quack Posted February 5, 2006 Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 is it true that you can make you own melafix with just water and tea tree oil??? if so could someone give me the messurements thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted February 5, 2006 Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 1 part tea tree oil 99 parts water, know people that have been doing it for years and its cheap too! just takes a hell of alot of shaking to get it to mix!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil_elmo Posted February 5, 2006 Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 what is tea tree oil and where do you buy it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slappers Posted February 5, 2006 Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 health shops or supermarkets some dairies might sell it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted February 5, 2006 Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 bought mine from the drug store (pharmacy). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malawi_man Posted February 5, 2006 Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 kool, sounds good, would heating it up work?? i dont seem to have many sick fish anymore though 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrshanepaul Posted February 5, 2006 Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 A note: there are cheaper brands that are not 100% tea tree oil. The stuff they mix it with may not be all that healthy.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quack Posted February 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 so when you use 1 part teatree and 99 parts water. is the doesing the same as what the melafix bottle is?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 the official recipie for melafix uses melaleuca cajeput oil, which is a LOT stronger than melaleuca alternifolia. the latter is the one you will get from most chemists. places that deal with the cajeput oil will often sell it to you for a large sum of money - large enough to make the cost saving quotient go out the window. using alterfolia you need to mix about 15-20% oil to 85-80% water to get the same effect (instead of 1-5% to 99-95%), and then smells a LOT stronger, and is a lot harder to mix (because of the ratio) if you do get teatree oil from the chemist - go for the one in the bottle with POISON written on it - don't get it from the rack of 'essential oils'. it is sometimes kept behind the counter... use distilled water - i don't know what is in your water, but you probably don't want to be throwing extra stuff into the mix and getting a dead batch. to get them to mix you can use dishwashing liquid, which does not break down the oil, but emulsifys it into the water and holds it in suspension. try to use an organic dishwash, but beware that they usually biodegrade, leaving you with a layer of oil on the surface of your tank. the main problem with this approach is that it foams. commercially available emulsifiers also have this effect. if you are going to use dishwashing liquid, add one small scraping at a time, as the commercially prepared melafix uses about 0.2% emulsifier. same goes for the others, but they generally come in powder form, so you would be mixing a paste with the oil then adding it to the water. de-foaming agents - i have tried to find one that is readily available and not overly expensive - no luck. di-methyl-something-icone is apparently the most commonly used defoamer in NZ but the only way you can get it that i know of is in a anti-collic formula (infant burping lubricant ) and that stuff is also not the cheapest... and contains loads of other ... stuff. ps: i am in the process of writing a recipie that will be on this site and in one of the next aquarium worlds - and i am working with a chemist to get the mixture right and the ingredients readily available... and i am typing this from memory!!! so DO NOT quote me on the mixtures, ratios, statements, punctuation, or anything else! oh, and teatree oil makes plastic and rubber stick to themselves... when you are measuring it out use a glass pipette, not a plastic syringe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slappers Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 alot of trouble to go to just go and buy some Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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