Formalin Dosage

[TastesLikeChicken]

I’m about 2 weeks away from being done with my current prophylactic medicated QT regimen. As a last step I want to perform a 45 min Formalin dip before introduction into the display tank.

My question is: what’s the appropriate mixing formulation. I purchased 37% pharmacy grade Formaldehyde on-line. BRS says to add 1 drop per gallon on water. Humble fish says to add 12 drops per gallon of water. What is the correct formulation? Thank you!

On a side note, I have safety stop. But I can’t find any info on how much Formalin it includes. So I’m resorting to a known Formalin concentration.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I’m about 2 weeks away from being done with my current prophylactic medicated QT regimen. As a last step I want to perform a 45 min Formalin dip before introduction into the display tank.

My question is: what’s the appropriate mixing formulation. I purchased 37% pharmacy grade Formaldehyde on-line. BRS says to add 1 drop per gallon on water. Humble fish says to add 12 drops per gallon of water. What is the correct formulation? Thank you!

On a side note, I have safety stop. But I can’t find any info on how much Formalin it includes. So I’m resorting to a known Formalin concentration.

For regular tank treatment: 1 ml per 10 gallons, or 2 drops per gallon daily in bare tank
For treatment as a bath- 0.6 ml per gallon, or 12 drops per gallon for 45-60 minutes

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Those numbers are from Humblefish, but I like to refine that dose a bit: it is actually 0.94 ml per ten gallons of tank water daily as a 24 hour static bath (never count drops, they are too imprecise).

For the one hour bath, that dose works out to be around 150 ppm, so that is o.k., but I prefer to cut that short at 45 minutes.

Jay

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Those numbers are from Humblefish, but I like to refine that dose a bit: it is actually 0.94 ml per ten gallons of tank water daily as a 24 hour static bath (never count drops, they are too imprecise).

For the one hour bath, that dose works out to be around 150 ppm, so that is o.k., but I prefer to cut that short at 45 minutes.

Jay

So just to clarify: 0.6 mL per gallon for 45 min? And this will achieve a therapeutic dose (for Brook and external Urenemia) and for knocking off any non egg flukes? Thank you.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

So just to clarify: 0.6 mL per gallon for 45 min? And this will achieve a therapeutic dose (for Brook and external Urenemia) and for knocking off any non egg flukes? Thank you.

Yes - 0.60 ml/gallon for 45 minutes. That works out to be 160 ppm. That will knock off all flukes (the egglayers will just return due to eggs in the tank). It also kills turbellarian worms (black ich).

Jay

 

[lewreef]

Those numbers are from Humblefish, but I like to refine that dose a bit: it is actually 0.94 ml per ten gallons of tank water daily as a 24 hour static bath (never count drops, they are too imprecise).

For the one hour bath, that dose works out to be around 150 ppm, so that is o.k., but I prefer to cut that short at 45 minutes.

Jay

I'm currently about to start this process. Do I need to use salt water? As I've seen lots saying to use freshwater. Please can you let me know it would be much appreciated!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I'm currently about to start this process. Do I need to use salt water? As I've seen lots saying to use freshwater. Please can you let me know it would be much appreciated!

No! You need to run formalin dips at that concentration in seawater, (I just use tank water, and then replace the amount used with new seawater.

FW dips for that long would be fatal. The standard FW dip is 5 minutes, with 7 minutes being used in some cases, with hardy fish.