Aldehyde Products besides Formalin

[Planet Reef]

Lee,

I've used Formalin (a Formaldehyde) successfully in the past to treat fish. There is a company that advertises a aldehyde product other than Formalin in such manner.

XXXXXX 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, XXXXXâ„¢ contains no formaldehyde or methanol and will not alter pH. XXXXXXâ„¢ employs a proprietary, synergistic blend of aldehydes, malachite green, and fish protective polymers that effectively and efficiently eradicates many ectoparasites (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.

I've experimented with this a bit but you know how anecdotal evidence is not always true evidence. I left the brand name out but if you want to know it, please PM me.

I just wanted to know your thoughts.

 

[leebca]

I was 'merrily reading along' with an open mind until I got to the part about how this product "efficiently eradicates. . .ich. . ."

I would believe this only when I have seen this or a scientific paper is written to prove it.

Maybe it is worth writing to the company/manufacturer and politely requesting:

1. where and when the product was tested against Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans)
2. were tests conducted by an independent study group
3. you'd like all the test results not just the ones that seemed to work
4. by "eradicate" do they mean totally kill the parasite and cure the fishes
5. are those test results published and available to you and the public

I can always appreciate a company maintaining secrecy in their formula, but not if the product has not been independently tested.

Many such products are in fact independently tested. The results are mixed or are so bad that the company never publishes the test results. That doesn't prevent the advertising.

Testing a product to see if it cures Marine Ich is really easy and not very expensive. Almost any LFS could do the tests -- they see a lot of fishes with this disease.

If, however, they are assuming the product kills Marine Ich because it contains Malachite Green which was used to cure Marine Ich before it was abandoned (because it wasn't successful enough), then this may have another twist to their claim.

Let's give them the benefit of the doubt. But when it comes to Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) I think if anyone has discovered something that worked, it would be on the front page of every aquarium magazine and scientific journal. The food industry looses millions of dollars a year in food fishes to Marine Ich. Even vaccines don't seem to be worth their cost nor are they effective (i.e.immunity doesn't last long enough).

 

[Planet Reef]

I greatly appreciated your detailed response. I will contact the company and will share their response with you once I receive it.

 

[leebca]

You're welcome Curt.

One of the problems with these kinds of 'formulas' is that they can contain a chemical or ingredient which, in the laboratory, kills a specific parasite (e.g., Marine Ich). But in the marine system, it doesn't work for any of a number of reasons.

So many chemicals have been tried and used to kill Marine Ich and at the same time, cure infected fishes. The two aren't always the same, if you can think long about it.

The following has been used to try and cure fish of Marine Ich:
Formalin
FW dips
Malachite Green
etc. (there are a few dozen more)

Each has had some affect on the parasite, but doesn't seem to totally kill the parasite and prevent it from reinfecting the fish in a marine system. In the laboratory dish, it kills the parasite. In the fish tank it is another matter.

So many product manufacturers will claim their product kills Marine Ich but what they may have is one or more ingredients that have, in the past, been used to kill Marine Ich, (which it might in the laboratory) but which in the tank is not highly successful as the reliable methods.

I don't care too much about them, except while the marine hobbyist is using them, the fish could have been cured by using one of the three known and reliable methods.

I'd be interested in hearing what they have to say.