Dose for scaleless fish

[Guest]

I have an anti-protozoan agent called "FORMALITE I" by Aquatronics. It's ingredients are formaldehyde 15%, malachite green, cooper sulfate. It says that "Do not use on malachite sensitive fish such as silver dollars, clown loaches, scaleless fish. I have an irridescent shark that I need to treat who is scaleless, so would it be okay just to give half dose?[/code]

 

[An t-iasg]

I did a google search on this med -- it says to use Formalite II or Formalite III for scaleless fish. http://aquariumpros.com/aquaprostore/prods/ATRT17H.shtml Did you just buy this med? Can you return it for the one of the other meds?

 

[Guest]

In the pet store they had Formalite I & Formalite III. On both of these it said the same thing about scaless fish, the only difference was that Formalite III colors your sealent and Formalite I doesn't so I picked that one. I would have picked Formalite II but they didn't have it. It says to add 10 drops per 10 gallons, I think if I only add 5 per 10 gallons I should be ok. What do you think?

 

[Menagerie]

Some meds work that way, you just have to use them longer, but I don't know about this one.
Do you have a QT tank that you wouldn't mind stained sealant?

 

[Guest]

Some meds work that way, you just have to use them longer, but I don't know about this one.
Do you have a QT tank that you wouldn't mind stained sealant?

Why? Formalin III contains the same ingredients.

 

[Menagerie]

Aquariumpros Formalite I[/url]]
A fresh and marine fish anti-protozoan agent. Prevents and controls external parasites on fish. Safe for all but scale less and silver-scaled fish. For these, use Formalite II or Formalite III (Shown on this page). Use 1 drop per gallon. Anti-protozoan agent that controls external parasites. Treats collapsed fin body shimmy, white body blotches, Ich, Oodinium and white spots. For use in fresh and saltwater aquariums. Do not use with invertebrates. Contains: formaldehyde, malachite green, and copper sulfate.

Aquariumpros Formalite III[/url]]
A colorless fresh and marine fish anti-protozoan agent. Prevents and controls external parasites on fish. Safe for all fish. Use 1 drop per gallon. Anti-protozoan agent that controls external parasites. Treats collapsed fin body shimmy, white body blotches, Ich, Oodinium and white spots. For use in fresh and saltwater aquariums. Do not use with invertebrates. Contains: formaldehyde, copper and nickel sulfate.

According to the website with this product info, the ingredients are NOT the same. You should use the Formalite III in a QT tank/QT container to prevent your main tank from staining; although it looks like Formalite I would stain due to the malachite green.

An aside: Please read the information provided in the answers to your questions, so others do not have to repeat it. The best fish keepers are the ones that can find answers and use the guidance given here on Aquarium Advice. Now get to the store, get the propper meds and help your ill shark

 

[Guest]

Aquariumpros Formalite I[/url]]
A fresh and marine fish anti-protozoan agent. Prevents and controls external parasites on fish. Safe for all but scale less and silver-scaled fish. For these, use Formalite II or Formalite III (Shown on this page). Use 1 drop per gallon. Anti-protozoan agent that controls external parasites. Treats collapsed fin body shimmy, white body blotches, Ich, Oodinium and white spots. For use in fresh and saltwater aquariums. Do not use with invertebrates. Contains: formaldehyde, malachite green, and copper sulfate.

Aquariumpros Formalite III[/url]]
A colorless fresh and marine fish anti-protozoan agent. Prevents and controls external parasites on fish. Safe for all fish. Use 1 drop per gallon. Anti-protozoan agent that controls external parasites. Treats collapsed fin body shimmy, white body blotches, Ich, Oodinium and white spots. For use in fresh and saltwater aquariums. Do not use with invertebrates. Contains: formaldehyde, copper and nickel sulfate.

According to the website with this product info, the ingredients are NOT the same. You should use the Formalite III in a QT tank/QT container to prevent your main tank from staining; although it looks like Formalite I would stain due to the malachite green.

