Best Formalin practice during QT?

FishN00b83

New member
So I just bought Formalin MS and it will be here Friday. I was in the middle of TTM for a pair of clowns and I found one dead last night. It was eating, swimming and acting completely normal the day before. The clown was a little faded in color when I found it, but the other is still colored up good.

I have never used Formalin before but i would now like to incorporate it into my QT routine. Can I incorporate it into the TTM stages? Do I have to do it separately? What is the best way to do this? Should I be doing it on every new fish? I want to make sure that nothing gets into my DT.
 
Formalin baths are best. 45 min 1ml per gallon. I do it on arrival.


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Formalin baths are best. 45 min 1ml per gallon. I do it on arrival.


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You only do it once? I read a few different times that 4 baths are needed to get rid of Brook/Velvet. I was wondering if I can do it right before the end of each transfer of TTM? Say the 70th hour I pull the fish out with a gallon of water. Then add Prime/Formalin for a 45 min bath, then transfer the fish to a new tank. Would doing that in between each transfer work? Does that work with the timing of the Formalin baths?
 
Formalin is harsh I only do it once for 45 min in well aerated water.


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Formalin is harsh I only do it once for 45 min in well aerated water.


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From my little understanding on how Formalin works, I don't think one bath for 45 mins will do anything. I could be wrong, but the few threads I've read seem to do multiple baths. I was just wondering if the timing of TTM would work along side Formalin. Doing it on the say the 70th hour for 45 mins and then transferring them to a new tank. One of the threads says you need to do a bath on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 11th day. Can that be modified to 1,4,7,10,13 dosing the formalin in between transfers?
 
Link to threads?

Formalin is very harsh. I only do 1 bath before start of TTM.


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Ouch. That looks like a very harsh treatment. So we are doing what snorvich calls a dip. Even with the short exposure to it, I've lost fish doing it this way. Can't imagine putting fish through that much formalin.


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Ouch. That looks like a very harsh treatment. So we are doing what snorvich calls a dip. Even with the short exposure to it, I've lost fish doing it this way. Can't imagine putting fish through that much formalin.


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That's why I'm asking these questions before I start anything. I want to make sure that I do it the right way.
 
I also found this on Reef Sanctuary:

1. Make sure the pH and temperature of the QT water is in the preferred zone (see below)
2. 2/3 Fill treatment container with water from QT.
3. Check and adjust temperature to below 80F. Hold it steady. If temperature is too high, chill it a little, by sitting it on a bed of ice.
4. Put on gloves and safety glasses.
5. Measure 1 ml of Formalin for every gallon of bath water.
6. Mix-aerate with airstone for 2 hours before using the bath; and during the treatment
7. Check pH and be sure it is between 8.0 and 8.4
8. Dim the lights
9. Capture fish in bag, drain excess QT water from bag, and let fish slip into bath with airstone running. (BEST to put only 1 fish through this at a time because of the shortness of available oxygen. Don't treat multiple fishes at the same time. BUT you may treat one fish immediately after another in the same bath, providing bath is controlled as noted)
. Start timer
10. Monitor fish closely. If fish stresses, it may still be okay. If you fear fish is dying, then abandon the treatment.
11. Leave fish in bath for 45 minutes (i.e. treat for 45 minutes)
12. Capture fish under water in bag
13. Return to QT (make sure there is another airstone in QT running OR a corner sponge bio filter running by air and circulating the water in the QT.
14. Monitor fish
15. On the second day after treatment, repeat the process starting with 1. and using fresh/new treatment bath. This will be the second treatment.
16. On the second day after this second treatment, treat fish again, starting at 1.
17. Repeat pattern (treating every other day) until fish has had 5 such treatments (but no less than 3 total).
18. Hold fish in quarantine for no less than 4 more weeks for observation to verify treatment has been successful.
19. Dispose of all bath water (and any unused Formalin) properly. That is, take it to a proper disposal site and follow disposal requirements of your national and local government.
20. When fish is deemed cured, throw away airstone and tubing.
 
I have never lost a fish using Formalin. I give them a 50 min bath upon arrival and another one after TTM. I have seen hobbyist that have done a dip between every transfer of TTM. If done properly, IMO there is no ill effects.
 
You only do it once? I read a few different times that 4 baths are needed to get rid of Brook/Velvet. ...

This only applies if you are dealing with a full blown infection and fish showing clear symptoms of an infection.

For new fish one preventive bath is generally enough.

Velvet should preferably be treated with CP (exceptions are pipefish, seahorses and some wrasses for whom CP is toxic. Those need to be treated with copper.)
 
This only applies if you are dealing with a full blown infection and fish showing clear symptoms of an infection.



For new fish one preventive bath is generally enough.



Velvet should preferably be treated with CP (exceptions are pipefish, seahorses and some wrasses for whom CP is toxic. Those need to be treated with copper.)



If it takes 4 to eradicate brook when it's confirmed, what is the one dip accomplishing? To me it's just going to mask the parasite for longer. Am I missing something?


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The post above said to dispose of unused formalin. Can formalin not be held in it's bottle for multiple uses?

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The post above said to dispose of unused formalin. Can formalin not be held in it's bottle for multiple uses?

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I think they're talking about not poring old/expired formalin down the drain in some areas because it can get into the water. Formalin is really toxic and should be handled very carefully.
 
You can keep it if you have stabilized Formalin (done by the addition of Methanol - or just buy Formalin MS which is already stabilized).
 
Good to know. Do know what the shelf life is of Formalin MS?
As long as you keep the bottle closed and warm enough it should last forever.

Formalin should under no circumstances be stored cold like in a refrigerator or freezer. Should you notice any cloudiness or white fallout in the bottle the formalin solution has gone bad - dispose of it as this fallout is highly toxic.

Ideal storage condition is at room temperature out of direct sunlight.
 
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