Seachem Paraguard as a Coral Dip

[ThisGuy12]

As per the title of this thread has anyone used Paraguard mixed in a bucket to dip corals prior to rinsing with clean RO/DI water and putting them into the display tank?

A few people I know have recommended it as a quick dip option for both corals and new fish. By quick dip I mean dipping corals in the mixed solution then in salt mixed RO/DI water then into display tank, for fish using Paraguard in the acclimation drip method usually a 1 hour period.

Thoughts?

 

[lllesley]

Seachem do a specific "coral dip product ". I wouldn't be using paraguard on corals. The coral dip is designed to remove parasites and any other little critters that arrive with your purchase.
Not expensive either. Use it all the time and never had a problem with any of my corals.

 

[snorvich]

I would use Revive or CoralRx on corals. There is no dip for fish that removes parasites.

 

[Mael]

Revive seems to work great for me, but I havent tried much else.

Only thing I have heard of working and not being intently made for coral is the API Melafix people used for mushrooms and softies. people seem to like it for shrooms.

 

[Dapg8gt]

I use Bayer and sometimes back it with revive.. If cost is a concern Bayer has that covered hands down..

 

[lllesley]

I would use Revive or CoralRx on corals. There is no dip for fish that removes parasites.

I beg to differ. Seachem paraguard does work to remove parasitic infections on fish and can be used as a dip .
I have used it in my freshwater tanks before I went to saltwater. The info on this product is below.

thanks.

ParaGuard
Product Description
ParaGuardâ„¢ is the only fish and filter safe aldehyde based (10% by weight) parasite control product available. Unlike highly toxic and difficult to use formalin based medications, ParaGuardâ„¢ contains no formaldehyde or methanol and will not alter pH. ParaGuardâ„¢ employs a proprietary, synergistic blend of aldehydes, malachite green, and fish protective polymers that effectively and efficiently eradicates many ectoparasites on fish (e.g. ich, etc.) and external fungal/bacterial/viral lesions (e.g., fin rot). It is particularly useful in hospital and receiving tanks for new fish and whenever new fish are introduced to a community tank. For use in freshwater or marine.

Sizes: 100 mL, 250 mL, 500 mL, 2 L, 4 L, 20 L

Types of Infection Treated

Parasitic
Fungal
Bacterial
Viral
ParaGuard




Directions
In the aquarium, use 5 mL (1 capful) to every 40 L (10 gallons*). Repeat daily as required as long as fish show no stress. For 1 hour dips, use 3 mL per 4 L (1 gallon*). Dips may be extended if fish show no evidence of stress.

In case of eye exposure, promptly & thoroughly wash eyes with water & seek medical attention.

 

[Dapg8gt]

^^That may be what the manufacturer States but I'd bet on what snorvich has expressed. If you notice most of the info and stickies on MARINE pest and disease treatments are either written by snorvich or they are verified/contributed to by him/her.. Also the instructions state it works on ich and we all know that's not really true..

There is a difference between marine and freshwater in medications and success rates..

I think If you (op) want to rely on it as a coral dip exclusively and test it out it would be a good thread to start and show progress of it.. It may be a good alternative but I would rather use something that is proven already that I know works from experience. .. But your thread could prove what you are stating also =).. Getting some corals that you know are infected would be a good place to start and also seeing if certain corals are OK to use with it.. Bayer was started the same way fwiw.

 

[lllesley]

^^That may be what the manufacturer States but I'd bet on what snorvich has expressed. If you notice most of the info and stickies on MARINE pest and disease treatments are either written by snorvich or they are verified/contributed to by him/her.. Also the instructions state it works on ich and we all know that's not really true..

There is a difference between marine and freshwater in medications and success rates..

I think If you (op) want to rely on it as a coral dip exclusively and test it out it would be a good thread to start and show progress of it.. It may be a good alternative but I would rather use something that is proven already that I know works from experience. .. But your thread could prove what you are stating also =).. Getting some corals that you know are infected would be a good place to start and also seeing if certain corals are OK to use with it.. Bayer was started the same way fwiw.

I certainly didn't recommend paraguard to be used as a coral dip at all. I agree that a specific coral dip is needed. (as stated in my first post reply) But I was responding to the statement that there is no dip available to treat parasites . on fish.
Yes fresh water is very different to marine but I have known people to use this product in QT tanks with great succsess against ICH on marine fish NOT CORALS.

 

[Dapg8gt]

I certainly didn't recommend paraguard to be used as a coral dip at all. I agree that a specific coral dip is needed. (as stated in my first post reply) But I was responding to the statement that there is no dip available to treat parasites . on fish.
Yes fresh water is very different to marine but I have known people to use this product in QT tanks with great succsess against ICH on marine fish NOT CORALS.

I'm not going to argue with you as the main focus of this thread is about dipping corals and it's going off track.. There plenty of research on what's the best choice for marine ich everywhere and this thread isn't where this should be argued. And Paraguard usually isn't someone's first choice to guarantee results except in special circumstances or fish types.

 

[reefer roman]

+1 on the melafix. Local fish store uses it and recommended it. I have used it multiple times without any issues.

 

[Mael]

yep a couple local reefers use Melafix for mushrooms and some used a combo of melafix and Bayer if there are certain pests they are worried about.

For coral there are so many well priced products out right now that people know work like Revive, CoralRX, Seachem DIP etc that I dont feel the need to try others, although some people like to experiment and more power to them.

For fish, that is a bit off topic for this thread so I will stay clear of that, there are plenty of stickies and articles about the 3 methods Known to work and I would stick with one of those.

 

[ThisGuy12]

Well since I got the mushrooms for free, I went ahead and tested the method mixed a 0.5mL of paraguard with 1gal of QT tank water (where the corals have been housed for a week). Placed the mushrooms in the water and then into another bucket with only QT water, the dip was all of 10 seconds.

Then I drop acclimated the corals to the DT water and introduced them into the system. Here are the mushrooms I tested on.

Both were obviously upset with the move but as you can see they have both opened back up and attached to the rock I placed them on. Both are showing very good colour and full opening thus far, similar to what they looked like in the QT.

I'll continue to monitor them. I don't see how paraguard would harm them since it's recommended by Seachem to actually dose a live tank with.