There’s an oft-repeated adage in this hobby that you can take to the bank: “Only bad things happen quickly in marine aquariums” (or some variation upon that general theme). In other words, while problems in marine aquariums seem to crop up overnight, effectively solving said problems tends to be a frustratingly long, drawn-out affair. Getting overeager to see results and jumping from one “quick fix” to the next is counterproductive at best.

One of the more obvious examples of this phenomenon can be seen when impatient hobbyists use medication to treat a sick fish. In this situation, the counterproductive behavior (on the hobbyist’s part) can take one of two forms: either assuming a fish is cured and stopping treatment prematurely because the symptoms seem to have abated, or repeatedly switching from one medication to the next because the symptoms don’t seem to be resolving quickly enough.

In the former scenario, it’s virtually assured that the disease symptoms will reappear, potentially after the fish has been introduced or reintroduced to a stocked system, which means the other fish will then have been exposed. Remember, it’s critical to follow medication dosing instructions to the letter and to complete the full course of treatment. MORE