Methylene (sp?) blue

[SarahBravo]

I've just dosed one of my tanks with methylene blue, as I noticed some fungus on one guppy and white spots on 2.... blinkin' guppies, it's always them!

Anyhowz, i checked the dosage 3 times, then dosed (now have blue fingers, i look like a corpse), but the tank is midnight blue, and I mean midnight.... can't see the fish, the rocks, nothing.

Is this normal

Does it clear or do I have to do repeated water changes to get rid of it?

Anyone used this before?

 

[Torrean]

I haven't used it but carbon in the filter MIGHT clear it up once the treatment is over and you replace the carbon

 

[Tolak]

I've used it in hatching tanks to keep down fungus on eggs. You will need a really bright light to see much of anything in the tank. It will stay in the water until you do a water change. It takes me 5 or 6 50% water changes to get the water clear, at a dosing rate of 7 drops per gallon.

It will stain the silicone seals, airlines, and anything else lighter colored made of plastic. I don't know how to get rid of the staining, I just live with it in a couple of 10 gallons.

Tolak

 

[Kiarra]

Methylene Blue will color your water very dark. Don't worry about it, it's entirely normal.

Carbon will remove the medicinal aspect from the water. I know that for certain. I don't know if it will remove the color staining, though.

The coloring will not go away on its own. Mass water changes are the only way to get rid of it. And it WILL stain most anything porous.

It's very good for supericial fungus and minor cases of Ich, but, if either don't show signs of improvement, you may want to move to a stronger medication.

I use Methylene Blue for a number of things. It's a great product, because it's fairly mild, and it's almost impossible to overdose with it.

Here is an excellent page on Methylene Blue that I just so happened to have found today.

http/www.petsforum.com/novalek/kpd28.htm

 

[The-Wolf]

I'd just like to point out (taken from the above link)
Methylene Blue will interfere with the normal biological processes of nitrifying filter bacteria. Methylene Blue can also interfere with normal plant growth.
you could be looking at a mini, or full cycle to happen in the future.

 

[SarahBravo]

Thanks guys, thanks Wolf. Yep, i've realised about the cycle, luckily i've got enough tanks that I can steal bits of filter material and recreate both the filters in the treated tank to more or less instantly recycle - that's the idea anyway!