Formaldehyde or Formalin-3 (Kordon)

[mokmu]

I would just like to know how to use this product as a dip. Is it effective? I have a problem, you see. My chubby pl*c has small white spots at what appears to be ich. The fish is newly acquired and has yet to be acclimitized to my tanks. It is now in quarantine but the ich has not diminished. I have never been successful in treating this disease. I would like to try giving them a bath/dip. How does one go about giving them this using the said product? Again, is this effective? Appreciate any help. Thanks.

Regards,
Mike D.

 

[wetmanNY]

Formalin is a 37% solution of formaldehyde, which is too toxic and carcinogenic to handle undiluted (except by pro chemists and biologists). So you'll be using formalin, if you use this. When you say "dip" instead of "bath" that suggests you plan quite a strong solution. Not a good idea, on the whole.

Are any of the Ich treatments at www.skepticalaquarist.com useful? or the links there?

Which is the treatment aspect you have ignored in the past?

 

[beviking]

I can't figure out why someone would pay 6$ for a bottle of diluted formalin (it's 3% in Formalin-3 right?) instead of paying 6$ for 37% stuff. One you use a teaspoon per gallon, the other, a drop. As wetman stated, the latter is pretty potent so extra care handling it is required.
The problem is that there ich in the tank, not just on the pleco. Dipping the fish will not help you.
Formalin and salt is what I use to treat ich (in a quarantine tank w/o plants). 25ppm of formalin and 1tsp salt/gal, increased temp (82-85 F), for 7-10 days, doing 50% water changes every day.
Again, you should assume that any tank the pleco was in has ich. More importantly, you should check out wetmans' site! Good luck!!

 

[fricksjr]

If the fish has "Ich", a bath dip will NOT do any good. You can only kill Ich in one stage of it's life - free swimming baby ich's. Because of this, you have to treat for at least 14 days, long enough for the complete ich life cycle. (life cycle is temperature dependent - not enough time to explain here).
Bath dip is for parasites that don't have a complex life cycle like Ich.

 

[wataugachicken]

lol, 'baby ichs". completely incorrect terminology, but i love it. "baby ichs" from here on out! : )

 

[echoofformless]

Kordon's Rid-Ich is the only brand I will use. It has been proven to me as safe for all types of fish, and actually effective. I wouldn't ever use salt in a freshwater tank under any circumstances.

Slowly raise your tank temp to 86 degrees. Treat with Rid-Ich for two weeks. Follow the directions that say to do a 25% water change before each treatment.

At the end of the two weeks, slowly lower the temperature back to normal, change 25% of the water. Then wait a day or two and change another 25%. Then another until you have done 100%.

All should be well by then. And from then on, try to QT any new fish for two weeks before adding them to your main tank.

 

[TKOS]

As the post was 3 years old I suspect the ich is probably gone now.