Margaret asks: > Just tapping into your expertize : Can anyone advise on the use of > Colloidal Silver to treat 'White Spot ' ,( on fish ) in a home fish > tank ?
It's good that you asked, Margaret. Please realize that when you add any kind of medicinal to the tank, (including antibiotics) you're treating not just the fish but the entire tank. That includes the biological filter, which is the mass of helpful bacteria that populate the gravel and the filter system and convert toxic fish wastes to more benign chemicals. If you dose the tank with an effective antimicrobial like CS, you'll kill all those bacteria. This will dump all the metabolic by-products and toxins from the guts of those bacteria into the water, as well as interrupt the process of breaking down harmful ammonia and nitrites from fish waste products and uneaten food. You'll have a rapid build-up of wastes and toxins that could shock and kill all the fish. If you intend to treat the whole tank, about the only thing I can think of to do is to be prepared with a large amount of properly conditioned water (temperature, pH, alkalinity, etc...) and do a series of major water changes while you are medicating the tank. You'd probably have to adjust the dose levels to account for the amount being lost, as well. Otherwise, you might transfer the ailing fish to a very simply equipped quarantine tank and treat them there. The important thing is to be sure the water is as close in chemistry and other conditions to the main tank to minimize the shock to the subject fish. Also, you'll still have to monitor waste build up and filter or change the water to limit it to safe levels. Any way you cut it, it's either a lot of work for you or a lot of stress for the fish. It's been some years since I had fish tanks going, and I'm *not* an expert with using CS or anything else on fish. I just know that there's more to consider than "will CS kill ick?" If you need more information, please keep asking. Be well, Mike D. [Mike Devour, Citizen, Patriot, Libertarian] [[email protected] ] [Speaking only for myself... ] -- The Silver List is a moderated forum for discussing Colloidal Silver. Instructions for unsubscribing are posted at: http://silverlist.org To post, address your message to: [email protected] Address Off-Topic messages to: [email protected] The Silver List and Off Topic List archives are currently down... List maintainer: Mike Devour <[email protected]>
