Unusual Observation

[gwand]

I was in a small privately owned fish store today and about 20% of their tanks had methylene blue in the tanks. The owner told me he performs a seven day methylene blue bath on all new shipments of fish from Asia. A prophylactic step. I was surprised. What about you? Other than ich, what conditions would methylene blue treat.

 

[MattW]

I have never used meth in my tanks, even the blue variety. I think that Heisenberg went out of business.

It does sound like something that would be helpful in the business part of this hobby. I am aware that methylene blue is used a lot with fish eggs, and that's all I really know about it.

 

[emeraldking]

I was in a small privately owned fish store today and about 20% of their tanks had methylene blue in the tanks. The owner told me he performs a seven day methylene blue bath on all new shipments of fish from Asia. A prophylactic step. I was surprised. What about you? Other than ich, what conditions would methylene blue treat.

Well, I absoluetly understand this out of precaution. It's not necessary for all fish but it won't harm either...

 

[FranciscoB]

Some stores and breeding facilities in acuaculture settings maintain batts where they keep nets and other tools that go from one tank then another. I don’t know how effective the practice is, but it is intended to minimize cross contamination.

 

[GaryE]

Methelyne blue will kill, or at least inconvenience a lot of freeswimming parasites, including ich. It's a weak antiseptic. I probably wouldn't use it in my imaginary store, and if I saw that familiar tint in a store's tanks, I would assume they had ich running.

 

[Back in the fold]

The local pet shop I patronize uses it on new arrivals . They don’t sell new fish for ten days and what they do sell is good quality .