps them heal more quickly. Fin rot..well, you can't use melafix because it wont fix the root problem. Also, I think it may be detrimental to a fish who is already close to death. They cannot handle the change in water, whether it be clean and additive free or not. They are already under too much stress to handle a chemical additive like melafix. I only use it to treat torn fins and fish on their way to recovery.


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

i've heard, from people who have owned bettas for a long, long time, that it causes a film to form over the water, that burns their labyrinth organ and damages it severely, often causing death. i'd rather NOT risk hurting my fish with medications, and i do things the way OFL does. :d salt and clean water.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Like most rumors and myths about any product that you read about on the internet...it usually starts from a product that is used on an already compromised fish and it dies and the product is blamed......the products didn't kill the fish per se' .....but people like to have a reason and often its simpler to blame the last product used....I see this all the time...just like the myth "water change killed my fish" and "fish shop sold bad fish"......nearly all of the cause could be linked back to nitrate and/or pH shock due to either neglected aquarium from lack of water changes, improper acclimation...etc.....its easier to blame something/someone else for failure and when something is written/talked about enough...the myth becomes fact when its just a myth........in my opinion/experience.....and boy do we have lots of those.......laffs......

I was trying to find an article that I had read several years ago...sorry, I couldn't find it.....it was written by the API people about this product and in short...it is limited to what it can help because it covers more of the gram positive and most that affect tropical fish are gram negative and so they stated it has limited effectiveness with some of the health issues.

The oil have been linked in some cases to affect the labyrinth organ in an already compromised fish and recommended to provide air circulation to limit ingestion of the fumes, generally in a healthy fish its not a problem and safe to use- depending on what is being treated it may or may not be effective...like if you have a new/fresh injury or fin damage in a healthy fish- use of this product shouldn't be problematic....but always use any product with caution as a rule regardless......

Often fresh like temp dechlorinated water is the best first treatment.......


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## callmeconfused (May 4, 2011)

Hmmm, I think I'll stop using it and switch to aquarium salt instead.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I used Bettafix on my first betta for finrot and it seemed to help. I also used Melafix on another of my fish and he immediately sank to the bottom and barely moved until I changed his water. He didn't tolerate the stuff very well.


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## MelissaD (May 17, 2011)

Bettafix can damage the labrynth organ of your betta, don't use!


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

It is not worth the risk to use something that might make it harder to breathe when a fish is already compromised (which is, I am assuming the only time you would need to use medication). As someone who uses tea tree oil on and in everything, (shampoo, cuts, acne, etc) I will not use it on a labyrinth fish.


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## nowzem (Apr 14, 2011)

Oldfishlady said:


> Like most rumors and myths about any product that you read about on the internet...it usually starts from a product that is used on an already compromised fish and it dies and the product is blamed......the products didn't kill the fish per se' .....but people like to have a reason and often its simpler to blame the last product used....I see this all the time...just like the myth "water change killed my fish" and "fish shop sold bad fish"......nearly all of the cause could be linked back to nitrate and/or pH shock due to either neglected aquarium from lack of water changes, improper acclimation...etc.....its easier to blame something/someone else for failure and when something is written/talked about enough...the myth becomes fact when its just a myth........in my opinion/experience.....and boy do we have lots of those.......laffs......
> 
> I was trying to find an article that I had read several years ago...sorry, I couldn't find it.....it was written by the API people about this product and in short...it is limited to what it can help because it covers more of the gram positive and most that affect tropical fish are gram negative and so they stated it has limited effectiveness with some of the health issues.
> 
> ...



+1. Honestly, I think most of this" hype" comes from ignorance, and frankly it quite irritates me that people say stuff like" fresh water killed my betta." No, you killed your betta!  Seriously, it's NOT worth killling your fish, but without a shred of scientific proof, I absolutely will not believe claims like that until I see it for myself. 

If you find any real evidence (and not" my betta was already dead and this killed him.") Please post it!


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## Nippyfish (May 12, 2011)

I wrote on API's Facebook wall today asking them about negative reactions of Bettafix. I was not at all accusatory, after all, I want them to make a statement at the very least. At best they may provide research. Here's a link to their FB wall. 

API Fishcare of Facebook 

If they respond at all, I'll let you all know.


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## TheAPIGuys (Jan 5, 2012)

