Hydrogen Peroxide - Fish Treatment Information

[Humblefish]

Hydrogen Peroxide *** The information contained here is subject to frequent changes as I experiment and learn more about the usefulness of H₂O₂ ***

 

What It Treats – Provides temporary relief for Marine Velvet Disease. After a 30 minute H₂O₂ bath, the fish should be transferred into a Quarantine Tank (QT) and treated with either copper or Chloroquine phosphate.

 

How To Treat – The following is needed:

 

1. 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (USP grade) - available at most drugstores or Walmart

2. Large glass bowl or container (Avoid using plastic buckets/containers)

3. Syringe or pipette (for measuring out the H₂O₂) and measuring cup (for adding saltwater to the glass bowl)

4. Metal spoon for mixing (NOT plastic)

 

 

Directions:

 

1. Prepare saltwater for the bath by having it set to the right temperature and heavily aerating it. You can accomplish the latter by running an airstone or pointing a powerhead towards the surface of the water for at least 1 hour (longer is better). Alternatively, you can use Display Tank (DT) water or even from your Quarantine Tank (QT) provided no medications/chemicals are present in the water.

 

2. Add saltwater (using measuring cup) to the large glass bowl. Keep track of exactly how much water is added - either in cups or ml. (Do this beforehand if preparing saltwater for the bath right in the glass bowl.) Make sure your fish has enough water to swim around and last for 30 minutes without aeration.

 

3. Discontinue all aeration before adding Hydrogen Peroxide to the water. Using a syringe or pipette, add 3% Hydrogen Peroxide as per dosing instructions below. Dip the tip below the waterline and spread the H₂O₂ throughout the water. (Do not allow any air/bubbles to enter the water at this point.) After dosing is complete, gently stir the water using a metal spoon. The reason you want to be careful not to create any gas exchange/aeration once the H₂O₂ has been added is to prevent the atoms from releasing their bond and becoming just oxygen + water.

 

Dosing instructions: To achieve ~ 150 ppm H₂O₂ add:

• 1.25 ml of 3% H2O2 per 1 cup of saltwater.

OR

• 5 ml of 3% H₂O₂ per 1 liter of saltwater.

OR

• 20 ml of 3% H2O2 per 1 gallon of saltwater.

4. Now it's time to add the fish. Again, do not aerate during treatment. The bath water should be perfectly still. It's okay to use a heater, but probably not necessary since the bath only lasts 30 minutes. Observe closely and remove the fish if showing signs of distress. The vast majority of fish will handle it just fine. After 30 minutes, remove the fish and transfer into a QT for further treatment: https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/404078-marine-velvet-fish-disease-information/

 

Pros – Effective, easy-to-source “pre-treatment” before fish is placed in QT with copper or Chloroquine. In this study, a single 30 minute treatment with 75 ppm hydrogen peroxide "greatly reduced" Velvet trophonts on the fish: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230234979_The_Application_of_Hydrogen_Peroxide_as_a_Treatment_for_the_Ectoparasite_Amyloodinium_ocellatum_Brown_1931_on_the_Pacific_Threadfin_Polydactylus_sexfilis

 

Cons/Side Effects – Still experimental so side effects are not really known. It's possible some fish may not tolerate this treatment. Avoid using H2O2 on fish with an open wound or obvious infection. Although H2O2 is an antiseptic, it has been found to slow the healing process and possibly worsen scarring by killing the healthy cells surrounding a cut.

 

*** Further reading on use of Hydrogen Peroxide for fish:

 

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa157 (PDF: https://agrilifecdn.tamu.edu/fisheries/files/2013/09/Use-of-Hydrogen-Peroxide-in-Finfish-Aquaculture.pdf)

 

http://www.masa.asn.au/masawiki/index.php/Hydrogen_Peroxide

 

http://www.masa.asn.au/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=212442

 

More info from the aforementioned study: https://www.academia.edu/23793309/The_Application_of_Hydrogen_Peroxide_as_a_Treatment_for_the_Ectoparasite_Amyloodinium_ocellatum_Brown_1931_on_the_Pacific_Threadfin_Polydactylus_sexfilis

 

