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ntropics
10/23/2016, 10:09 PM
I am going to be receiving a trio of Lemon butterfly fish Tuesday for my 180. I will be QT'ing in my 30. I read about doing a fresh water dip with methylene blue added. Does this have to be with freshwater, or can I do it with saltwater? Would a concurrent dip with prazi-pro be a good idea?

I know there are those who dip and those who do not, but assuming that I am going to dip, I am wondering if methylene blue without the freshwater component is very effective.

Thanks
Bruce

amps
10/24/2016, 08:09 AM
I did my fish in a saltwater bath mixed with Hikari Ich-X (Formalin and Malachite Green) at 10ml per gallon for 30mins. Heavily aerated with a air stone and powerful pump.

I don't know if adding Prazipro will do much that a medicated dip wouldn't already. There wouldn't be a lot of time for the prazi to get inside the fish to properly treat internal parasites and externals will already be killed by the Ich-X. Might also add to the stress of the fish.

When I'm done dipping, the fish go into a QT with no meds for 3 days (to get them eating and settled). After that they get a 21 day Chloroquine treatment. If they show any signs of parasites during treatment, I add API General Cure (safe version of Prazi that doesn't interact with the CP). Otherwise, the day after my CP treatment ends, I do two rounds of Prazipro.

Best of luck!

BlackTip
10/24/2016, 08:17 AM
Almost all of the fishes that I have received from LA come very stressed, and some of them don't make it overnight. I don't know how you guys put the fishes through a very stressful dipping procedure successfully.
Do you buy them locally?

Dmorty217
10/24/2016, 09:02 AM
Dip fish in freshwater or formalin before introducing them to the QT

amps
10/24/2016, 10:42 AM
I get mine from local shops, not many places to order online in Canada. I also don't like the idea of not seeing the fish before receiving it.

ThRoewer
10/24/2016, 11:17 AM
I do a formalin bath with all new fish before they go into the QT.
If you do TTM with all new fish and you feel they are too stressed right after shipping, you could delay the formalin bath to the time of the first tank transfer.

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snorvich
10/24/2016, 11:44 AM
I do a formalin bath with all new fish before they go into the QT.
If you do TTM with all new fish and you feel they are too stressed right after shipping, you could delay the formalin bath to the time of the first tank transfer.

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This. At the end of the first TTM use formalin.

nereefpat
10/24/2016, 11:58 AM
What is the reason for the dip, if already doing ttm for ich and velvet, and deworming with prazi?

Dmorty217
10/24/2016, 12:22 PM
What is the reason for the dip, if already doing ttm for ich and velvet, and deworming with prazi?

Brook and velvet... TTM does nothing for velvet and brook

CindyK
10/24/2016, 12:37 PM
What do you all think of doing the formalin dip just before transfer into the DT?

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sde1500
10/24/2016, 12:47 PM
I haven't dipped ever with Formalin, but have used ParaGard. I wouldn't right before adding to DT, only to give you time to observe afterwards still.

spscrackhead
10/24/2016, 03:19 PM
formalin dip with everything before it touches the tank. I had a bout with uronema once... not again. If you TTM then I can see doing that and dipping after each round and sterilizing the tank.

ntropics
10/31/2016, 08:45 PM
Can't get pure Formalin any longer, but can get the Ich-X. (Strange, when you think about it.) My LFS suggested that this was too strong for the lemon butterfly. It's so confusing. So how effective is a Freshwater Methylene Blue dip compared to Ich-X, since those are my only current options.

Thanks for all the responses so far.

Bruce

DasCamel
10/31/2016, 08:53 PM
Well you can get pure formalin, just not easily. Kind of risky too.

scooter31707
11/01/2016, 08:00 AM
Formalin is simple to use and is nowhere near hard to use on fish, if used correctly. You don't need pure Formalin, I believe it's 37%. The link below is what the majority of hobbyist use.

https://www.petsolutions.com/C/External-Parasite-Ich-Fish-Medications/I/Formalin-MS.aspx

ThRoewer
11/01/2016, 01:02 PM
What is the reason for the dip, if already doing ttm for ich and velvet, and deworming with prazi?
TTM works ONLY against ich, and nothing else!

Formalin is used against simple protozoan skin and gill parasites like Brooklynella, Trichodina and the like. Those have no off fish cyst stage but rather divide directly an jump from one fish to another, so TTM won't work with them. Many of these are also unaffected by copper.

Another thing formalin kills off is Uronema, as long as it has not invaded the body through wounds.

Formalin may also cause velvet to drop off the fish, but it won't kill it quickly enough.
Also, to get most velvet off a fish you would have to leave it in the bath for at least 3h. And even after that there is no guarantee that all velvet has left the fish, so you would have to repeat it a couple of times which is likely too stressful for most fish. CP is the weapon of choice against velvet.

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