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Error in Tropical Fish Hobbyist

Since we've been discussing the use of malachite green and 
copper salts for ick treatment, I thought I'd pass on a little 
something I stumbled across. While reading the Dec99/Jan00 
issue of Tropical Fish Hobbyist, I found a gross error that concerns 
us all. Frank Greco's article on "Quarantine Your Fish", pg. 82, 
states, (and I quote) " What most people don't realize is that 
malachite green is itself a form of copper carbonate." What??? He 
needs to read our posts, because that is definitely not true. I e-
mailed them (T.F.H. Publications) and here's part of the stuff I 
found for them:

<<Aquarisol is the most popular 'fish store' ick medicine available 
in this area. It's composed of copper salts. This is the bad stuff. It 
will desimate your glosso and vals, as well as the fine-leaved 
plants. It probably works, but I wouldn't chance it. The other is 
Quick Cure. It's a formalin-based product, with 0.75% malachite 
green. This is the good stuff. **NO copper***. Both products are 
made by Aquarium Products. Here are some references - 
I found the following information in:
  ( The Merck Index, 11th Edition )
*Malachite green - C23H25ClN2 - triphenylmethane dye with 
fungicidal and limited antiseptic activity - green crystals with 
metallic luster - sol in water. Used as a fungicide and parasiticide 
in fish.
*Cupric Carbonate, basic - CuCO3.Cu(OH)2 - occurs in nature as 
the mineral malachite (dark green monoclinic crystals) - practically 
insol in water.
  ( Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, 12th Edition )
*Malachite green - C23H25ClN2 - condensation of benzaldehyde 
with N,N-dimethylaniline, oxidation of the phenylmethane product, 
and reaction with hydrochloric acid - fungicide, staining agent.>>

I hope they correct it for the folks not on our list. That would really 
limit the available medications we could use if it were believed to be 
true. The formalin-malachite solution is pretty cheap and reliable. It 
definitely doesn't contain copper. 

Jamie    <"\\\><