Where can I get Kanancyn? - betta

[lamagdalena]

My beautiful betta Kingsley I am almost positive has dropsy. He has two bulges on either side of his body and it looks more like dropsy than anything else.

I have read it's a very hard disease to fight but if you catch it early there is hope. So I am praying we have caught it early and I can treat him successfully.

I have been reading giving him salt baths for 2 min is good and also giving him kanacyn is good. I have been reading that that is the best medicine for dropsy but I can't find it anywhere!

I also read manacyn is a good alternative but it has varied results.

 

[Eden Marel]

I never heard of Kanacyn, maybe you should try Maracyn 2 (Minocycline). On the box it said it is good for Dropsy. It is an broad spectrum antibiotic which belongs to the Tetracycline family, which is a bacteriostatic. You should take care in buying a non-expired package as Tetracyclines become toxic once they are expired.

It is definitely dropsy if he looks like a pinecone inflated with scales sticking out, it is also more of a symptom than a disease. It means there is another underlying problem causing the betta to accumulate fluids such as bacterial infection, bad water conditions or other internal problems.


Did a little research on the Kanacyn from this article from June 02, 2008:

What is going on with Aquatronics these days?
That seems to be the hot question of the moment. For months and even years it has been rumored that Aquatronics was going to pull out of the fish medication market, but lately the talk has been heavy. You may have noticed that Aquatronics products also seem to be of short supply or unable to be found at all. Aquatronics is the maker of some really great fish medications, such as the beloved BettaMax, Kanacyn, Dip-A-Way, Furacyn, Tetracycline, Super Sulfa, etc. The list really goes on and on.
Here is the latest information that I have been able to find out. No one seems to know for sure what is happening, so this information is to the best of my knowledge from what I consider to be reliable sources.

• Aquatronics is not going out of business and they are not selling their division.
• Aquatronics products are as of now in short supply because they will be going completely off the market for 3 to 6 months and will not be available to anyone.
• After this period, Aquatronics WILL BE pulling their products out of the retail fish medication market, meaning that consumers most likely will not have access to the products at retail or online stores.
• From that point forward, Aquatronics products will only be available to commercial fish businesses and pro breeders.

Recently I spoke to a representative at a major online retailer of fish supplies and he mentioned that all three of his distributors told him that Aquatronics products would be no longer available so it would be wise to stock up now while you can. As of now, this appears to be sound advice as the products appear to be selling out fast and becoming unavailable everywhere you look.
Will the products become available again to the public? At the moment it doesn’t really sound like it, but I suppose only time will tell. For now, I’m going to stick to the safe side and buy those few extra boxes of medicine just in case.

http://www.healthybetta.com/aquatronics-the-fish-medication-company

 

[lamagdalena]

I never heard of Kanacyn, maybe you should try Maracyn 2 (Minocycline). On the box it said it is good for Dropsy. It is an broad spectrum antibiotic which belongs to the Tetracycline family, which is a bacteriostatic. You should take care in buying a non-expired package as Tetracyclines become toxic once they are expired.

It is definitely dropsy if he looks like a pinecone inflated with scales sticking out, it is also more of a symptom than a disease. It means there is another underlying problem causing the betta to accumulate fluids such as bacterial infection, bad water conditions or other internal problems.


Did a little research on the Kanacyn from this article from June 02, 2008:

Aquatronics - The Fish Medication Company | Healthy Betta

thanks for the info Erica

do you know if Maracyn 2 is the same as Maracyn? I went to a petsmart today and all they had was Maracyn. I will be going to two more I know of after work but if they don't have any Maracyn 2 either, could I give Kingsley plain old Maracyn. It says its an antibiotic but doesn't list dropsy as on of the diseases it can maybe cure.

Kingley doesn't look like a pine cone but he definetly is bloated.. which makes me hopeful that we have caught it in time to make him healthy again. I hope so

 

[Gilraen]

Marcyn 1 and two are different. One is for gram positive and the other is for gram negative bacteria. Are you on www.ultimatebettas.com ? They could probably help you treat him, and would definitely be able to tell you of what antibiotics/treatments to use!

