eSHa alx

• Will kill shrimp and crayfish!
• You should be careful with lower animals like corals, anemones, sea urchins, snails, clams et al. When present, remove them from the aquarium or pond before treatment or treat the fish in a quarantine tank;
• Observe the aquarium well during treatment and, in case of complications, filter over fresh activated carbon first and then perform a water change;
• May be harmful to aquatic invertebrates;
• Always read the leaflet before use;
• This product may stain if spilt;
• Keep out of reach of children and pets;
• Do not use with animals that are intended for consumption;
• Store bottle and leaflet in original packaging;
• For ornamental fish only;
• Keep away from cuts, eyes and other sensitive areas;
• This information is general product information, not to be mistaken for the instruction leaflet. No rights can be derived from this F.A.Q.!

Disease diagnosis is the first step towards successful and rapid disease cure. Most fish diseases are highly contagious and spread quickly in aquarium conditions, so prompt diagnosis and treatment is advised. There are some ‘early warning signals’ which should be watched for as these can indicate the onset of a disease, like swollenness, emaciation or reduced appetite.

Skin
The skin is the first line of defence and as such it is often the first to show signs of attack from infection. Any changes in skin colour or appearance should be closely watched for.

Fins
Watch your fish’s fins. Fins which are held close to the body signal an illness, particularly on live bearing fish.

Swimming behaviour
Unusual or sluggish swimming behaviour can indicate the onset of a disease. Parasitic crustaceans are generally visible with the naked eye.

eSHa alx is a veterinary medicine for ornamental fish against parasitic species of Crustacea (Maxillopoda), such as Argulus (carp lice), Lernaea (anchor worm), Ergasilus (gill lice), Salmincola (gill lice), etc. The parasitic Crustacea occur on and in the skin of fish and on the gills.

There are a few noticeable symptoms of parasitic Crustacea:

• Trying to jump out of the aquarium/pond;
• Scraping the entire body along stones and the bottom;
• Visible areas where parasites have bitten (which subsequently become white as the skin dies);
• Pale gills;
• Listless behaviour;
• Skittishness;
• Weight loss; separating from the group;
• Not eating.

• eSHa alx is well tolerated by ornamental fish in freshwater aquaria and ponds and in marine aquaria.
• eSHa alx is well tolerated by plants and filters.
• You should be careful with lower animals like corals, anemones, sea urchins, snails, clams et al. When present, remove them from the aquarium or pond before treatment or treat the fish in a quarantine tank.
• Observe the aquarium well during treatment and, in case of complications, filter over fresh activated carbon first and then perform a water change.

You may continue to filter over non-adsorbing materials such as filter-wool, sand, gravel, etc. Always remove chemical ‘active’ filter media such as (fresh) activated carbon, UV (lights), oxidisers, resins and protein skimmers, as these can have a diminishing effect on the action of eSHa alx. Keep filters running day and night.

Overdosing
It is not recommended to add more than the advised dosage when using eSHa alx.

Extended treatment
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It is generally not necessary to do a water change before or after using eSHa alx. However, there are a few exceptions where a partial water change should be carried out before treating the aquarium:

1. In the case of poor water quality. Regular testing with eSHa AQUA-QUICK-TEST can identify water quality problems in time to take corrective action when needed;
2. If you are close to your regular water change;
3. If using any waterconditioners (see general questions: how can I safely add tap water when doing a water change, without adding (too much) water conditioner?);
4. If you have just used or are using another treatment: 2 x 40% water changes should be carried out over a period of two days + appropriate filtering (i.e. carbon).

Replacing some of the water during or after treatment effectively removes some of the treatment. Compensate by adding a proportional amount of medication after a water change.

In cases with little or no improvement a 50% water change is recommended without dechlorinators or oxidisers, after which the treatment can be repeated. If any unknown complication occurs immediately,  either transfer the fish to another aquarium or do a partial water change and / or filter over fresh activated carbon and contact your expert retailer.

If you want to use another treatment straight after using eSHa -alx, you can remove all components by filtering over fresh activated carbon or perform a major water change.

1. Parasitic crustaceans are egg-laying organisms. These eggs are often well protected against many kinds of medication. For this reason, we recommend multiple treatments. To treat the disease organisms and conditions, perform a 2 day dosage of eSHa alx over a 3 week period: dose on day 1, then on day 7 perform a 20% – 50% water change and clean the bottom of your aquarium. Repeat this on day 14: dose the calculated dosage and perform a 20% – 50% water change and clean the bottom on day 21. Calculate the volume of your aquarium (only the area occupied by water). You can use the Dosage Calculator to calculate the correct dosage.
2. Add drops of eSHa alx to your aquarium by holding the bottle upside down and squeezing the pipette.

After an illness we strongly recommend that you give your fish a daily dose of eSHa OPTIMA, to keep them in good health. eSHa OPTIMA is a unique combination of the essential components found in tropical rivers, lakes and streams. These components are blended with trace elements, minerals, vitamins and natural growth enhancers to give your fish what they are accustomed to in their natural environment. eSHa OPTIMA stimulates and supports the natural immune defences and speeds up full recovery from illness.

For marine aquariums we strongly recommend to give your fish a dose of MINAROLL after an illness. MINAROLL is a blend of trace elements, vitamins and minerals, designed to keep your fish in the best of health. It stimulates and supports the natural immune defences and it speeds up a full recovery from illness. It can also be used in freshwater aquariums.

eSHa alx can be used in conjunction with:

• eSHa 2000: parasitic crustaceans often cause skin irritations and damages, therefore the chance of your fish developing a secondary infection, such as a fungus and / or bacterial infection, is high. Therefore we recommend to always use alx in combination with eSHa 2000. There is no need to halve the dosage when using eSHa alx and eSHa 2000 together.
• EXIT: treats all ‘spot’ (Ich) causing parasitic species and ‘velvet’ disease. There is no need to halve the dosage when using eSHa alx and EXIT together.
• eSHa gdex: works against skin and gill flukes and tapeworms. There is no need to halve the dosage when using eSHa alx and eSHa gdex together.

Parasitic crustaceans often cause skin irritations / damages. As a result, the risk of secondary fungal or bacterial infections is very high. We therefore recommend that you always combine eSHa alx with eSHa 2000.

Never combine eSHa products with products from other brands, unless the manufacturer specifically states that it is safe to do so.