Why Preppers Store Fish Antibiotics

Prepper fish antibiotics are a popular topic in the emergency preparedness community. It’s a growing trend for preppers to add fish antibiotics to their emergency supplies, but why fish antibiotics? In this article, you will learn why specifically fish antibiotics (not just any animal antibiotic) are considered when stocking up on household first aid supplies. You’ll also see illustrated images on why preppers believe fish antibiotics are safe for human consumption and how you can get prescription-strength antibiotics for your emergency kit.

 I am NOT a medical professional! The following article includes ideas that come from personal research to satisfy my own needs. Please do your own research! See full disclaimer by clicking here.

Prepper Fish Antibiotics

There are several diseases that aquarium fish can get; a common one is Fin Rot. An antibiotic like Amoxicillin is then recommended to be added to the water of the aquarium, where the fish will absorb the antibiotic, and then it has a chance to fight off the diseases. Fish antibiotics do not require a prescription. The reason preppers think it’s safe to take them is because of the markings labeled on each pill (see the above photo). The FDA requires that all medications have what they refer to as an imprint code. An imprint code located on medicine will identify the medication and the dosage, so if the pills are NOT stored in a pharmacy pill bottle with a label, they can be identified. I’ve bought a couple of brands of fish antibiotics, and these pills match their prescription counterparts exactly. For example, I had a prescription for Ciprofloxacin, so I purchased Fish Flox Forte the pills look the same and have the same imprint code (the same ingredient and the same dosage).

My husband and I have both used fish antibiotics. Only when we knew what was wrong with us and remembered what the doctor had previously prescribed. Each time they worked just the same as the prescribed antibiotic. One year, I had what felt like a bad chest cold that I couldn’t get over, so I visited the doctor. Turns out I had bronchitis, and my doctor prescribed antibiotics. A week later, I was all better. In 2014 the doctor visit cost $110, the amoxicillin antibiotic was $15 with insurance, so the total cost was $125! A year later, I got the same symptoms at the start of the new year, so I used my stash of Fish Mox Forte 500 mg ($30). A week later, I was all better.

    Antibiotics for Preppers

Are fish antibiotics safe for human consumption?

Most animal antibiotics are NOT meant for human consumption. However, Thomas Labs and some other fish antibiotics supplies use the “same USP grade antibiotics produced by pharmaceutical companies that also produce antibiotics for human use. Every capsule or tablet is labeled, imprinted, and often color-coded with a special code that can be used to identify the strength and type of the antibiotic”. Please note that Fish Antibiotic Bottles have warning labels on them: “Not for human consumption”.  This is for legal and medical reasons. There are important factors that play a role in why antibiotics are restricted to those who have a prescription from a doctor. Misdiagnosis and taking antibiotics when they are not needed or taking the wrong antibiotics can lead to additional health problems. Also, taking antibiotics too often can make them less effective in helping your body fight off illness in the future.

How long can I store them?  The expiration on the bottles I purchased was a little over one year away.  Liquid antibiotics should NEVER be consumed beyond their expiration date! However, a 88% majority of (non-liquid) pill-form medications can effectively last 1 to 5 years after the expiration date, according to a study done by the DOD and FDA. That being said, severe reactions that may result from expired antibiotics can become toxic and may cause damage to the kidneys. Severe reactions are limited to certain antibiotics, so for every type of antibiotic you stock, do research on it!

Which antibiotics should I get?  If you have an empty pharmacy bottle that has dosage instructions, I would start there. Whichever antibiotics you decide on, make sure to print out dosage instructions, what it treats, and warnings before taking. You can find this information online at www.drugs.com. In the book, “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” (which is about the economic collapse of Argentina), the author suggests having Amoxicillin 250mg & 500mg. Consider getting more than one kind. That way, if you find you’re allergic to one, you have another option available.

Amoxicillin: treats bacterial infections such as bronchitis, pneumonia, tonsillitis, and more. Potentially safe for pregnant women and older children.

Ciprofloxacin: also treats respiratory infections, plus urinary tract infections, bacterial diarrhea, and more. NOT safe for pregnant women and children.

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Where can I get fish antibiotics for my emergency kit?  Some pet stores carry fish antibiotics. They didn’t at the one Pet Store Chain I tried, so did an internet search, “Fish Antibiotics,” and bought some online.

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**Update 2023: A company called Jase Medical offers a doctor-prescribed antibiotic pack to travelers, preppers, or anyone interested in having on hand 5 Life-Saving Antibiotics. Check out the review here.**

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Remember to rotate, research, and LOCK-UP any medications you keep at home.

{Note:  Buying animal antibiotics may not always be available. Since this article was written, some suppliers can no longer be found online. The websites were:  aquaticpharmacy.com, aquaticbiotics.net, and campingsurvival.com. Amazon has also stopped selling them.}  

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