API Melafix

118 mL

$31.95

Pack size

118 mL

Cost per litre

3.6c

Water type

Freshwater + Marine

API Melafix

$31.95

A tea-tree remedy for fin rot, wounds and fungus, tested safe with corals and anemones. API Melafix is a 1% Melaleuca (tea-tree, also called cajuput) oil solution for treating open red sores, fin and tail rot, open body wounds, eye cloud, pop-eye, body slime and mouth fungus in freshwater and marine fish. It is also used as a settling-in treatment when adding new fish. Sold here in 118 mL, 237 mL and 473 mL bottles.

Key features

One declared active – Melaleuca (Cajuput) Oil at 1 g per 100 mL (1.0%), API's registered label concentration.
Reef and invertebrate tested – API states Melafix has been tested and found safe in reef aquariums containing live corals and anemones.
Plant-safe – API states it is harmless to live aquarium plants.
Two dosing patterns – a 7-day course for disease and wounds, a 3-day course when settling in new fish.
Cheaper by the litre in the bigger bottle – from 3c per litre treated in the 118 mL bottle down to 1c per litre in the 473 mL; see the size table below.

Dosage and directions

API's label rate is 5 mL per 10 US gallons (38 L). Applied across common tank sizes:

Aquarium volume	Dose at API's label rate
20 L	2.6 mL
38 L	5 mL
40 L	5.3 mL
60 L	7.9 mL
100 L	13.2 mL
200 L	26.3 mL
400 L	52.6 mL

Treating disease or damaged fins: dose daily for 7 days, then perform a 25% water change. Continue for a further course if the fish has not recovered.

Settling in new fish: dose daily for 3 days.

Turn off the protein skimmer and UV steriliser while dosing, and remove activated carbon if you can – all three will pull the treatment back out of the water before it can work. A slight, harmless foaming can appear on the surface during treatment; this is a normal reaction to the oil-based formula, not a sign of a problem.

Specifications

Type	Antibacterial fish remedy, tea-tree (Melaleuca) based
Active ingredient	Melaleuca (Cajuput) Oil, 1 g per 100 mL (1.0%)
Bottle sizes sold here	118 mL, 237 mL, 473 mL
Standard dose	5 mL per 10 US gallons (38 L)
Disease/wound course	Daily for 7 days, then a 25% water change
New fish course	Daily for 3 days
Water type	Freshwater and marine
Reef and invertebrate safety	Tested safe with live corals and anemones (API)
Plant safety	Harmless to live aquarium plants (API)
Freight	Standard, all sizes

Which size do I need?

Cost per litre below is calculated on a single standard dose (5 mL per 38 L), the rate API publishes on the label. A full 7-day course re-doses the same tank daily, so the total product used over a course is higher than one dose – see the note under Specifications for how to plan quantity for a full course rather than a single top-up.

Bottle	Standard doses per bottle	Cost per litre, per dose	Suits
118 mL	About 23	3c per litre	One course on a small to mid-size tank, or settling in new fish once
237 mL	About 47	2c per litre	A full 7-day course on a larger tank, or two courses on a smaller one
473 mL	About 94	1c per litre	Multiple courses, several tanks, or a fish room

Suitable for, and not suitable for

Suitable for:

Open red sores, fin and tail rot, open body wounds, eye cloud, pop-eye, body slime and mouth fungus
Settling in newly introduced fish
Reef tanks with corals and anemones, and planted tanks, at the labelled dose

Not suitable for:

Fixing the underlying water quality problem – check ammonia, nitrite and nitrate alongside any course of treatment
Use while a protein skimmer or UV steriliser is running – switch both off for the course
Conditions outside those listed on the label – this is not a general cure-all

Goes well with

API Freshwater Master Multi Test Kit 5 in 1 – check the water quality behind the symptom you're treating.
API Stress Coat – for the water change at the end of a course.
API Aquarium Salt – often used alongside Melafix for fin and wound recovery.
API Quick Start – replenishes nitrifying bacteria after a course and a water change.

Warranty and delivery

This is a consumable, so no manufacturer warranty period applies. That does not affect your rights under the Australian Consumer Law: if the product is faulty, unsafe or not as described, you are entitled to a remedy.

All three bottle sizes ship as standard freight.

Common questions

Can I use Melafix in a reef tank with corals?

Yes. API states Melafix has been tested and found safe in reef aquariums containing live corals and anemones, but switch off the protein skimmer and UV steriliser for the course so the treatment stays in the water.