25
If obvious signs of another illness show themselves (for example, a lesion caused by an
external bacterial infection), you will need to treat that as well, in conjunction with the
malachite treatment. Nitrofurazone, or any of the furan-type antibiotics will usually effect a cure.
Please note that malachite green, being an organic dye, will stain clothing, skin, the silicon sealant in your tank...almost anything! If fabrics or silicon have become stained, you
will need to live with it since this stain is not removable. Malachite green inadvertently
gotten on skin should be rinsed off as soon as possible. The stain left behind will wear
off within a few days.
During this 14 day period, you will want to monitor both the ammonia and nitrite levels
in the tank, and take appropriate actions if you notice an increase. If the ammonia level is
slight, the addition of AmQuel or similar product will take care of it. Just be aware that
AmQuel will lower the pH of the system, and constant use can bring about pH readings
of 4 or lower! Hence the use of crushed oyster shell or calcareous gravel in the tank: it
will help in maintaining an acceptable pH range. If the ammonia level continues to rise, a
water change (up to 50%) is in order. Remember to re-dose the appropriate amount of
medication after the water change. If the nitrite level begins to climb, the addition of
aquarium salt at one teaspoon per gallon will negate its toxic effects.
MARINE FISH QUARANTINE
If you have a marine system, the process is a bit more complex.
First, the acclimation of the new fish is the same, but you want to give the new arrival at
least 24 hours to recuperate from bring moved before you begin medicating. If the animal
does not begin to eat within 24 hours, hold off treatment until it does begin to take food.
Next, you will want to add enough citrated copper to bring the level up to 0.15 PPM (you
can really go as high as 0.20 PPM, but no higher, please). I know many of you use heavily
chelated (or bonded) coppers, but I advise against their use. First off, in order for copper to
be truly effective, it must be in its ionic state. Heavily chelated coppers, by definition, are
not in that state, and so are less than useful. The fact that, in my experience, crabs and
shrimp can live in systems treated with heavily chelated copper attests to its ineffectiveness
in most cases. (Try that in a system treated with an ionic copper. The inverts do not live very
long). Secondly, the level produced by some chelated coppers may be far higher than is actually needed to control the disease organism (which should also tell you something. At as
high a dose as some of these chelated coppers produce, the fish should be dead). This higher
-than-needed dose is actually detrimental to the fish in the long run in several other ways:
gill degeneration, liver shutdown, anemia, compromised immune system..the list goes on.
There is absolutely NO need to subject the fish to levels far above what is needed to treat the
condition.
Continued next page