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Dosage of Formalin/Malachite Green for Ich


AndrewP

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Got some white spot on two black Orandas. It's been ten years or more since I have even used a medication. I have a medication that has 37mg/ml Formalin and 0.32mg/ml Malachite Green. I have only fancy goldfish In the tank and intend to use the recommended dose of 1ml/40L. The bottle however does not tell me how to administer over what time frame. I was thinking daily or every second day with a 80% water change before each new dose (my fancies like these big changes and are used to it). Can some one who actual knows give me an idea. I have googled but found this more confusing than helpful.

Thanks AndrewP

Ps I know this is likely an extremely well discussed topic however as I only have an iPhone I am finding searching/surfing problematic.

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Its a life cycle thing ich and needs to be teated correctly for your specific breed of fish.

There is a good site here http://www.ehow.com/how_5842686_use-ick-treatment-goldfish.html

I wouldn't do a 80% water change specially if they are sick. Just do as the guide says and it should handle all the life cycles.

P.S. Do you use prime on a water change like that ? You need to make sure your water conditioner handles the ammonia, there will be a lot of ammonia created from declorinating that much water.

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Ok cool,

The recommendation of not doing a 80% water change was not based on some hate of big water changes BTW

Changing that much water will lower the water temp too much, you goal to start with is raising the temp.

EDIT - I should note by free swimming phase they mean you will see little white dots floating all around your tank. You have to look closely sometimes.

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Just did my big change and it has not moved, maybe only a degree less. I have been using malachite green/acriflavin over the last week and wanted to removed most of that too. Summer is so much easier than winter for big changes. Can just imagine blowing the life cycle of the ich out to a fortnight in winter. My fancies have a heater though set at 20 c. Lol my goldfish tank has two canister filters, heater and bi weekly water changes. I care for them as much as I have any rare or expensive cichlids lol I swore I would never touch goldfish lol now I am addicted to them as well :)

Ps except not having used a quarantine tank. ;)

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TO SOLVE ITCH ONCE AND FOR ALL JUST USE TABLE SALT & WATER TEMP! PASS THIS INFO ON! :)

I have worked for years without knowing this, saved coutless fish since I gained the knowledge, just go to local foodoutlet and buy a big bag of table salt, then throw it in gradually. As for how much ect.... don't really know but fish can take alot more salt then we give them cred for. I must of used atleast 1kg of salt in my 6ft fresh water cichlid tank with raised temp killed whitespot off in around 2 weeks.

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Yeah I have used salt dips in the way past with success. Making a bucket with an airdrome and sea water strength mix. Also same with formalin dips. I have salt in the water all ready :) I need a quicker cure though as one black Oranda is not happy and the whole tank needs treatment as well so going with the formalin malachite green combo which is well known and quick

Air stone not drome

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If you do keep the tank with a level of salt in it all the time .. adding more salt won't help with ich.

To effect a cure for the black Oranda you need to get the ich off of him and free swimming in the water.

I would raise the water temp even higher. Raise it as high as you think your fish can handle I would suggest taking it to 27 or 28 degrees for a short time. (you need to get those ich freeswimming so they will die)

And increase Airation in the tank (this will let your infected fish breath easier). As the temp rises the fish will find it harder to breath, the infected fish will prob have ich on there gills also making it even harder.

Good way to increase airation if you do not have a spare airator is to let the water fall into your tank from the filter. Or if you have a powerhead, shove a air tube open in the outside ait up there and it will draw in the air.

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If you do keep the tank with a level of salt in it all the time .. adding more salt won't help with ich.

You can't keep the level of salt or temp that high for long periods of time in a fresh water cichlid tank, so I am sure its not at high enough levels yet. I will never use malachite green.. its awful stuff.

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This isn't a cichlid thou, the levels of salt needed to cure ich is not a suitable cure for goldfish.

malachite green like all medications are not good, but if used correctly they can be effective cures for some types of fish.

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Ich die when the temp rises above 30. Below this and it won't kill them all. I'll look up the required temp later. Gold fish can handle these temps as they live in ponds in tropical areas eg Bali and Darwin during the hot wet season. Just edge up the temps gradually.

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It has been found that Ich does not infect new fish at 29.4°C/85°F (Johnson, 1976), stops reproducing at 30°C/86°F (Dr. Nick St. Erne, DVM, pers. comm.), and dies at 32°C/89.5°F (Meyer, 1984), [1]

this is off this page http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_ich2.php

and this is all i did last time i got rid of ich, although be sure to increase water oxygenation because oxy dissipates out of water quicker at higher temps

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Yeah, I didn't wanna recommend this thou because of the obvious risks. Thats why I said raise temp as high as you feel comfortable. I don't want anyone angry at me because there fish died.

If it was me thou I would raise the temp like the others suggested monitoring closely as I did so. I got a 240volt heavy duty air pump for cases just like this thou.

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