Why formalin is used in fish?
Also tell me what's the effects of it in fish?
2007-03-12 07:03:05 · 1 answers · asked by star123 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Formalin is a trade name for a solution of 40% formaldehyde and 60% water. Formaldehyde, CH2O, was discovered in 1867 and is a powerful disinfectant and fungicide. Lately, formaldehyde has been classified as a carcinogen.
The only time I ever saw Formalin used in fish was as a specimen for dissection in a high school biology lab.
On a hunch, I just called a friend who keeps freshwater tropical fish. He told me that a quick dip in Formalin was once considered the cure for a number of fungal infections that tank fish often get. His opinion was that it killed more fish than it cured and said that there are much more effective, less toxic, treatments now available.
2007-03-12 07:22:00 · answer #1 · answered by Diogenes 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