Treatment for new fish

[HappyWildlifer]

Hi!

I am currently working as a lab tech in the wet lab of NMSU Fishery and Wildlife Sciences Department and recently received my Bachelor of Science in Fishery and Wildlife Sciences. We know quite a bit about game and wild fish, but are still learning about aquarium fish...

We have treated new aquarium fish in a low concentration formalin solution, which most of the fish endured but most scaleless fishes did not survive. So we opted for a low salt concentration as a treatment this time, but one Elephantnose and a Ropefish died. We don't trust the regular ick treatment available in stores and we have made bad experience with ick. Last year we lost many of our fish due to ick, which was brought in by new fish, even though we quarantined them for three weeks.

You see, we are learning the hard way!

I was wondering how other aquarists treat their new fish, before the new fish are placed in the main tanks. I am grateful for any recommendations and I am very willing to learn! THANKS!!!

 

[Chrismac]

Have you ever heard of Melafix?

"MelaFix is an all-natural medication derived from the leaves of "Melaleuca," the scientific name for a species of the tea tree. The healing properties of tea tree extract have been known for centuries."
You can get this at Walmart - the lfs.
I don't think it treats ick but is Very good I use it even when there is no infections etc.

You can Also use Aquari-sol its says it prevents ick and fins, fungus etc, but it does contain Zycosin.
Hope that helps a bit????
Chris.

 

[Bearfan]

If I have a scaled fish with Ich, I use the traditional Malachite Green Formalin in a separate quarantine tank with the carbon removed from the filter, while raising the temp to 80 slowly.

If I have a scaless fish with Ich, I put them in a quarantine tank, add Dr. Wellfish aquarium salt at half the reccomended dosage, and up the temp slowly to about 80-82 degrees. I keep it there for about three weeks, then slowly lower the temp back to my normal 78.

These have seemed to work fairly well for me.

 

[aimeovaldi]

In many cases a salt water dip will help. I had a pair of juvenile oscars with ich and did a 10 minute saltwater dip (saltwater at 1.025 salinity) slightly warmer than tank water (in my case... about 82 degrees F as I keep my tank at 80 degrees F normally) after the saltwater dip I treated with aquarisol for about 7 days and all traces of ick were gone, I treated them with a saltwater dip every 3 days while treating them also. If you keep your water around 80 degrees F an outbreak of ick will be considerably lessened.