 

[Eden Marel]

Just like Gilraen said, they are two different things. Also Petsmart distributor is out of Maracyn Two since June, it may be several months til they get it. I had to buy mine on ebay.

Maracyn is made of erythromycin, broad spectrum but primarily for gram positive bacteria. Maracyn-2 is minocycline a broad spectrum but primarily for gram negative bacteria.

If you can not find Maracyn-2, tetracycline may be the first good alternative. Metronidazole might be another alternative, this med typically is for parasites but it can treat anarobic bacteria as well.

I suspect Kanacyn's generic name is Kanamycin, but don't quote me on that. Many local stores that do not specialize solely on fish do not carry such products. Seachem. KanaPlex is made of Kanamycin and according to them treats dropsy, but Petsmart does not carry it. Most likely you will need to purchase the meds you need online and with expedited shipping.

If he is just bloated without the pineconing maybe he is constipated? What do you feed him and how often? Do you have pictures?

 

[ortegah]

Any tropical/saltwater fish store should carry an assortment of fish antibiotics.

 

[lamagdalena]

I found Maracyn 2 in another petsmart closer to home! Though I only found the 24 packet kind that costs twice as much

I have been reading that sometimes people treat dropsy with both maracyn and maracyn2, which is why i was asking. I have both medicines now but I only gave him maracyn 2 so far.

I also bought medicated jungle pellets but he ate one, and all the others he spits back out, he hates the taste ugh!
so I am back to giving him his regular pelleted food. I am afraid of giving him any frozen blood worms right now, which is the only other thing he likes to eat.

I haven't taken any photos but I think it's def dropsy. His right side had begun to pinecone a little bit yesterday. Today his left side looks a itty bit better, I hope it's not just my imagination.

I have also been rumaging around ultimate betta, and they also say to give him medicated baths with epsom salt but I can't find that kind of salt anywhere. I will look online today.

I also did an ammonia test yesterday and it came back fine. He lives in a 5 gallon filtered tank.. I guess then I didn't keep his water that clean or I don't know why he got this but I feel terrible...

thanks for all your responses guys!!
This is a photo of Kingsley I took awhile ago so you can see my little guy and say a prayer for him to get better,

 

[ortegah]

I found Maracyn 2 in another petsmart closer to home! Though I only found the 24 packet kind that costs twice as much

I have been reading that sometimes people treat dropsy with both maracyn and maracyn2, which is why i was asking. I have both medicines now but I only gave him maracyn 2 so far.

I also bought medicated jungle pellets but he ate one, and all the others he spits back out, he hates the taste ugh!
so I am back to giving him his regular pelleted food. I am afraid of giving him any frozen blood worms right now, which is the only other thing he likes to eat.

I haven't taken any photos but I think it's def dropsy. His right side had begun to pinecone a little bit yesterday. Today his left side looks a itty bit better, I hope it's not just my imagination.

I have also been rumaging around ultimate betta, and they also say to give him medicated baths with epsom salt but I can't find that kind of salt anywhere. I will look online today.

I also did an ammonia test yesterday and it came back fine. He lives in a 5 gallon filtered tank.. I guess then I didn't keep his water that clean or I don't know why he got this but I feel terrible...

thanks for all your responses guys!!
This is a photo of Kingsley I took awhile ago so you can see my little guy and say a prayer for him to get better,

I've only had 1 fish that would ever eat the medicated pellets and that's because he ate everything and was almost a foot long The medicated pellets are for internal parasites and worms. I don't know anything about dropsy but I didn't think it would have been applicable in this case anyhow.

OH and epsom salt is right at your pharmacy! People soak their feet in it. Our Walgreens and Rite Aid carry it and it's super cheap.

 

[Gilraen]

Yep, epsom salts are in the pharmacy section of most grocery stores and are super cheap. If you only use it on your fish, you can last a lifetime on a bag(though I use it to soak in occasionally myself!)

 

[Eden Marel]

In Walmart you might find it in the pharmacy section where all the stuff for constipation is. It might be on the lowest shelf. It cost less than $5.

 

[lamagdalena]

i will buy some today and give him a quick bath

 

[Eden Marel]

how's it going?

