Preventitive Dips ?????

[BigNEMO]

Has anyone ever used them? Reading Robert Fenner's book " The Conscientious Marine Aquarist", he says to use Formaldehyde or Methylene Blue. He even states to use them on some Inverts???

Just wondering if anyone has used this practice and how has it worked.

Thanks

 

[biotoxin]

I havent used them so far but its a good habit to get into. You never know what kinda stuff is in your lfs's tanks or in the tanks of people you trade with. Better safe than sorry is my motto

 

[steve-s]

If you properly QT the animals prior to introducing them to the display tank, you will not need to use this method. It is rather outdated and unless performed properly, can also kill an otherwise healthy fish. When in a QT environment, the fish can be properly monitored for problems and treated if neccessary...

Cheers
Steve

 

[BigNEMO]

I have been QT'ing my fish since I joined this Forum. I learned my lesson with a few Blue Tangs that died... RIP. But I was just wondering if anyone on the Forum has used the Dips. I like to read a lot and have found a few good books that talk about Dips. They do mention even after dipping to QT.

Thanks for the Replys!

 

[loganj]

I don't use them with fish. I do use Kent Tech D on corals when they come in though.

 

[Sam]

FWIW, I currently have a three month old system and use a QT (10G). I have done my research and reading and my personal opinion is that it is better to be safe than sorry as far as dips go. That said, it seem to be common practice for large aquariums to dip their livestock before adding to a display tank. This is a practice I have followed since I started adding my livestock. I use methylene blue (stains like the devil though) , which is an oxidising agent which actually helps getting oxygen the the fish. I have a set of tools and buckets that I have and use only for the QT. I make up about 1 - 1 1/2 Gallons of RO water, which I bring up to temperature. For this I use a small submersible heater and in addition I add an airstone to keep circulation going. I also float a small glass thermometer just to make sure that I am staying to temp. After acclimating the fish, I pour it into a breeding container. This has slots so that the water runs out and I can move the fish without a net and without the shipping water. The fish is then immersed in the freshwater mix for about 2 minutes. I manually move the container up and down to keep circulation brisk. After that, I drain out the water and transfer the fish to the QT. So far in my display tank I have 4 yellow tailed damsels, and a Naso Literatus that have all gone through this procedure. This past weekend I just added 3 Banggai and a Royal Gramma to the QT.

Methylene is the gentlest medication to use for this as it is harmless to smooth skin fish as well. Just be aware that once you make up the dip, you cannot see through it, as it is a very deep blue. That is another reason to use a container to immerse in the dip.

Anyway to make a long story short, I have used it successfully so far and I plan to continue to do so. I figure that anything I can do to lessen the chance of introducing some pathogen into my display tank is a step worth taking. HTH 8)

 

[Biggen]

I thought Methylene Blue was mainly used to treat blood problems that result in poor oxygen transportation. Would this have any effect on parasitic or bacteria type disease?

 

[Sam]

Yes actually I think Methylene is a hidden gem. I stay far away from some of the more aggressive dip solutions out there like formalin 3 etc. I think that causes more stress for the fish and would not use it unless I was trying to treat a specific illness in my QT. Methylene blue in addition to handling all parasites, is used to treat the effects of cyanide poisoning. One added benefit is that because it is so dark, it comforts the fish during the dip/bath process as well. Here is a little blurb about the medication:

METHYLENE BLUE is effective for the control of superficial fungal and bacterial infections of freshwater and marine fishes. As a secondary use, it is effective against various external protozoans, including ichthyophthirius, Chilodonella, Ichthyobodo (Costia) and Epistylis. METHYLENE BLUE is also useful for the treatment of known nitrite and/or cyanide poisoning of aquarium fishes. This drug aids in the transport of oxygen and converts abnormal methemoglobin back to normal oxygen carrying component, hemoglobin

So this treatment in addition to the use of the freshwater, represents what I think is a good preventive measure against any external diseases and as I mentioned before, it is impossible to overdose and it is gentle to all types of fish (especially important for sensitive fish types). HOpr this was useful 8)

 

[BigNEMO]

Wow! I read all this too and am amazed at how many people don't use this treatment. I am going to try it on my next fish I buy and QT.

Thanks for the input. I hope more people try this. If it saves the main tank from getting diseases as well as the new fish it is well worth it.

 

[Sam]

Anytime. sharing information is what this board is all about. I know I have gained a tremendous amount of information and knowledge from all of the pros here. Good luck with your set up. 8)