Who Gives A Fish Forums

My coflake beauty's in a bad way - damaged gill, bacterial infection, the works. It was eating fine till yesterday, but this morning I woke up to find it lying on a rock at the back, barely clinging on.

I think you should move your coflake beauty to a separate container, then start treatment for the infection. Make sure the water's got plenty of aeration, that's key here.

felinxo wrote: ↑Sat Aug 09, 2025 9:34 am I think you should move your coflake beauty to a separate container, then start treatment for the infection. Make sure the water's got plenty of aeration, that's key here.

Hi Seffie,
Thanks for your advice. I really appreciate it. To clarify, would you recommend using Melafix to treat the bacterial infection?

Yeah, Melafix might be okay in the tank since it's based on tea tree oil, but I wouldn't risk it personally.

felinxo wrote: ↑Sat Aug 09, 2025 9:34 am I think you should move your coflake beauty to a separate container, then start treatment for the infection. Make sure the water's got plenty of aeration, that's key here.

Thanks for your help Seffie, sadly it's gone.

Really sorry to hear that Nat, that coflake was a real beauty, you must be gutted.

It's unfortunate but sometimes this is the outcome. Marine fish can be notoriously tricky to treat, in my opinion, especially when compared to freshwater.

So sorry to hear about your coflake beauty.

Bacterial infections need proper antibiotics from a vet, not Melafix - that stuff's not worth it. Sorry to hear about your fish, Nat.

I think using Melafix is the way to go, made from tea tree oil it's a natural antibacterial remedy. Getting antibiotics from a vet in the UK would be a nightmare, they probably don't have as much experience with fish as we do.

I agree with SH, marine fish are a challenge to treat, I wonder how many people have actually been successful.