Bath treatment (fishkeeping)

Bath treatments are disease treatments that originated since the earliest days of goldfish culture. They are easy to carry out. One of the most effective procedure is called the salt bath which is quite effective in eradicating ciliated parasites from the fish. However, there are also useless, thus not recommended, bath treatments such as the use of certain antibiotics or vitamins in the bath.

Bath treatment can either be short-term (a "dip") or long-term (from a few hours to 12 or 24 hours or longer).[1]

Medications used in bath treatments

• Salt: the most effective bath treatment, and is used to eliminate ciliated protozoan parasites (including ich in small fish); also used to curb the absorption of nitrite, and to reduce the osmotic pressure exerted by fresh-water on any hole in the skin or gill; Dosage and dosing: To produce a 0.3% salt solution (a treatment dosage against most protozoan parasites), 1 tablespoon of salt is used per gallon of water; to produce a 0.6% salt solution (a treatment dosage against Trichodina), 2 tablespoons of salt for every one gallon of water; and to produce a 0.9% salt solution, 3 tablespoons of salt for every one gallon of water[1]
• Acriflavine: a powerful dye used for treating protozoans, fungus, lymphocytes, Oodinium and Hexamita[1]
• Chloramine T: a quaternary ammonium compound used to control bacterial gill disease and flukes[1]
• Ionic copper: free-form copper used to kill bacteria and parasites[1]
• Dimilin: an insecticide used against Lernea, Argulus and Ergasilus[1]
• Droncit: a pill form of praziquantel used to clear flukes and worms[1]
• Flagyl: this is a brand of metronidazole and is a treatment of choice for Hexamita and Spironucleus[1]
• Fluke Tabs: used against fluke infestation[1]
• Formalin: this is formaldehyde gas in water used to as a fungicide and treatment against some bacterial infections, ciliated protozoans and flukes[1]
• Furazone green: a combination of two or three furan antibiotics[1]
• Malachite green: a powerful dye that eliminates parasites[1]
• Methylene blue: a basic thiazine dye used to treat fungal infections[1]
• Pond Health Guard: a modified version of formalin used to treat flukes[1]
• Potassium permanganate: a caustic alkali that is effective in treating flukes, fungal infections, bacterial gill disease, bacterial infections of the body and fins, and ciliated protozoans infestations except ich[1]
• Program: is lufenuron which is effective against Argulus, Lernea and Ergasilus[1]
• Tramisole: is levamisole phosphate which is a deworming medication[1]

References

1. Johnson, Dr. Erik L., D.V.M. and Richard E. Hess. Fancy Goldfish: A Complete Guide to Care and Collecting, Shambhala Publications, Inc., 2001 - ISBN 0-8348-0448-4