 

[lamagdalena]

well we are on day 3 of manacyn 2 and day 2 of manacyn.
So far his right side is swollen but the bump hasn't grown. (it hasn't decreased either.
I am almost certain the bump on his left side is decreasing

He hates the medicated pellets but still has lots of appetite for the hikari ones I always give him. plus he has been building bubble nests, he as a huge one right now. That means he is feelings good no?

I will take pics of him and post here tonight.

I tried to give him a medicated bath with epsom salt. I had everything set up but I wasn't able to scoop him out of his tank. How on earth do you do it? I didn't want to stress him out and he was avoiding the cup at all costs so I just let him be. But I can't help but think maybe the epsom salt can help reduce the swelling.

thanks for caring about him and keep the prayers coming!

 

[robin's my baby]

plus he has been building bubble nests, he as a huge one right now. That means he is feelings good no?

well not alwas iv seen pet store ones that are almost dead doing it

 

[marian]

Just peeking in to see how kingsley is doing.You mght want to do maintenace on your tank once a week if you aren't doing it already..Just a quick vacuuming of the gravel..remove about20% of water.Then add dechlorinated water back into the tank.Same temp.With a 5 gallon tank you can use empty water jugs...fill them leave them uncapped for at least 24 hours before using.Think about fastng him one day a week also.I sure hope he pulls through.hugs.

 

[Eden Marel]

well we are on day 3 of manacyn 2 and day 2 of manacyn.
So far his right side is swollen but the bump hasn't grown. (it hasn't decreased either.
I am almost certain the bump on his left side is decreasing

He hates the medicated pellets but still has lots of appetite for the hikari ones I always give him. plus he has been building bubble nests, he as a huge one right now. That means he is feelings good no?

I will take pics of him and post here tonight.

I tried to give him a medicated bath with epsom salt. I had everything set up but I wasn't able to scoop him out of his tank. How on earth do you do it? I didn't want to stress him out and he was avoiding the cup at all costs so I just let him be. But I can't help but think maybe the epsom salt can help reduce the swelling.

thanks for caring about him and keep the prayers coming!

Make sure you removed the activated carbon from your tank during treatment. And treat for the minimum amount of days the box says to. If you don't it will just kill the weak bacteria and leave the strong ones to breed and make a bunch of resistant ones; called a super-infection. And yea, the bubble nest it is just an instinct not a indicator of happiness or well-being.

Do not use regular aquarium salt while treatment or while he is bloated, because aquarium salt draws fluid in. Epsom draws fluid out.

I always used the cup to get my guys, I wait for them to be at the top and the cup goes in near them and it will suck them right in. If not you can try using a large brine shrimp net. I heard some people use their hands... but I personally don't...

Take a picture of the whole tank so we can see it! Also tell us your maintenance routines, like % of water change, how often, and stuff in it the tank, and all the additives, etc.

 

[lamagdalena]

Make sure you removed the activated carbon from your tank during treatment. And treat for the minimum amount of days the box says to. If you don't it will just kill the weak bacteria and leave the strong ones to breed and make a bunch of resistant ones; called a super-infection. And yea, the bubble nest it is just an instinct not a indicator of happiness or well-being.

Do not use regular aquarium salt while treatment or while he is bloated, because aquarium salt draws fluid in. Epsom draws fluid out.

I always used the cup to get my guys, I wait for them to be at the top and the cup goes in near them and it will suck them right in. If not you can try using a large brine shrimp net. I heard some people use their hands... but I personally don't...

Take a picture of the whole tank so we can see it! Also tell us your maintenance routines, like % of water change, how often, and stuff in it the tank, and all the additives, etc.

oh the carbon! so I guess i have to remove the filter all together? Because my filter has a plastic backing to it, and sandwiched in between the filter and plastic is the carbon.

I will take pics tonight and post them here!

ok here is my routine.
I have a 5 gallon, filtered tank. I use a heater, it's always at a 78-80 degree temp. I feed Kingsley twice a day, 2 pellets each time.
I do a 25% water change every week. which is a gallon.

