# Methylene Blue Q(?)



## nowzem (Apr 14, 2011)

Can anyone tell me WHY aquarists have used Methylene Blue for years as a disease preventative? It doesn't make ANY sense to me because it is a DYE. I work in a medical lab, and we stain bacteria and fungus with it to see them better under a microscope and lemme tell ya, those little microbes do NOT die when exposed to pure, undiluted methylene blue (but they are made more visible  They continue to" swim" and" dance" all over the slide for HOURS.

I just read a post on another site where someone recommended using methylene blue for fin rot...so that is what sparked my post


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I don't really know much about it except that it can be used in spawning tanks to prevent eggs from fungusing. I find it interesting that it doesn't kill bacteria and fungus.


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## nowzem (Apr 14, 2011)

Perhaps it kills aquatic microbes and not, ahem, fecal microbes...? However...there are some of the same microbes found everywhere...pseudomonas/aeromonas for example are common human pathogens, as well as betta pathogens  Yeast typically don't move under the scope, so perhaps it IS anti-fungal...but I'm skeptical.


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## LeroyTheBetta (Dec 18, 2010)

Hmm, interesting question. I did a little bit of a search on it and the only thing I came up with that might explain it is that it's a mild antiseptic. Maybe it's mild enough to stain your samples and be able to see them for a while, but will eventually kill them if left exposed for a long enough period. 

Also, I'm not sure where this info was originally obtained, but I saw an excerpt from a person's forum comment and it said "Methylene Blue works by staining cells and disabling their metabolism". Couldn't find anything about this in my short search, but sounds feasible.


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## PewPewPew (Nov 26, 2010)

If youve ever had a urinary tract infection, they give you a pure dye to help ward it off as well as prevent pain...It does more than you think, its a very strong dye!

Meth. Blue is VERY powerful against many types of illnesses, but really only when used as a bath (in a high, temporary dose).


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## nowzem (Apr 14, 2011)

Hmmm... everything I've read about it states otherwise. I read that it is good for preventing fungal infections on eggs, but that it is basically ineffective comparatively for most other diseases. I think it is outdated, ineffective, and probably should only be used rarely (and even then it should be passed over, as it is more of a preventative tool than a "cure" and other chemicals have greater efficacy).


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