Hydrogen Peroxide - snake oil or miracle cure

[AQD_ottawa]

A question to our educated panel of experts on fish health

I just wanted to bring across here a debate from our local FB club about the use of Peroxide to treat Ich.

One member has reported that they have had a pretty much back from the brink cure experiencing from dosing 10ml every 3 days of Peroxide into their tank per 100g. Here is the main quote with photos

Ick treated with Hydrogen Peroxyd in the main tank!!!! No effects on the corals...Here are my tangs the one that were the most infected ... especially one, the thinner one - she was all white 2 week ago ...she eat now but still crossing my fingers for that one....

Before

Reported after

No fish losses reported and no corals effected including all inverts safe. Fish healthy and no sign of repeat disease.

My question is -
Is this a lucky escape by attempting a very unproven method or do you think this actually could be the cure we all have been waiting for?

 

[ironwill723]

Isn't this in affect the same theory as running high levels of ozone? Oxidizing the water? I'm a huge fan of using ozone for combating ich outbreaks so this sounds promising as well.

 

[Mrscribbled]

IME if the treatment does not kill coral and inverts then its not going to kill parasites. Most likely the parasites fell off the fish and hundreds of cysts are left in the tank.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

Isn't this in affect the same theory as running high levels of ozone? Oxidizing the water? I'm a huge fan of using ozone for combating ich outbreaks so this sounds promising as well.

The water that comes in contact with the ozone gas yes is purified however the fish itself cant be subjected to that. Yes its oxidising but in a different way.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

IME if the treatment does not kill coral and inverts then its not going to kill parasites. Most likely the parasites fell off the fish and hundreds of cysts are left in the tank.

These are my thoughts also.

 

[Deinonych]

ime if the treatment does not kill coral and inverts then its not going to kill parasites. Most likely the parasites fell off the fish and hundreds of cysts are left in the tank.

+1

 

[mikecc67548]

treating outbreaks is not a cure.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

agreed - but what evidence is there that it may kill the cyst stage also?

 

[mikecc67548]

None? What do you consider evidence?

 

[mikecc67548]

Do we even know for sure that it was ich the guy had to begin with? Anybody put a microscope to it? What happened the week after, and the week after that, and the next month after? So many questions, Not too many answers. A laboratory setting and a competent scientist running the show is what I believe in.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

None? What do you consider evidence?

I dont I am asking, I am not an advocator of this (read first post) I am asking others opinions. My position is neither for or against. Just gathering informative opinions

 

[mikecc67548]

I guess it gets used in some medications.... possibly this stuff.... is there anything scientifical type papers out there on this? And I was just inquiring as to your evidence threshold. For example....do these pics depict ich?

 

[HumbleFish]

FWIW; I don't see conclusive evidence that the Regal had Ich from the "before" pic. Sure, I see white specks on his black parts. But I see the same thing in areas of the photo were the fish is not present (presumably, pods or something on the glass).

 

[AQD_ottawa]

fwiw; i don't see conclusive evidence that the regal had ich from the "before" pic. Sure, i see white specks on his black parts. But i see the same thing in areas of the photo were the fish is not present (presumably, pods or something on the glass).

+1 but what are all the black marks that have cleared in the second photo?

 

[mikecc67548]

I do not think that "black marks" are in anyway associated with Ich.

So in anycase of ich, does hydrogen peroxide treat ich? There are threads right here on ReefCentral if anybody cares to look them up. I'd be more interested in a peer reviewed scholarly paper.

 

[HumbleFish]

I do not think that "black marks" are in anyway associated with Ich.

They could be skin damage from Ich cysts, or the beginnings of a bacterial infection, or stress marks... or any number of other things. My first impression was actually HLLE... but I've never seen HLLE clear up that fast.

 

[Rea17]

Like HumbleFish said, the skin looks clearer afterwards but I don't see any definitive ich spots in the before picture. In the after picture on the other hand, I see what looks very much like ich in at least one spot on the palette marking and some speckling on the pectoral fins.

 

[mikecc67548]

So in anycase of ich, does hydrogen peroxide treat ich?

 

[dotcommer]

Isn't the PolyLab Medic product based on Hydrogen Peroxide.
Crystalline Peroxide Salts is the main ingredient, It treats ICH and Velvet

 

[Mudbeaver]

Well i can tell you i'm going to be very vigilant about this. I'm in the same club as the OP and the person who treated her fish and the tank with peroxyde. The point being every time ich is mention anywhere its like a war zone , a can of worms, and having a new system on the go i want less posturing and a bit more facts. i've red the sticky posted on RC about ich and it make sense much more than most post i read. Prevention is a biggy too. Spending thousands of $$ on a system and then just dumping things in it without QT them is just reckless in my view. Call it purest, i call it practicle and economics. Miracle cures found in a private home where state of the art labs can't please... put on the thinking caps here. I do whish the best to my college and her tank and hope she saves her tank. But the life cycle of the parasite according to RC sticky is a bit more complex to be irradicated by just one attempt. Its too simple. Time will tell and i'll tell you if she has more ich in the future , i'll post it here to prove that this treatment is bogus.