Potassium Permanganate

[flukes]

Just wondering if anyone here has tried using Potassium Permanganate?
I have read good and bad things about it, but most point too if it is used correctly then it can be a great cure for external parasites, gill flukes and just giving the tank a flush.
Ive read about making a solution and having Hydrogen Peroxide to neutralise it.
The main thing iam after is experience, someone who uses this method be it for medicating or giving the tank a flush.
Any information would be great.
I dont mean on how to use it but just past experience, good or bad.
Ive read book loads on the dangers and benifiets of using it.
Just after experiences..


Cheers
Scott

[nicholas76]

Gday scott,

is that stuff used soley for flukes ????????sounds familar.

I could be thinking of Praziquantel.

cheeers


nick

[kevkoi]

U're playing with a very caustic chemical. Sure, if you use it correctly, it is such a powerful oxidant, nothing will survive it (including flukes! pun intended!).... but if you overdose, you will have a very quickly DEAD fish.

Margin for error is very marginal with PP, and I would really not suggest it for discus as they tend to be fragile.

I know there are ppl who SWEAR by it.... especially a certain Doc Conrad on a certain Koi Forum... but remember, he is a CHEMIST!! He has a redox meter and an very complete understanding of the drug.... This is not a hit and miss med.

[flukes]

Kev, ive read alot more people who are not chemists and are using this stuff as a monthy cleanout for tanks.
This is where i got most of the information from -
http://www.simplydiscus.com/forum/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=19667
Might just try it on a runt, in a smaller sized tank too see how it goes. I dont take any meds lightly and this would be no different, infact i think i would be double even triple checking amounts and calculations.

So know one has actually used this before??
Still would like to research alot more on it before i try it though.

[Proteus]

although there are a lot of benefits using PP,

there are some HUGE downsides.

get the mix out by just 2-5% and the end result is dead fish...

please be careful if you try this...

[Escher]

I think it is the stuff I used on a 3000L pond where I have koi, but at a rate of 3g/1000L I was still shaky about weighing 9g precisely. I then needed hydrogen peroxide to counteract the pp. The end result? Not great!
I would be scared to used in a small discus tank.

[flukes]

Not worried about weight i have digital scales here that measure 0.1 of a gram. I would even under calculate the amount of water so its even less effective.
I dont know something in me is just urgung me too try it, might try it on my pond out side first see how i go.

[Escher]

When used in the pond, the water colour turns out like coffee, and you can't see much under the surface. But you must keep an eye on the fish: if you see them gasping for air, use the hydrogen peroxide immediately. I was told in any case not to leave the pp for more than 2 hours.
Good luck

[flukes]

Picked some of this up today, made by sigma. The epsoms salts i use are also by sigma. Anyway cost me $5.85 for 25grams still not going too try it yet till i have read a bit more on it. I also want to try it on a tank with no fish in it just to see how things go.

[kalebjarrod]

My question

why try such drastic chemicals to clean a tank?

and if you quarentine do you need to understand this chemical for tank use?

surely thier are milder things to use first