Malichite green and formulin?

[lesleybird]

Hi, Terry B. or someone else.....If hypo cannot be peformed in a main tank with live rock and inverts, then the fish must be removed, so why not use some medication like malichite green with formulin combination or some other medication to treat ich if you have to remove the fish from the tank anyway? I think that hypo is an option for some, but it seems a lot more difficult than medication for the average person to get right. How about hypo with a medication also? Would that be more effective? Does hypo cause the cysts to burst from hypo osmolar shock like a fresh water dip? Or do the cysts adjust to the slow decrease in osmolarity done on fish? My LFS owner has a degree in biology and says that formulin and malichite green is the best treatment for ich that he has used in his 15 years in business. Any thoughts? Lesley

 

[lesleybird]

Hi, Also I would think that doing hypo would be very difficult in a hospital tank where one needed to do frequent 25 to 30 percent water changes every day or two to keep the hypo salinity levels correct. This is why I am in favor of medication instead. I think with medications measured correctly and doing frequent water changes the medication does not have as much chance of building up to toxic levels. With the Rid Ich + (formalin and malichite green combo), you are told to do daily dosing with 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons and to do a daily 25 percent water change before each new dose. I think the main problem is in having to keep all the fish out of the main tank for a month to make sure the ich does not return.....even though your fish are cured in the hospital tank in a week or two. In my opinion, I think that a tank left without fish for a month would also benifit from a reef safe medication like Kick Ich (I know the board watchers don't like this, but it does work in milder cased of ich) to help kill off the ich in the main tank while it is fish less.
Lesley

 

[beth]

Originally posted by Lesleybird
"Hi, Terry B. or someone else.....If hypo cannot be peformed in a main tank with live rock and inverts, then the fish must be removed, so why not use some medication like malichite green with formulin combination or some other medication to treat ich if you have to remove the fish from the tank anyway? "
Beth says: Malichite green and/or formalin are not effective treatments for ich. The only effective treatments for ich is hyposalinity and copper. Both are equaly effective. Since hyposalinity is not a medication it is the safest way to threat the fish. That is why we recommend it.
" I think that hypo is an option for some, but it seems a lot more difficult than medication for the average person to get right. "
Beth says: Being a marine hobbyists is not easy. It takes deadication, patience, a willingness to learn and always looking to improve your husbandry skills, and lots of money.
"How about hypo with a medication also? Would that be more effective? "
Hypo is perfectly effective on its own, and totally safe---unlike medications. You can use meds to treat dual disease processes. For instance, hypo for ich and an antibiotic to treat a secondary infection.
"My LFS owner has a degree in biology and says that formulin and malichite green is the best treatment for ich that he has used in his 15 years in business. Any thoughts? "
Beth says: The LFS is wrong. Formalin is commonly used by LFS onwers for a "cure all" for everything. However, the goal is keep the fish "cured" until YOU buy it and get it home. If the LFS guy knew so much, why are they always selling hobbyst diseased fish!???