Clout medicine by Aquarium Products

Question
I have a bottle of Clout on hand as a medicine for bloat or hexamita.  What are these ingredients?  It only lists the chemical names of the ingredients and I want the common name.  Are these ingredients commonly used for fish health?

Answer
Hi David
You know, I've never used Clout, and I can't recall ever seeing it at the stores either (maybe because I wasn't looking for it?).  I've recently read it's used for flukes.  That's about the extent of my knowledge on it.  So, I pulled a site up with the ingredients, thinking it would be the typical malchite green etc.  and no it's not is it? lol.  Here's the ingredient list I found:

Ingredients: 4-[p-(dimethylamino)-)O-Phenylbenzylidene]-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-xylidene dimethylammonium chloride; dimethyl (2,2,2-trichloro-1-hydroxy-ehtel) phosphonate; 1,2-dimmethyl-5 nitromidazole and inert ingredients as non toxic binders.

The only one I recognize off hand is the nitromidazole, it's an antibacterial/antiprotozoan most likely for the hexamita.  Usually it's recommended to use metronidazole for hexamita.  I'm guessing that nitromidazole is in the family of metronidazole.  Metronidazole will treat hexamita, and bloat, salt water ich, and chilodonella.  

The dimethyl phosphonate, I believe the common name is trichlorfon-that's the ingredient that kills off all the parasites ie: anchor worms, leeches, flukes, etc.  (Not good for sensitive/scaleless fish.)

I think the dimethylamino is malachite green, but not for sure on that.  That would be for fungal or parasitic infections.  

Sorry, but that's all I could figure out on those.  Definitely wasn't a chemistry person in school lol.  I'd suggest, looking for a chemistry topic here on all experts, and posting it there.  Because honestly, I dont' have a clue how to decipher those numbers and dashes and such.

My opinion, that's some pretty harsh stuff they have in that.  If you're going to treat for hexamita, that's usually a secondary infection to Hole in the Head disease.  The metronidazole should work good on that.  If you're treating for dropsy/bloat, the best thing would be an epsom salt bath, water changes, and a bacterial food, but it's usually fatal.  There's several possible causes of it though, but usually it's poor water conditions.  I'd only use the clout if you're actually going to treat for a parasitic infection, just because it seems so strong, and from what I've read, works really good.

Hope that helps!!

Christy