Hydrogen Peroxide bath

[Humblefish]

Hydrogen Peroxide bath (updated 1-31-23)

What It Treats: Provides temporary relief for Marine Velvet Disease and Brooklynella. After a 30 minute H2O2 bath, the fish should be transferred into a Quarantine Tank (QT) for followup treatment.

How To Treat: (The following is needed)

1. 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (USP grade) – available at most drug stores, grocery stores, Walmart, Target, etc.
2. Large glass bowl or container (Food grade plastic bucket is fine as well).
3. Milliliter Syringe (for measuring out the H2O2) and Measuring Cup (for adding saltwater to the glass bowl or bucket).
4. Food grade plastic spoon for stirring/mixing.

Directions

1) Prepare saltwater for the bath by matching temperature & salinity to the water from which the fish is coming. (Matching pH is optional, provided both are > 7.5.) Heavily aerate the water to be used for the bath by running an airstone or pointing a powerhead towards the surface of the water for at least 1 hour prior. Alternatively, you can use Display Tank (DT) or even Quarantine Tank (QT) water provided no medications/chemicals are present in the water.

2) Add saltwater (using measuring cup) to the bowl or bucket. Keep track of exactly how much water is added in cups, liters or gallons. Make sure your fish has enough room/water to swim around.

3) Using a ml syringe, add 3% Hydrogen Peroxide as per dosing instructions below. After dosing is complete, stir the water by using a plastic spoon (or similar). You can also use an airstone to provide oxygen during the bath and help mix the peroxide into the water.

Dosing instructions to achieve 150 ppm H2O2:

• 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.

(You can verify that the H2O2 concentration is at least 100ppm by using these test strips: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005XTZMWY/?tag=humblefish-20)

4) Now it’s time to add the fish. It’s okay to use a heater, but probably not necessary since the bath only lasts 30 minutes. Observe the fish closely and remove if showing any signs of distress. The vast majority of fish tolerate the bath just fine, but click here to see the fish + peroxide compatibility list. After 30 minutes, remove the fish from the bath and transfer into a QT for further treatment:

• Brooklynella: Brooklynella
  
  
• Marine Velvet Disease: Marine Velvet Disease

Pros: Effective, easy-to-source oxidizer that provides temporary relief for both Marine Velvet Disease and Brooklynella. Can also be used as a “pre-treatment” before a fish enters quarantine.

Cons/Side Effects: Avoid using H2O2 on fish with any red sores, wounds or obvious infections. 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:

The Application of Hydrogen Peroxide as a Treatment for the Ectoparasite Amyloodinium ocellatum (Brown 1931) on the Pacific Threadfin Polydactylus sexfilis

FA157/FA157: Use of Hydrogen Peroxide in Finfish Aquaculture

Video learning:

 

[Humblefish]

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

 

[neil]

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

Any update on your h202 experiments? like what would be a scenario for using it? im quite intrigued

 

[Humblefish]

Any update on your h202 experiments? like what would be a scenario for using it? im quite intrigued

Experimentation is ongoing. However, I think a single 30 min, 150 ppm H2O2 bath ought to knock off the worst pathogens. This needs to be done upon receipt of the fish, and at this time it is advisable to still observe in QT for at least a month. Preferably with a black molly to help detect if anything slipped through the cracks: https://humble.fish/community/index.php?threads/black-molly-quarantine.55/

 

[neil]

Experimentation is ongoing. However, I think a single 30 min, 150 ppm H2O2 bath ought to knock off the worst pathogens. This needs to be done upon receipt of the fish, and at this time it is advisable to still observe in QT for at least a month. Preferably with a black molly to help detect if anything slipped through the cracks: https://humble.fish/community/index.php?threads/black-molly-quarantine.55/

Ohh will do, what exactly does the H202 take off ? ich, velvet flukes? and i think im 100% convinced that i should atleast have a molly in my DT lol

 

[neil]

Also have you tried the H202 on hippos, anthias and wrasses?

 

[Humblefish]

Ohh will do, what exactly does the H202 take off ? ich, velvet flukes? and i think im 100% convinced that i should atleast have a molly in my DT lol

"Surface" parasites & worms such as velvet, brook, uronema, flukes, turbellarians. What's uncertain is will a 30 min, 150 ppm bath 100% remove them 100% of the time. It's all about repeatability. The jury is still out regarding H2O2's effectiveness against Ich.

Also have you tried the H202 on hippos, anthias and wrasses?

Yes

 

[drstardust]

I have a dream...that one day my QT will basically be a mini-FOWLR that I dose peroxide into twice a day for a month as the only protocol besides feeding medicated foods. Fingers crossed that results of Bobby's experimentation will make this a reality!

