Medications
NeoPlex™ is a broad spectrum antibiotic effective against most external infections of both marine and freshwater fish. Used as directed, NeoPlex™ will not discolor the water or damage the filter bed. It is well tolerated by invertebrates, although delicate species may be stressed.
Active ingredients: neomycin sulfate (43%) Inactive ingredients: excipients (57%)
NeoPlex™ is appropriate for treating a variety of external infections of both marine and freshwater fish. Below are some of the more common diseases treatable with NeoPlex™. Be aware that many diseases and infections share similar physical and behavioral symptoms, e.g. clamped fins, lesions, loss of appetite.
Bacterial infection
Fins appear shredded, frayed, or decaying. Fin Rot is frequently mistaken for damage from fin-nipping fish. Contrary to the name, this is actually caused by bacteria, not fungus.
Suggested Treatment Period:
7 days or until infection clears
Special Considerations
Fin Rot is often found as a secondary infection (that’s an infection that started because the fish was already sick). Make sure to check for additional infections.
Bacterial Infection
Open wounds or sores on the body or tail of the fish. Bacterial lesions appear on the body or tail of the fish. They often look like an open wound, sore, or deterioration of the skin and flesh of the fish.
Suggested Treatment Period:
Dose in the water 3 weeks
Special Considerations
Bacterial lesions often start due to wounds on the fish, either from travel or from residence in a tank of aggressive fish. Using an antiseptic like StressGuard™ will help to prevent this.
Symptom of internal infection
Fish’s belly appears swollen and may have trouble swimming. If the scales stick out, this is called Dropsy and is better treated with KanaPlex™. Bloat is often caused by intestinal infections, but can also be a symptom of internal parasites or damage to the fish’s liver.
Suggested Treatment Period:
3 weeks or until fungus clears
Special Considerations
Bloat is a relatively common and easily treated condition in fish. If left alone, though, it can eventually develop into Dropsy, which is much more difficult to treat. NeoPlex™ is very effective against bacterial infections of the intestines, but if the infection spreads to other parts of the body, we recommend treating with KanaPlex™.
Columnaris
Damaged fins, ulcers and yellowish patches on gills, tissue on head and mouth eaten away. This infection appears gruesome, but is entirely treatable. It is common to see fungus-like tufts around the face and mouth in addition to deterioration of tissue. It is essential to catch this disease early to prevent long-term damage.
Suggested Treatment Period:
1 week
Special Considerations
Columnaris is very contagious. If possible, remove the infected fish to treat separately in a hospital tank.
Dosing in Water
Remove all invertebrates - these are extremely sensitive to medication. Turn off UV filters, ozone filters, and remove chemical filtration like MatrixCarbon™ and Purigen®. Use 1 measure (included) per every 8 L (2 US gallons). Repeat this dose every 7 days to a maximum of 3 weeks. This will treat external bacterial infections.
Dosing in Food
Feed the medicated food mix every day until the infection clears or up to 1 week. This will treat internal bacterial infections. This medicated food can be refrigerated or frozen between feedings.
To enhance palatability use with GarlicGuard™ or Entice™.
After Treating
When the treatment period is over, NeoPlex™ can easily be removed using activated filter carbon like MatrixCarbon™. It does not linger in the substrate or filter media of the tank. Remove with carbon before turning on UV.
A: NeoPlex™ is safe with most invertebrate life but a better application would be to use our Focus (nitrofurantoin based binding agent) to adhere NeoPlex™ to frozen food and feed it to your fish. Using it in this manner ensures that little if any medication will make its way in your water column.
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Download Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
Aquarium Use Only. Keep Away from Children. For ornamental fish only. Not for human consumption. Not to be used in conjunction with animals used for human consumption.