*** At this time H2O2 is only appropriate to use for the following scenarios:

1. Hybrid Tank Transfer Method: Hybrid TTM to treat all parasites!
2. For temporary relief of velvet & brook. It can also be used as temporary relief for uronema; however the H2O2 will aggravate the red sores if a fish has an active infection.
3. Bath treatment prior to entering quarantine. The fish may or may not require further treatment in QT. Best to observe for 30 days with black mollies alongside: Black Molly Quarantine

To be clear, I do not expect the above to be the "final say" on using H2O2. But research and experimentation into this new treatment is going to take time. What I'm trying to discourage is people taking liberties with the treatment, and just dropping the fish in their DT straight away after one 30 minute bath. Best to at least observe in QT (with no meds) for 30 days before doing that.

 

Return to Medications Index: 

[Humblefish]

In the future, I believe many other pathogens can be treated (or even eradicated) by using Hydrogen Peroxide. 

 

However, I feel it's wise to start off conservative with this and only recommend what was been proven thus far. I want to gain more confidence & do more experimentation before recommending a more aggressive treatment protocol for a wider range of parasites/diseases.

[Humblefish]

Recommended dosage for the 30 min H2O2 bath is now 150 ppm. Dosing instructions have been updated in the OP.

[William]

Would this be a good option as an initial bath prior to adding a new fish?

[Humblefish]

40 minutes ago, William said:

Would this be a good option as an initial bath prior to adding a new fish?

Yes; although at the moment I wouldn't think of this as a "replacement" for proper QT.

[William]

11 hours ago, Humblefish said:

Yes; although at the moment I wouldn't think of this as a "replacement" for proper QT.

I’m space limited and don’t always quarantine my fish (you would think after 20 years in the hobby I would learn), but this seams like a good way to as least decrease the possible disease burden a fish could bring into the aquarium. I used to freshwater dip fish before Introducing  them, but found the process too traumatic to do as a routine addition process. 

[Humblefish]

2 hours ago, William said:

I’m space limited and don’t always quarantine my fish (you would think after 20 years in the hobby I would learn), but this seams like a good way to as least decrease the possible disease burden a fish could bring into the aquarium. I used to freshwater dip fish before Introducing  them, but found the process too traumatic to do as a routine addition process. 

If you aren't going to QT anyway, then a 30 min, 150ppm H2O2 bath might save your tank from a virulent disease. I haven't found any downside to doing it.

[Humblefish]

*** At this time H2O2 is only appropriate to use for the following scenarios:

1. Hybrid Tank Transfer Method: Hybrid TTM to treat all parasites!
2. For temporary relief of velvet & brook. It can also be used as temporary relief for uronema; however the H2O2 will aggravate the red sores if a fish has an active infection.
3. Bath treatment prior to entering quarantine. The fish may or may not require further treatment in QT. Best to observe for 30 days with black mollies alongside: Black Molly Quarantine

To be clear, I do not expect the above to be the "final say" on using H2O2. But research and experimentation into this new treatment is going to take time. What I'm trying to discourage is people taking liberties with the treatment, and just dropping the fish in their DT straight away after one 30 minute bath. Best to at least observe in QT (with no meds) for 30 days before doing that.

[Humblefish]

H2O2 successful against Brook: Brooklynella - Fish Disease Information

 

So, a local reefer contacted me because his clownfish have brook. We discussed my research/experimentation regarding H2O2 and he decided he wanted to try it. So he gave all of his fish a 30 min H2O2 bath (as outlined in the OP of this thread) and transferred them into a (non-medicated) QT. To be clear, no treatment(s) other than H2O2 have been used on these fish.

 

24 hours later and both clownfish are 100% clear. 😀 Their colors are a bit dull, but that is probably due to stress from the whole ordeal. Keep in mind I am not present to confirm cross contamination doesn't occur, so this will not be counted as an "official experiment". But at the very least, this demonstrates that a 30 min H2O2 bath can provide temporary relief of brook.  If symptoms do return, I have Rally + metro to treat these fish properly.

 

Before and after pics below. He assures me any white marks on the clownfish in the "after pics" are just spots on the glass.