 

[Lexinverts]

Does H2O2 break down plastic? Is that why you advise using a glass bowl for dips? Thanks!

 

[Humblefish]

Does H2O2 break down plastic? Is that why you advise using a glass bowl for dips? Thanks!

Probably not. It's purely anecdotal from here: http://www.masa.asn.au/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=212442

"Onsan" mentions the following:

I've noticed adverse reactions when using cheap plastic buckets, nothing that i can pin point but i believe there is the potential for the free oxygen radicals to act on the organic plastic, glass and stainless steel are inorganic and are effectively inert to the peroxide, safest bet to use inorganics so i recommended that.

Using a hard food grade plastic probably alleviates this concern. As that is what H2O2 is stored in. However, it's just easier for me to recommend glass (which I know is safe) vs. ensuring the person on the other side of the computer screen is not using cheap plastic.

 

[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.

 

[mattzang]

not fish related, but has anyone tried using h2o2 to deal with dinos? i was hoping just removing gfo would get them go away, but seems i'm not that lucky. from what i can gather 1 mL per 10 gallons of tank volume after lights out is apparently a possible win

 

[Humblefish]

not fish related, but has anyone tried using h2o2 to deal with dinos? i was hoping just removing gfo would get them go away, but seems i'm not that lucky. from what i can gather 1 mL per 10 gallons of tank volume after lights out is apparently a possible win

I have never tried it myself, but I have heard that dosage will eradicate Dinos quickly. You can also treat some corals with 3% H2O2 (1/3 H2O2 + 2/3 saltwater) for 3-5 minutes. Make sure you rinse thoroughly (swish the coral around) afterwards in just plain saltwater.

 

[mattzang]

cures dinos, cures most known external diseases, i think some people use it to combat algae too? clearly the greatest thing ever

 

[Jim McNamara]

Will it deal with exterior infections ( looks like fuzz).

 

[Humblefish]

Will it deal with exterior infections ( looks like fuzz).

H2O2 is an antiseptic so it will help with external infections. UNLESS there is a wound/redness showing, in which cause the H2O2 will burn the hell out of it and do more harm than good.

 

[mattzang]

so here's a new lazy QT idea i just came up with

150 ppm bath prior to entering observation QT with rock and sand and all that jazz
feed medicated foods for a couple of weeks
buy single head doser, set it to dose at least twice a day before and after lights out, although if there's no inverts or corals, could we get crazy with the doses here?
leave fish in QT for at least a month

that would even take out ich?

 

[Humblefish]

so here's a new lazy QT idea i just came up with

150 ppm bath prior to entering observation QT with rock and sand and all that jazz
feed medicated foods for a couple of weeks
buy single head doser, set it to dose at least twice a day before and after lights out, although if there's no inverts or corals, could we get crazy with the doses here?
leave fish in QT for at least a month

that would even take out ich?

Ich could be the Achilles heel of H2O2. I'm not 100% sure of that one way or the other at this juncture. Fish with Ich (to experiment on) are hard to come by nowadays. I joked to my wife that maybe all the Velvet at the wholesale facilities took out "the competition" - Ich.

I'm currently researching the feasibility of combining other chemicals with H2O2 to specifically target Ich. Just in case.

 

[kyley]

Hey @Humblefish, a few quick questions... I just did my 2nd peroxide bath in the H2O2 TTM method (3rd transfer).

1. Does the H2O2 cause a big pH change? After I did the transfer the fish were breathing heavy and pretty freaked out. I had temp and salinity the same, but I tested pH after the transfer and the H202 water was 7.8 and the new water was 8.4 (just with an API pH test, so not highly accurate - the 7.8 may have been 8.0). Could this be why they're breathing so heavy, and is the H202 to blame?

2. The Exquisite Wrasse had Ich when I got it (pic below). Sometime after the first transfer, all spots were gone. Today, I see one spot that really looks like Ich. Would that be possible at this point? I've been careful and used all separate equipment for each tank and fully dried out the previous tank before using it.

3. If this is indeed an Ich spot, do I need to extend TTM longer?

Thanks,
--Kyle

 

[Humblefish]

@kyley

1. H2O2 shouldn't cause a change in pH, but I will research the matter further to be sure of that. Maybe run some tests. API test kits are notoriously inaccurate/inconsistent.

2 & 3. I see many spots that could be Ich. However, they look to be above the surface of the skin so I am also wondering about flukes (or possibly even velvet.) Could you give the fish a 5 min FW dip to confirm or rule out Flukes as a possibility? https://humble.fish/community/index.php?threads/freshwater-dip.20/