? on Formalin

[tassod]

Posted this in disease forum but getting no responses..

I've decided to go fish only in my tank and in the process of removing all coral and inverts from my display. I am also suspecting that brook is in my tank and is responsible for killing almost everyone in there. I've been planning on starting over with the tank but wondering if it would be just as effective to dose the tank with Formalin to kill off brook instead of starting over. Opinions? How long and at what ppm would the tank need to be to accomplish this and does a water change effectively remove it later?

 

[Reef Frog]

Sorry to hear about your situation.

I don't really have an answer but can offer a few disjointed facts & some totally unqualified ideas for consideration & further study.

Formalin is a known carcinogen I believe. I'd be leery of using it. I fugure there's always the possibility of residual amounts persisting in a display tank that could do harm to tank residents and their keeper. Maybe a chemist could answer that one.

Seachem makes a less toxic alternative (their claim) but not sure if it's effective against Brook. I think the label says use it as a dip for external parasites, and they may make some claims its OK for ich. But this is all from memory of reading the label so take it with a grain of salt. Unless I heard some really qualified advice to the contrary, I wouldn't use it or original formalin for the purpose you describe.

I'd look into information on whether there is an agreed to recommendation on a fallow period and go that route, and remove & treat surviving fish you have now in a QT with copper or other widely approved treatment.

Again, with no practical experience, but based only on reading, removing all life and bleaching the display - or perhaps massive H2O2 use would work.

Personally, with an A-1 set up like you have, I would do the hard work and get some kind of coral reef going again and stock it with the fish you want but resolving to go whole hog on Quarantine. In fact, after experiencing the horrors of Brook, I'd be very tempted to consider prophylacticly treat all new fish the 2nd time around because my paranoia levels would be high. And I would avoid any Clownfish. Well, ramble over. Good luck man!

 

[tassod]

Sorry to hear about your situation.

I don't really have an answer but can offer a few disjointed facts & some totally unqualified ideas for consideration & further study.

Formalin is a known carcinogen I believe. I'd be leery of using it. I fugure there's always the possibility of residual amounts persisting in a display tank that could do harm to tank residents and their keeper. Maybe a chemist could answer that one.

Seachem makes a less toxic alternative (their claim) but not sure if it's effective against Brook. I think the label says use it as a dip for external parasites, and they may make some claims its OK for ich. But this is all from memory of reading the label so take it with a grain of salt. Unless I heard some really qualified advice to the contrary, I wouldn't use it or original formalin for the purpose you describe.

I'd look into information on whether there is an agreed to recommendation on a fallow period and go that route, and remove & treat surviving fish you have now in a QT with copper or other widely approved treatment.

Again, with no practical experience, but based only on reading, removing all life and bleaching the display - or perhaps massive H2O2 use would work.

Personally, with an A-1 set up like you have, I would do the hard work and get some kind of coral reef going again and stock it with the fish you want but resolving to go whole hog on Quarantine. In fact, after experiencing the horrors of Brook, I'd be very tempted to consider prophylacticly treat all new fish the 2nd time around because my paranoia levels would be high. And I would avoid any Clownfish. Well, ramble over. Good luck man!

Been down that road already with fallow period, doesn't work...but thanks for your input anyways. As far as I know only Formalin works on Brook