I don't want to get into a pissing match here, but I am not sure how you can honestly sit there and type that. Follow this thread and its responses and I have tried them all, down the line, in the order they were given to me.
But you haven't. I have suggested this since page 2 of this discussion, that is if you were going to treat this as a bacterial infection, and you were going to use Maracyn, then both M 1 & M2 should be used as each form treats a different type of bactera. M1 treating gram
positive bacteria, and M2 treating gram
negative bacteria.
Thus far all I've read is about you treating with Maracyn 1. (Erythromycin
)
This isn't about my word against anyone elses, I have a firm grasp on what meds work against what. If you doubt what I've been saying about bacterial infections, and how best to treat them, then feel free to read what an expert in this field suggests, and what he has to say about gram positive bacteria, vs gram negative, and fish.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa084
So when we come to a situation such as yours, where one is basically guessing, with no true lab analysis to determine exactly what is wrong, and at some point we consider this as a potential bacterial infection (due to other potential ailments such as internal parasites now being ruled out) then the only logical thing to do is to treat for
both gram positive AND gram negative bacteria. The drugs that have been suggested were ones that are most available at a LFS, but almost any aquatic based drug can be purchased online in the US.
A fish the size of yours could probably go 30-40 days without eating, if push came to shove. Mouth broooding females often go 30 days without eating, with no issue. If you were overly concerned about getting nutrition to your fish there are FAR better options available than offering a feeder fish from your LFS. (such as force feeding with a syringe) To add to that I have absolutely no idea how one would think that feeding a live feeder would help "muscle through" something, if in fact something is causing a blockage. That's just plain idiotic. Clearly your LFS owner with 30 yrs experience does not understand the digestive process of a fish.
I realize that you are somewhat grasping at straws, and you are doing everything that you can think of to help save your fish, and that's very admirable. I also understand that not every last feeder found at a LFS is carrying a fish killing disease, but I've also been kicking around this hobby long enough to tell you that I have seen many fish, including some uber expensive fish, that have in fact died from eating LFS feeders. IMO it was a risk that wasn't worth taking, and once even partially digested by the various acids & enzymes produced in a fishes gut, wouldn't "muscle through" anything.
As I said previously, your fish, your call as to what or who's advice you want to take.
I honestly hope that a miracle takes place & he pulls through for you.