I am guilty of one thing though, I don't clean the gravel. I bought one of those vacuum pipe things and the thing never ever worked for me. I looked at how to videos on youtube but nothing. Maybe that's why he got sick?

I also change his environment every 3-4 months so he doesnt get bored.

I treat my water with nitrate and water conditioner.

I will try to give him an epsom salt bath today again.

thanks for your reminders and suggestions I am writing all of this down and hopefully it will make a difference.

ps. the maracyn says to treat for 5 days, if i see an improvement to go ahead and treat another 5 days. Now.. should I just wait between treatments? and if so how long?
also once the treatment is done, do I make a 75% water change? 25% 100%?

 

[Eden Marel]

oh the carbon! so I guess i have to remove the filter all together? Because my filter has a plastic backing to it, and sandwiched in between the filter and plastic is the carbon.

I will take pics tonight and post them here!

ok here is my routine.
I have a 5 gallon, filtered tank. I use a heater, it's always at a 78-80 degree temp. I feed Kingsley twice a day, 2 pellets each time.
I do a 25% water change every week. which is a gallon.

I am guilty of one thing though, I don't clean the gravel. I bought one of those vacuum pipe things and the thing never ever worked for me. I looked at how to videos on youtube but nothing. Maybe that's why he got sick?

I also change his environment every 3-4 months so he doesnt get bored.

I treat my water with nitrate and water conditioner.

I will try to give him an epsom salt bath today again.

thanks for your reminders and suggestions I am writing all of this down and hopefully it will make a difference.

ps. the maracyn says to treat for 5 days, if i see an improvement to go ahead and treat another 5 days. Now.. should I just wait between treatments? and if so how long?
also once the treatment is done, do I make a 75% water change? 25% 100%?

You have to take the carbon out even if that means taking the whole filter out, but you should stick a weak air line in there just to keep things flowing. Just as long as there is no carbon, because the carbon will take all the meds out. When you are completely done with the treatment that is when you want the carbon to go back in.

I do not vacuum my gravel in my 5g either. Mainly because I have a planted tank and a carpet, and secondly because it is hard to get it started. You can however, BUT you need to suck on the other end of the line and it can be very very nasty TRUST ME. (I have to do this with my goldfish tank cuz the vacuum doesn't start)

You might want to try fasting him for a day each week as a routine thing, do not give him any food for one day so the digestive system works itself out. And give him a variety of foods, such as frozen/live bloodworms, tubifex, etc... just do not give him the freeze dried stuff. Hikari changed its formula to include more wheat, so when you are done with what you have you might want to try a different brand such as New Life Spectrum betta pellets which can be found at Petco.

Just look at the ingredients! Doesn't it make you want to eat it yourself (or I'm crazy) :

Whole Antarctic Krill Meal, Whole Herring Meal, Wheat Flour, Whole Squid Meal, Algae Meal, Soybean Isolate, Beta Carotene, Spirulina, Garlic, Vegetable and Fruit Extract (Spinach, Broccoli, Red Pepper, Zucchini, Tomato, Pea, Red and Green Cabbage, Apple, Apricot, Mango, Kiwi, Papaya, Peach, Pear), Vitamin A Acetate, D-Activated Animal-Sterol (D3), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine, DL Alphatocophero ( E ), Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Niacin, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, L-Ascorby-2-Polyphosphate (Stable C), Ethylenediamine dihydroiodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Choline Chloride.

Also, I would go ahead and continue the treatment for another 5 days like you said, because it seems you left the carbon in for the first few days which probably meant the meds never stayed long enough for it to do anything anyways.

When that is all done completely, do your normal water change, plus add some fresh unused activated carbon in the filter to take care any residual medication/junk.

 

[Eden Marel]

How's it going now?

 

[lamagdalena]

here are some photos of Kingsley, sorry for the delay.

His bumps haven't grown, but I don't think they have gone down either. He doesn't seem to be in any stress, thank God.

I have redone the treatment seeing as I did not take the carbon out the filter for the 1st three days of the initial treatment.

I have only done one salt bath so far, 1/2 gallon with 2 table spoons of epsom salt, did not see any difference but will do another bath tonight.