About three years ago, my daughter wanted a pet. We felt a goldfish would be an inexpensive and easy pet for a kid to take care of. That was two tanks, one whisper-quiet filter, a battery-operated feeder, and several gallons of stress coat ago. Not to mention ALL the fish food.

Well, now our little, inexpensive goldfish is three years old and he has a cute personality. In the mornings, he barks like a dog and wags his tail until he's fed. Sometimes, he acts stand-offish like a cat. But most unusually, he has nine lives like a cat! Seriously, this goldfish has gone belly-up more times than I'd like to remember. At least three times, I have found him in the morning stuck between the tank and the filter, in shock and barely moving. Now, an ordinary pet owner might just give up. That's not my style. Each time our fish would nearly perish, I would remove him from the tank and put him in a pitcher of fresh water treated with Stress Coat. Then, I would completely clean the tank, fill with fresh water and Stress Coat, and add a capful of Melafix to the tank. Then I would replace my dying fish back into the tank and wait for a miracle.

I purchased Melafix Antibacterial Fish Remedy at the pet store for my goldfish when he suffered his first bout with "pop eye". I asked the salesperson about his eye condition, in which his eyes were bulging out of his head. I was advised to give a capful in the tank for several days. The dose is approximately 1 Teaspoon per 10 gallons of water. Within a day following his first dose of Melafix, my goldfish's eyes had receded back into his head, and he looked back to normal.  Subsequently, my fish had several, more serious, "near death" episodes where he seemed comatose, and each time I changed the water and dosed with Melafix his recovery was nothing short of remarkable. Several times my kids and I were sure he was not going to make it, and each time he revived we were all stunned!

What is Melafix? Melafix Antibacterial Fish Remedy is a clear liquid with a very strong antiseptic smell. The antibacterial properties come from tea tree extracts, which are also called Melaleuca. Melafix is aimed at remedying infectious diseases caused by bacteria in fish. These include:

* open red sores      * pop eye
* fin and tail rot        * body slime
* eye cloud             * mouth fungus
* open body wounds

I have personally used tea tree extract as an antiseptic agent, but this formulation is said to be safe for "most delicate fish species, marine fish and reef aquariums containing invertebrates, such as live corals or anemones." So, you can use it in fresh or salt water tanks. Also, it should not harm the plants in your aquarium. When I treat the aquarium, I am very careful not to pour the capful of Melafix directly on the fish, as it is very strong. I try to mix it gently into the tank water to dilute it quickly. Please note: Melafix is toxic to humans and should be kept out of reach of children.

Is Melafix a miracle medicine? Well, I definitely believe that it's one of the reasons my goldfish is still alive today! Although I'm not a fish expert, each time my fish has become seriously ill, it was when the filter and water were overdue for changing. Thus, I suspect that the water had become contaminated with bacteria that caused Goldy to keel over. So, to summarize, the three things that helped revive my Goldfish from certain death are:

1) remove the fish immediately from the tank and place in water treated with Stress Coat (please click on the link below to read about my experiences with Stress Coat)

2) Clean the tank, replace the filter and fill with water. Then, treat the tank with Stress Coat.

3) Replace the goldfish into the tank and add a capful of Melafix. Then, once per day, treat the tank water with a capful of Melafix according to the directions on the bottle, until your fish is hopefully revived.

Of course, I would advise talking to your pet store about treating your own fish ailments ~ I am only recounting my experiences for the purposes of this review.

A few days ago, our fish again reached a perilous state. This time, he was not quickly revived as the times before. He has revived much more slowly, and seems to have undergone some injury or stroke which is causing him trouble moving one of his fins. For at least a day, he was swimming upside down and acting completely disoriented. Also, he would not leave the bottom of the tank for many hours. Being optimistic, I decided to administer the treatment steps described above. After several days, my fish finally was able to swim around (right-side-up) and was even able to reach the surface and nibble a little food. He is still acting under the weather, but he was as close to death as I have ever seen a fish, and to see him swimming around is heartwarming. (I know, I am a little too attached to my orange vertebrate!)

I can't promise that you'll be as successful with treating your fishes' ailments as I have been with mine. I can only say that based on my personal experiences, I'm a believer in the properties of Melafix to help bring a sick goldfish back to health! Good Luck!

Related Links:

Stress Coat Conditions Aquarium Water for Healthy Fish

Hydor Ekomixo Feeder:  Goldy wags her tail-fin when we return from vacation

Recommended: Yes