Malachite Green and Formalin Safe for Piranha?
Is Malachite Green bad for piranha's? i just found this out. and are piranha scaleless? my sick piranha looks like he has scales. anyway im treating them all with polyguard it has Malachite Green in it.

i have a 240g tank 3 canister filters 2 fx5 ,1 600gph. planted tank .Parameters are good

Ammonia:0
Nitrite:0
Nitrate:20
Ph: 6.8

they are flashing bad thats why i jumped the gun on treatment I'm not sure what it is yet. any experienced piranha keep able to guide me through this. they gills look like a white and real red. and they wont stop flashing..

i guess i need to know what drugs i need i dont want to lose my fishy's

Hello Charlie to the forum. You sound by your set-up to be more than a beginner in this hobby so I am surprised that you would start throwing chemicals in the tank before working out what's wrong. Yes piranhas do have scales and healthy gill filaments are supposed to be a bright red. If the fish have been subjected to high ammonia it will affect the gills and cause the fish to 'flash', as will a rapid change in pH. Not familiar with the medication that you mention, so can't comment on that. How many fish are in the tank? how often do you part change the water? What are you feeding them? What temperature are they kept at? And do you have any pictures of the fish?

Malachite is used to treat fungus and mould infections in aquaria. However the dosis needed to do that, is poisonous to piranhas.
Like Den said : stop using medications if you don't know what you're trying to treat.
That'll be like you yourself just take "some" pills if you have a cold.

Edit : about formalin : I use it to preserve some fishes. Don't use it unless you know exactly what dillution you need or it surely will kill your fish.

Post up some pics, if you have any, of some preserved fish you have please Lucien.

Thanks

them to chemicals can be used with piranhas but half the dosage, also like everyone else said u need to get to the bottem of the problem first then treat from there!!

Why would you want to see some dead specimen soaking in formaline ? Dried ones look better :P

But here you are : so far only one is sliced for having a closer look at the bladder, the rest is in good order preserved.

Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

I assumed they were preserved and visible, for display prurposes- you're right- fish in jam jars isnt quite the same.

Nevertheless, thanks for the pics.

No, preserved in formaline means kept in a bottle so the flesh stays soft. Always able to cut them open. For display purposes they are easier and better dried then soaked in formalin.
Dried ones however can't be dissected anymore...