An aside: Please read the information provided in the answers to your questions, so others do not have to repeat it. The best fish keepers are the ones that can find answers and use the guidance given here on Aquarium Advice. Now get to the store, get the propper meds and help your ill shark

Look I was at the store, I was holding both products in my hands and BOTH (formalite I & III) had the SAME warning on both products. They BOTH had written on them "DO NOT USE ON MALACHITE SENSITIVE FISH "I am pretty sure I wasn't dreaming the whole thing. Both products were refering to get "FORMALITE II" for scaleless fish which the store didn't have. I read on the net that FORMALITE II has the same ingredients except no malchite green. "FORMALITE III" DOES contain malchite green. That is the only store that I know that sells aquatronics products & won't be selling them any longer since aquatronics has gone bankrupt. So my point would be BOTH products contain malchite green and they do have the same ingredients expect Formalite III has an extra ingredient. And look what I found here: http://www.angelsplus.com/g/mqpar2.htm

Different places on the internet tell different things but I read at the back of the actual product. So if malchite green is toxic to fish like clown loaches even in the smallest doses then I will not use the product.

 

[Menagerie]

So if malchite green is toxic to fish like clown loaches even in the smallest doses then I will not use the product.

That you will have to look up for yourself.

 

[TankGirl]

Okay, lets back way up, and fsh could you post what illness you are treating? There may be another way.

 

[Guest]

I am treating for Chilodonella. It is similar to ick. I am currently using Aquari-Sol which has copper sulfate as the main ingredient but don't know if it is helping. I read that RidIck allready uses half strength than most malchite/formalin products. But if I use Formalite I at half dose, won't it be the same strength as RidIck?

 

[TankGirl]

Wow, what an unusual disease! I understand that the parasite tolerates cold more so than ich, but what I am wondering is if you could use the heat treatment and not dose anything. I have used Rid-Ich for scaleless fish before, the regular dose, and had no problems that I am aware of. I do not have experience with Formalite so I can't tell you, but nowadays I just use heat to treat parasites (86+F). Does this help?

 

[Guest]

At least that's what I think he has. He shakes his gills sometimes. I once saw him open up his gills & shake his gills. They were very dark. So from the dark gills I assumed it is Chilodonella. I raised the temp to 82F. Did you have success with just heat and salt without any medication? How much salt do you use per gallon?

 

[TankGirl]

I am more suspicious of a bacterial gill disease, which would require antibiotics, unless you can see actual parasites. Consider Kanacyn treatment. Is the fish eating?

 

[Guest]

I once used Kenacyn, it didn't work for me and they are all sold out at my fish store. I have anti-bacterial anti-fungal antibiotic called Neosulfex. The fish is eating.


So to my previous question:
Did you have success with just heat and salt without any medication? for something like ick? How much salt do you use per gallon?

I probably won't be using any salt since the shark is said to be sensitive for it but I want to know for future reference.

 

[Guest]

Another reason I thought it was Chilodonella is because the fish was kept in colder temps.

 

[TankGirl]

Yes, I have had great success with ich using only heat, and I have had success with it using heat and salt. I would use 1 tablespoon/10 gallons of water. I have treated ich in a very heavily planted tank with shrimp and whatnot that I did not want to use meds, and had great luck with sustained high temps - took about a week or 10 days (though the ich was no longer visible after 4-5 days, as I recall).

 

[An t-iasg]

But if I use Formalite I at half dose, won't it be the same strength as RidIck?

Here's what the Rid Ich + label says. On the front of the bottle, it says "Formalin, 11.52%; Malachite Green, 0.038%." On the back it says "Add 1 tsp. of Rid Ich+ for every 10 gallons of water to be treated. The treatment produces .05 mg/L malachite green and 15 mg/L formalin."

Although I agree with TankGirl about the heat treatment, maybe you can compare your Formalite label with the above information to see if the Formalite I, at half dose, is about the same strength as the Rid Ich +. Is your shark getting better?

 

[TankGirl]

Yes, I do believe if you use Formalite half dose it is the same as Rid-Ich full dose.

 

[Guest]

At the back of Formalite I it says "Formaldehyde 15%, Malchite Green & Cooper Sulfate" That's all it says. Does anyone know a good place online where to buy Hex-A-Mit?

 

[An t-iasg]

Here's a link: http://qualitypetcenter.com/pets2/Aquatronics-Hex-A-Mit-Colorless-Antibiotic-Capsules-105821.htm

How is the shark doing now? Have you been treating with heat or the Formalite? Hex-a-mit is used when the internal parasites are suspected -- the fish isn't eating, he's listless, or has white stringy waste. Does this apply to your fish? Has he stopped eating?