Local formalin /formaldehyde source

[SmartWrasse]

I think my 6-line smartwrasse has brooklynellosis. He is lying around, breathing heavily and an area of about 1/4 inch of his side appears to have lifting of his scales. No ich spots or other signs I can see. The clowns and the tang look OK.

So the treatment is formalin dips. I have access to the stuff by the 5 gallon quantity in the lab, but I am not sure it is the same. It is buffered formalin. I have also never used formalin, though I have breathed it myself and try to avoid it as much as possible now.

Does anyone know if the lab tissue fixation formalin is the same as sold for use with fish? Where do you buy formalin in our area?

 

[Fishboy42]

Kordon makes a product called Formalin 3 (3% formaldehyde). I think the area LFS's should have it (I picked mine up at CR). I've used it before and I find it is very effective against brook as a 30-50 minute bath at 1.5 teaspoons per gallon. I also add an airstone to the bath to keep oxygen levels high.

I think you could use the buffered formalin, but that would be 37% formaldehyde (is that right?) so of course much less would be needed to get the same concentration, ~0.6mL per gallon.

Hope this helps, and good luck with your wrasse,

Matt

 

[SmartWrasse]

Well a 6-line wrasse is not easy to catch in a reef tank, but we already knew that. Finally caught him and did the first formalin treatment. We had the "pure" formaldehyde soln that is near 40%. I used 0.6 ml in 1 gallon of tank water at 80' F with an airstone to boost oxygen (airated over night). Then I placed him in a 10 gal hospital tank. The hospital tank has water from the main tank at 35 ppt salinity. I will do two more formalin treatments every 2 days before I send him back to the reef.

I wonder about feeding him in between treatments. I want to keep up his nutrition levels. The webpages I have read said to not do a formalin dip after feeding. I usuallly feed a small amount each day. I am thinking of feeding him on the non dip days.

 

[Fishboy42]

Sounds good. I'm impressed that you caught smartwrasse out of there!

I have always kept fish on their normal feeding schedule when doing formalin baths. I think it is better to keep them well-fed so they have energy to fight off infections. Sometimes if you feed RIGHT before the bath, the will spit-up the food, but other than that, I don't think you'll have a problem.