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Will Pimafix harm beneficial bacteria?

The API Pimafix is a treatment product that will help with fish that have been infected with fungal diseases such as body fungus body reddening, cotton fin, cotton mount and fin reddening. So, will this treatment harm the beneficial bacteria in your fish tank?

You can find out from this guide at Aquarium Blueprints.

Quick Summary

The API Pimafix contains a formula that is antifungal. Therefore, it should not harm the beneficial bacteria in your biological filtration that will keep your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels at safe concentrations.

If you did notice spikes in ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, then it is most likely not related to Pimafix. With that said, you can use a combination of Seachem Prime and Seachem Stability to make your tank water safe for your fish as will as quickly strengthen the biological filtration in your aquarium.

What is API Pimafix?

The API Pimafix is a natural antifungal treatment that will help your fish fight off fungal infections. This product is formulated from Pimenta Racemosa, also known as the West Indian Bay Tree.

Will Pimafix kill the beneficial bacteria in your fish tank?

Because Pimafix is antifungal, it should have no negative effects on bacteria living inside your aquarium, including the beneficial colonies that consume ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.

For the uninformed, your fish will create organic wastes in your aquarium. These wastes will turn into ammonia, starting the nitrogen process. Eventually, ammonia will be converted to nitrite and then nitrite will be converted to nitrate.

You will need plenty of beneficial bacteria to keep ammonia and nitrite levels to safe levels, which should be 0 ppm if you are using a test kit. For nitrates, we recommend keeping its levels to 40 ppm or even lower, at less than 20 ppm, if you have sensitive fish.

As long as you follow the official directions, then Pimafix won’t disrupt your biological filtration.

What to do if you notice spikes in ammonia, nitrites and nitrates when using Pimafix

If you do notice spikes in ammonia, nitrites and/or nitrates when using Pimafix, then it is most likely unrelated to using this treatment.

For instance, if you are adding water back into your fish tank during a water change, then you may have forgot to add a dechlorinator to get rid of the chlorine and chloramine, both of which will harm the beneficial bacteria in your tank.

Other possibilities of your tank water quality getting worse may be related to a dead fish or overfeeding.

If you find spikes in ammonia, nitrites and/or nitrates when testing your tank water, then we recommend using a product like Seachem Prime to quickly detoxify these nitrogen compounds for up to 48 hours.

For a longer-term solution, you can also use Seachem Stability to instantly add more live beneficial bacteria.