using kanaplex with api fin and body cure

[stormer]

I'm at a loss with my boy Moo, his fin rot hasn't improved on Kanaplex - if anything, it's taken a turn for the worse. He's in a med tank now, and it's heartbreaking to see him slow down like this; he's not even touching pellets with garlic guard. I'm keeping him comfortable, but I'm not sure what else to do besides wait and see if it heals on its own. Would combining Kanaplex with API's fin and body cure do more harm than good at this point?

[Snout]

I would advise against mixing medications unless it's explicitly stated as safe by the manufacturer. Generally, they only recommend combining their own products. When it comes to removing medication, large water changes and activated carbon in the filter can be effective.

Considering Moo's condition, aquarium salt might be worth trying in the short term to treat fin rot. A rate of one tablespoon per five gallons for a couple of weeks could be beneficial.

[starweave]

To effectively tackle Moo's fin rot, I'd suggest taking a step back to identify the root cause, which will help prevent future occurrences. Increased water changes have been known to cure fin rot in some cases, especially if the issue isn't too severe. However, to provide more tailored advice, it'd be helpful to know the current parameters in both the hospital and regular tanks, tank size, feeding habits, and your water change schedule. Medications, as you've seen, can be stressful for fish and sometimes exacerbate the problem. I'd recommend them only after exhausting other options, such as increased water changes and adding salt.

[Doubled]

From what I've learned, fin rot is typically caused by gram-positive bacteria. Knowing this, it makes sense that Kanaplex isn't working for you since it targets gram-negative bacteria. I've seen others try mixing meds when one doesn't work, but I'd advise against that unless you're sure it's safe.

[enigma]

I'm bringing this up despite the age of the post, as I've seen it mentioned numerous times in reliable forums and guides that combining Kanamycin and Doxycycline can produce a synergistic effect when treating infections. While mixing meds shouldn't be the first approach, it can be beneficial for stubborn infections with unknown causes - sometimes, multiple causes are at play, and treating them all is necessary. A similar synergistic effect can be achieved with Kanamycin and Furan-2, although Furan-2 is no longer available; however, Nitrafurazone is still sold on a certain reputable hobbyist site as a yellow powder, along with some other fish stores - I'd recommend searching for it. For the above combo, Metroplex can also be used, and the three together are often used for particularly hard-to-treat cases. I believe Metro works with the Kanamycin/Doxycycline mix, although I'm not 100% certain - it can be safely combined with each individually, though. Doxycycline (Fin and Body) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that treats gram-positive and some gram-negative bacteria, while Kanamycin is effective against internal bacterial and some fungal infections, but should be used with caution due to its strength.