Dipping fish and corals

[Pansy-Paws]

Originally Posted by Myka

^ That's the sort of thing that really freaks me out. If the fish isn't tolerating it very well (and 1 in 4 is a huge number!), then I would be concerned about the long-term health of the fish.

Myka,

I should probably provide a bit of context on my comments ...

To me, tolerating means not noticeably increasing respiration rate, skin tone remains unchanged, attention to surroundings is constant, and balance and equilibrium remains unaltered. This is similar to the guidelines I use for judging the tolerance of fresh water dips. In contrast, I would categorize gasping at the bottom of the container as something that freaks me out.

I have only treated about 8-10 fish with the 20 mg, and all but 2 have been fine for the 1.5 hour treatment ... probably not a statistically valid sample though. Both of the fish who had trouble with the 20 mg swam through the 10 mg for 3 hours without a problem.

In addition, I wasn't that surprised when the 2 fish showed difficulty with the 20 mg, as they were both in very rough shape (rapid breathing, swollen, blood-red gills), and in my opinion, their long-term prognosis was "dead within a week" if the PraziPro didn't work.

It is also my understanding that public aquariums regulatory treat all new fish arrivals in a 10 mg concentration as a prophylactic treatment, so it's not a new approach. Hope this helps to alleviate some apprehensions about carefully trying out higher concentrations as a bath rather than long-term immersion.