# Need advice about potassium permanganate!



## naveedpk2001 (Mar 27, 2012)

Hi, I am running a 30 gallon low teach planted tank, I have a question about using potassium permanganate in planted tank 2mg/L dose of potassium permanganate can be use in planted tank for period of 4 hours to disinfect fish from external parasites or it will kill plants. I am totally new to potassium permanganate so please advice. Thanks in advance.


----------



## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

Just noticed this post; if you don't get an answer soon I would suggest a private message to TexGal. She uses this for her plants that are wild-collected.


----------



## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

I just noticed this note that I had taken a while back on using this:

_Potassium permanganate - 1 gram/10 L H2O kills everything but plants in bath; must be less than 15 min._

That doesn't help as far as using it in your tank, but maybe it'll help you adjust the numbers.


----------



## Byork (Oct 21, 2012)

I would not use it in your tank unless you KNOW that you have parasites that are resistant to other treatments. I use pp to disinfect plants in a bucket regularly with no problems. I even left an aponogeton in a pretty strong solution for about 5 days before I realized it. The leaves were all dyed bright purple. I thought it would die for sure but it is actually blooming now. Fish on the other hand can't handle it like that. Very weak solutions are used as bathes for fish for minutes at most. I have used it to disinfect filters and things but I'm pretty sure you would dye your tank ornaments or at least the silicone. What type of parasite do you have?


----------



## naveedpk2001 (Mar 27, 2012)

Thank you very much for all those replied for my post, I am running 30 gallons low teach tank locally dig soil 1.5" layer covered with 1.5" layer of sand for 1 year successfully. I have a pair of one year old discus. My water parameter pH 7.5, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 16ppm some times noticed 20ppm. one month ago I noticed white cotton like stuff 1.5mm in diameter on pictorial fin of one discus initially I thought that it is cotton wool fungus so i just started to perform 20% regular water changes in my tank as I have only formalin and melechate green based medicine in hand and don't have experience with antibiotics and don't have other tank as hospital so i bit confuse to use formalin, melechate green or methylene blue in my planted tank as these medicine may kill my plants. so i started to surf internet and found a document "The Use of Potassium Permanganate in Fish Ponds - by Andrew M. Lazur" published by university of Florida IFAS Extension in this document they explained use of potassium permanganate it preparation and dosage for aquarium and ponds. other benefits of using PP are Potassium permanganate, KMnO 4 , is a chemical oxidizing agent that will react with any organic matter in a pond including algae, bacteria, fish, particulate and dissolved organic, and organic bottom sediments. It has been used in fish ponds to treat common fish pathogens such as gill parasites and external bacterial and fungal infections. so therefore I asked with you people if PP can be used in ponds so why not in aquarium? my plants are, Amazon Swords, Java fern, water wisteria, cobomba ludwigia, bacopa and vallisneria. discus have same white stuff it is not increasing or decreasing right now i am just doing 20% water change every other day. if you people suggest any safe antibiotic or medicine which can safely be used in planted tank I'll be tankful. sorry for my poor English and thanks in advance.


----------



## Byork (Oct 21, 2012)

Formalin is safe for planted tanks. I have personally used rid ich and quickcure in my planted tanks with no adverse effects. I would treat with the formalin and malachite green at whatever level is recommended for discus. The plants will be fine just do the recommended water changes. Do you have a picture of the discus?


----------



## naveedpk2001 (Mar 27, 2012)

Tanks for reply Byork! I just performed 25% WC every other day now my discus looks much better and has very small fuzziness on its pectoral fin, but i'll remember your advice for future.


----------

