Possibly. There are many situations where it is necessary to change medication. Sometimes you are treating an infection that is very medication resistant and requires a more powerful treatment, other times the medication you were using was simply the wrong kind to treat the infection. However, there are a few things that MUST be true before making this kind of swap.
- You have given your original medication enough time to work. The visible symptoms of an infection will sometimes take time to improve once the infection has cleared. It is very bad for your fish and for long-term treatment effectiveness to stop an antibiotic treatment part way through, as this makes the bacteria more resistant to the original antibiotic and stresses the fish with no real benefit. Don't swap medications just because your current treatment did not cure the fish in a single day.
- You are certain that you are treating an external bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infection. Sometimes, a medication will fail to work because you are not actually treating an external infection infection. Some internal parasitic infections like hexamita will look surprisingly similar to external bacterial lesions (degradation of tissue, fin degradation, etc.), and some viral infections like lymphocystis will show symptoms similar to parasitic infections like ich (white cysts, irritation and flashing, etc.). Research your fish's symptoms thoroughly to ensure that you are choosing the right kind of medication.
- Your fish and other aquarium inhabitants will tolerate the method of dosing you have chosen. Medications like PolyGuard™ cannot be added to a fish food - they must be used in the water. This means that PolyGuard™ is not suitable for use on aquariums that contain plants, invertebrates, mushrooms, or corals.
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