Hi – I’m a member of the customer care/tech services team at Mars Fishcare, and I’ve been asked to address the Melafix/bettas/labyrinth fish “controversy.” Our medications are all thoroughly tested in their development phase, both for efficacy and for fish safety – we definitely do our homework. Not unsurprisingly, bettas and a wide range of other labyrinth fish were (and are) among the fish regularly exposed to Melafix (as well as Bettafix and Pimafix), and we’ve seen absolutely no indications that_ any_ fish are adversely affected by it, bettas or otherwise. On a side note, the same is true of pencilfish – when the first rumors started there, a number of trials were run specifically on them (on all species available in the trade at that time), again with no signs of trouble. 
I agree that many of the problems reported with Melafix are the result of improper dosage. The phrase “if I had a nickel for every time…” springs to mind: All too often I speak to well-meaning but misguided hobbyists who think that “a little bit” or “just a few drops” of the medication MUST have been safe, even though they have no idea of the volume of their betta’s home. Anything can harm fish if overdosed; likewise, anything can be ineffective if under-dosed. 
I often see references to Bettafix being somehow safer than Melafix due to its lower concentration of melaleuca extract. In reality, however, the end concentration in water comes out the same – yes, Bettafix is weaker, but you use _more_ of it. The reason for this is that many betta keepers use small bowls, and dosing with Melafix is difficult under such circumstances. It’s difficult for the typical hobbyist to accurately measure the .125 ml of Melafix needed for a quart of water. Think of how small a volume of liquid that is: 1 ml is the amount of liquid that fits in a cube 1 cm on a side, and .125 ml would be one eighth that amount. I know I couldn’t accurately measure that amount if my life depended upon it, unless I had graduated pipette. The addition of, say, an eighth of a teaspoon to a one quart betta bowl would be a potentially harmful 5X dose! That would be bad enough for a fish in perfect health, let alone one already comprised by illness.
As has been pointed out in most of the forum threads dealing with this subject, Melafix is a medication – hobbyists are using it to treat an existing health problem, not just as a general additive to the water of a perfectly healthy fish. And keep in mind Melafix and Bettafix are for topical bacterial infections and wounds – nothing else. Velvet, which IME is fairly common in bettas, will not be affected, and can be hard to diagnose. 
The point about Melafix being dangerous in situations where water quality has been compromised is a bit trickier. We don’t subject fish here in the lab to that kind of “stress test:” We _know_ that poor water quality will harm fish, and we won’t subject fish to conditions we know can have a fatal outcome. And such tests would have to be exhaustive – is ammonia the problem? Or nitrite? Or dissolved organics/proteins? Phosphates? What levels of each? What combinations? Testing medications’ effects under conditions already unfavorable to fish health would be a full-time job, not to mention irresponsible. That said, while I’m not sure I’m convinced Melafix could cause_ harm_ if water quality is sub-optimal…don’t subject fish to sub-optimal water quality! If you have any doubts, address any and all water quality issues before using ANY medication – not just Melafix. That’s simply good fishkeeping practice. 
To address another point, I often see variations on the phrase “it’s not even an antibiotic.” That’s true – it’s an _antibacterial _(and most definitely NOT an antiseptic, as some claim). Antibiotics are also antibacterials. The term antibiotic doesn’t denote any particular degree of efficacy; it only refers to the chemical’s original source. Antibiotics are those antibacterials which are produced by other microorganisms (fungi or other bacteria) to combat bacterial growth, but the term also includes synthetic versions of such antibacterials, as well as chemically modified versions of these naturally-produced substances. If the antibacterial is produced by a plant or some other form of life, or if it is a unique synthetic not based upon or derived from another antibiotic…it’s not an antibiotic. “Antibiotic” doesn’t mean an antibacterial substance is necessarily more hardcore, or more effective – it simply refers to the origin of the chemical.
There are quite a few extremely effective non-antibiotic antibacterials. Melafix is one. Interestingly, it seems more effective _in vivo_ (that is to say in or on the fish) than on free-living bacteria. We saw cases where Melafix would not adversely affect bacterial colonies in a dish, but would clear up a topical infection of the same bacteria on living fish. This suggests (I have to be careful here – it certainly doesn’t PROVE) that it may benefit the immune system of fish, or it could simply mean that Melafix interferes directly in whatever chemical pathways bacteria use to invade living tissue. I bring this up mostly due to the suggestion that Melafix is topical while antibiotics are not. Most aquarium remedies are strictly topical, including antibiotics. As a rule (there are exceptions, of course), if it dissolves in water, it won’t end up inside the fish’s body. We _have_ seen a good degree of efficacy in treating _Flavobacterium_ (columnaris) and do get good hobbyist feedback regarding the use of Melafix to treat “cottonmouth.” 
Another point to keep in mind is that Melafix is a plant extract, meaning it is not one chemical – it is a mixture of substances produced by the Tea Tree. We’re not certain which one, or, more likely, which _combination_ of them provides the therapeutic effect. Because Melafix is a “cocktail,” pathogens will be much less likely to develop resistance.
Interestingly, Pimafix seems to have some efficacy on systemic infections, provided treatment is begun early enough. We haven’t done much testing in that regard, but there is sufficient evidence for us to desire future testing in this application. 
I hope this has cleared the air a bit. If you have any questions, you can contact us further via our website, or our toll-free number (found on any of our packaging).

Thanks and best regards!


-Dave


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Thank you Dave.....


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

That's good to know. I've used both Primafix and Melafix for other tropical fish, but I was afraid to try it with my bettas.


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## Roxy (Nov 16, 2011)

I had a good experience with Bettafix.

My recent betta had 3 missing scales and minor tears on his fin... After treating him for 4 days using Bettafix, it has almost healed up. 

I discontinued the use of bettafix, did a 100% water change, added API stress coat and he's fine now.


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