Home made melafix recipe

[Ash]

Hi all,

My male RD just beat the bejesus out of his lady, I have her in my spare 4'er with her babies but she's real groggy & roughed up.

There is salt in the tank, but was wondering about adding some pure tea tree (melaleuca) oil in liew of proper melafix (same stuff, different concentration).

I have Thursday plantation brand which is 100% melaleuca oil & was wondering what the dosage rate would be.

Any other suggestions? Geez am I glad I had the spare tank.

thx in advance

Ash

[Ash]

found it - melafix is 1% solution at 5ml (1 teaspoon) per 37l (10 Gallon)

[katanaone]

make sure you shake the bottle for about five minutes before you use it.

ryan

[Eddie Salita]

I cannot remember what it is, but I think there is another additive which makes it miscible in water. So it doesnt just sit at the surface/bottom. In petrol you use metho to make the water mix in properly(miscible). Something similar for tea tree oil too. Maybe someone elses memory works better than mine. You dont really want a malelueca slick over the entire surface of your water.

Jason

[Colfish]

hi Ash

i've tried this alternative, and not really impressed with the results. it does tend to clog up return hoses and greatly reduce flow rates.

if you want to stretch out the real stuff, mix up the tea tree oil at the recomended rate and add it, equall parts to the real stuff. this works well, and no more clogged up hoses

[BaZ]

I use the home made version and have never had an issue with it clogging hoses. What kind of hoses are they Col? Do you know why they get clogged?

[cirulis]

i use the diy recipe no problems. The other ingredients in melafix are an emulsifiers (to make it mix) and an anti foaming agent. It is actually cajeput oil in the melafix but its from the same genus as the tea tree...melaluca. You won't end up with an oil slick as long as you shake the hell out of it.

cheers

[phatoscarlover]

I got a mate who uses the DIY recipe as above and he has had no trouble, again the only advice i have is shake the hell out of it. Cheers Andy

[Colfish]

hi BAZ

the hose is plastic[?] of some description. used in the transfer of drinking water.

it glogs up quickly with an oily scum, that is removed with a bottle brush on a long wire.the scum is a rusty brown colour and has an oily feel to it. this problem has not occured since mixing 50/50 with the original product.

and i still have the pleasant odour instead of the sharp odour of tea tree.

cheers;