Re: Serious

[Stuart Hall <sturob@swbell.net>]

>Thrtough the widespread use of antibiotics over the last 40-60 years,
>mutant strains have developed that are more aggressive and resistant to
>most antibiotics (but that is another story).

Antibiotic use in and of itself only exerts selective pressure.  That 
pressure is only for resistance, NOT for "aggression" or virulence. 
I know this really has nothing to do with Apistos, but you raise a 
point which bears comment.  A lot of the problems associated with 
rampant antibiotic use result more directly from patient 
noncompliance than from bad prescription practices.  If we all took 
our antibiotics the (for example) four times a day for ten days like 
we're supposed to, it would be less likely that resistant bacteria 
would emerge as quickly.

E. coli IS nearly ubiquitous, but there many different strains, just 
like there are different strains of fish.  O157:H7 is particularly 
nasty to humans.

>Unless your fish are weakened due to some other cause, I would not see much
>risk in changing the water with E coli in the water. If you are really
>concerned, can you take water out of a hot water system (most bacteria
>cannot survive over about 45 celsius) or else treat the water with a broad
>spectrum cure-all (eg MELAFIX)

E. coli is not necessarily pathogenic in fish, meaning it doesn't 
necessarily cause disease in fish.  I'm no ichthyologist; perhaps 
someone on this list knows for sure whether or not E. coli causes 
fish trouble.

As has been mentioned, there are probably other things in the 
tapwater that are worse for fish than coliform bacteria.


Stuart
-- 
--
Stuart Hall
(sturob@swbell.net)
(gasdocstu@my-deja.com)


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