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Re: Ick remedies/malachite and copper



	Well, I'm sure our resident chemists will give a more complete
explanation here, but to say malachite doesn't contain copper is akin to
saying bauxite doesn't contain aluminum ;-)!  
	Two "Ick" remedies which I've used on planted tanks with no
apparent ill effects are Maracide and Ick Guard.  The latter is faster
acting, but does indeed contain Victoria Green, which is (if memory
serves) another name for malachite green!  
	As a side note, I should point out that most meds recommend
keeping the tanks relatively dark while medicating,and it is this sudden
change in lighting, at least as much as your average ick medication, which
may affect the plants negatively.
	Also, although I have yet to run across any scientific
documentation in support of this theory, supposedly the free-swimming
stage of our favourite protozoan requires light to survive, so completely
shutting out light to the tank for a week should wipe out Ich. I find the
idea of a protozoan needing light more than a little strange, but since I
have seen this advice offered by persons whose opinion I generally trust,
so I am not as skeptical as I might otherwise be.

		Andrew



~^~
 ~
> Jeffrey Chow wrote:
> 
> >
> > I have the ich remover but I don't know how this will react with my plants.
> >  I heard that the malachite green has a copper base to it and that this
> > could kill my plants.  What should I do?

	Lois Lin wrote:
> I did some research when I got ich in my plant tank back in March.  Malachite
> green does not contain copper and the consensus is it is reasonablely plant
> safe.  I did not lost any plant during the treatment.
> 
> You can read about my ich outbreak in my page:
> 
> http://www.interlog.com/~lhclin/outbreak.0397.html
> 
> I also have a list of plants I have so those plants should be okay (except
> E. tellenus, H. leucocephala and H. colorita, they were not in my tank
> during the treatment).