Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Hi Bob,
I appreciate your books and writings on fish husbandry and saw your suggestions on chloroquine phosphate in one of your books and now see that Bob Fenner is advocating your ideas on this. I am desperate and looking forward to testing your suggestions.
I am searching for an article you wrote regarding the use of chloroquine to eradicate parasites. I cannot find the article anywhere. Can you send this to me? I have ordered the chemical from Advance Scientific and should receive it tomorrow. I need to treat my 300-gallon display tank after removing the coral and am looking forward to a bit more information.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Kevin Taylor
Las Vegas, NV
Hi Kevin,
If you have my latest book, 'The Marine Fish Health & Feeding Handbook' then chloroquine phosphate (CP) info is in that book. Nevertheless, if you give me the details of your problem, maybe I can be more specific/directly help. As for that article, it was printed in FAMA of March 2008, and maybe you can search for it online.
Bob
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the quick response. I am treating my 300-gallon reef for ich. I cannot catch all of the fish, so I am quarantining the invertebrates separately and treating the main tank. I have the book referenced and am prepared with the powder to treat at 40 mg/gallon for 10 days. My questions are primarily related to what to do at the end of 10 days, such as using water changes and/or carbon to remove the chemical. And, how soon may I add the coral back?
Thanks again for your great efforts in the hobby!
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
There is a treatment mentioned in the book that has allowed leaving the inverts in the aquarium. Have you read that?
As for treatment, maintain proper specific gravity (1.024 - 26) and recommend an initial 20 mg/l, 'NOT' 40 mg/gallon as you state in your letter. And again note, the dosage is per liter, not gallon. After the initial treatment, a 10 mg/l dosage every 7 - 10 days is recommended for the next 'three' treatments. (Total of 4 treatments over a 30 to 40 day period) Of course, during treatment, any phosphate-removing product (and keep in mind CP will kill-off any algae) should be discontinued, as should activated carbon and/or ozone and skimming/UV. Once treatments are concluded, those products/devices and/or Poly-Filters can be used as would be normal.
As for water changes, a small change (20 gallons in your size aquarium) between each additional treatment is thought helpful, and also at the end of treatment. Otherwise, CP will be removed by the media mentioned above.
Hope this helps,
Bob
Hi Bob,
I have already quarantined my coral and all of the snails and crabs that I could catch. Surely, there is quite a bit more in the rock and sand. I am hoping that I will not have a toxic ammonia issue based on the dye off.
The method you are referring to in the book is about using the CP in food, right? If so, I did consider this but decided to treat the entire tank. I am actually treating 2 tanks, the 300 and a 60 that was the initial breeding ground for this problem.
I have treated using the 10 mg/l dose recommended in the book and was under the impression that this was the best method. Based on your suggestions, would you recommend I purchase more and increase the dose? Does your current data indicate that I will have issues with die-off from my live rock and sand?
Thanks!
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Yes, the treated food method does work as on-going data has proven, but in some ways its more time consuming to apply. And yes, following incoming data has shown its best to up the initial treatment level.
Also, crustaceans don't seem to be effected by CP, nor does the bacteria in the sandbed. That's why it's so much better than copper, as the nitrification cycle continues unaffected, thereby preventing any ammonia problems from die-offs. Also, it may be wise to run the skimmer at nighttimes, as it could help prevent low dissolved oxygen/high CO2 conditions.
If more CP is needed (Wholesale only), try: Fishman Chemicals
email: sales@fishchemicals.com - www.fishchemical.com.
Bob
