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API General Cure is an interesting medication, as it contains both praziquantel and metronidazole. Prazi is widely used to treat gill flukes and some internal parasites, whereas metro is good at eradicating all internal parasites... even the ones prazi doesn't treat. So, you can see how useful it is to have both active ingredients in one medication.
Metro is easily water-soluble, but prazi is not. So I've been wondering just how the praziquantel found in General Cure works, being it's a powdered medication. Prazipro, the most widely used medication containing praziquantel, is a liquid that uses Oxybispropanol as an inert solubilizing agent. I've also read that powder praziquantel should be dissolved using a small amount of ethyl alcohol or even common vodka before dosing your tank (Oxybispropanol satisfies this requirement.)
I posed this question to Randy Holmes-Farley on this thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/reef-chemistry-randy-holmes-farley/194677-praziquantel-water-soluble.html
His response:
This begs the question: Exactly how is API implementing praziquantel in their General Cure powder? So, I called them. The first thing I wanted to clear up is exactly what is in General Cure. Because when I pull up General Cure's MSDS off their website it lists the following as ingredients: sodium chloride, metronidazole, trichlorfon, silica amorphous (fumed, crystalline free) and copper sulfate. They assured me that was the old formulation, and that the new one only contains praziquantel and metronidazole. They just haven't updated the MSDS yet.
My next question was how does their prazi work in powder only form? I was told that powder praziquantel is a "contact pesticide" which does fully dissolve in water; it just takes longer if you don't use ethyl alcohol to mix it with. I was also told that General Cure can be safely mixed with just about any other fish medication, including Chloroquine phosphate. I will be testing that out soon, probably on a damsel.
So there you have it. I'm not 100% sure what to think, really. I'm still processing everything. Please discuss below!
Metro is easily water-soluble, but prazi is not. So I've been wondering just how the praziquantel found in General Cure works, being it's a powdered medication. Prazipro, the most widely used medication containing praziquantel, is a liquid that uses Oxybispropanol as an inert solubilizing agent. I've also read that powder praziquantel should be dissolved using a small amount of ethyl alcohol or even common vodka before dosing your tank (Oxybispropanol satisfies this requirement.)
I posed this question to Randy Holmes-Farley on this thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/reef-chemistry-randy-holmes-farley/194677-praziquantel-water-soluble.html
I'm basically wanting to switch over from liquid Prazipro to a powder form of praziquantel. Like this: Praziquantel
The reason is I'm try to avoid the oxybispropanol found in Prazipro, which has caused bacterial blooms in my QT in the past - especially when mixed with other medications. I know powder praziquantel is "not easily water soluble", which is why it is suggested to mix it with a small amount of ethyl alcohol or even vodka.
But does that mean it flat out won't dissolve in water or it just takes a while to do so?
His response:
It is very poorly soluble in water. I doubt you can make a water only stock solution.
This begs the question: Exactly how is API implementing praziquantel in their General Cure powder? So, I called them. The first thing I wanted to clear up is exactly what is in General Cure. Because when I pull up General Cure's MSDS off their website it lists the following as ingredients: sodium chloride, metronidazole, trichlorfon, silica amorphous (fumed, crystalline free) and copper sulfate. They assured me that was the old formulation, and that the new one only contains praziquantel and metronidazole. They just haven't updated the MSDS yet.
My next question was how does their prazi work in powder only form? I was told that powder praziquantel is a "contact pesticide" which does fully dissolve in water; it just takes longer if you don't use ethyl alcohol to mix it with. I was also told that General Cure can be safely mixed with just about any other fish medication, including Chloroquine phosphate. I will be testing that out soon, probably on a damsel.
So there you have it. I'm not 100% sure what to think, really. I'm still processing everything. Please discuss below!