| United States Patent Application |
20030129255
|
| Kind Code
|
A1
|
|
Underwood, Roy E.
; et al.
|
July 10, 2003
|
Colloidal silver suspension for treating skin problems in tropical and
decorative fish
Abstract
This is a method of treating a wide range of skin lesions in tropical and
decorative fish in which the animals to be treated are exposed to dilute
suspensions of colloidal silver. During the course of treatment,
colloidal silver is added periodically to the aquarium in which the fish
lives. so that the water therein has a silver concentration on the order
of 1 ppb. A suitable treatment procedure entails adding 1 teaspoon of
colloidal silver which contains about 6 ppm of silver to 10 gallons of
aquarium water every other day. This treatment has been found effective
in healing some fish, ever those with rather large wounds in a matter of
days. If a longer treatment period is required, then the colloidal silver
addition is continued at the same rate and then 50 percent of the water
is changed once a week, until the lesion(s) have healed. It was also
found that bacteria and virus skin problems could be prevented by having
silver colloidal concentrations of 0.3-0.5 ppb in the aquarium water.
| Inventors: |
Underwood, Roy E.; (Young Harris, GA)
; Underwood, Mark A.; (Young Harris, GA)
|
| Correspondence Name and Address:
|
Harry I. Leon
924 Bowen St., N.W.
Atlanta
GA
30318
US
|
| Serial No.:
|
336065 |
| Series Code:
|
10
|
| Filed:
|
January 3, 2003 |
| U.S. Current Class: |
424/618 |
| U.S. Class at Publication: |
424/618 |
| Intern'l Class: |
A61K 033/38 |
Claims
It is claimed:
1. A method of treating skin problems in tropical and decorative fish
comprising: (a) an addition of a therapeutic substance(s) directly to
their aquarian tank water; (b) the therapeutic solution is the addition
of a silver colloidal solution in the order of 1 part per billion.
2. A method of treating skin problems in tropical and decorative fish
comprising the following added to a ten gallon aquarium according to
claim 1 which further comprises of an addition of eight ounce of Zeolite.
3. The method according to claim 1 which further comprises changing about
50 percent of the aquarium water once a week, during the course if
treatment.
4. A method of treating skin problems in tropical and decorative fish
comprising the following added to a ten gallon aquarium: (a) an addition
of tablespoon (5 ml) of a suspension of colloidal sliver in which the
concentration of silver ranges between 6 ppm and 12 ppm (parts per
million); (b) an eight ounce addition of Zeolite; (c) a 2 pellets Ichiban
Koi Food per 6 inch length of fish every other day
5. A method of treating bacteria and virus skin infections in tropical and
decorative fish comprising using a concentration of silver in an aqueous
solution in the range of 0.3 ppb to 10 ppb in the aquarium water.
Description
RELATED U.S. APPLICATION DATA
[0001] This application takes advantage of Provisional Patent having the
same title and inventors filed Jan. 4. 2002, and having Ser. No.
60,344,624
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The presence of skin lesions in tropical and decorative fish is
commonplace. Whether caused by scrapes during handling or a skin disease,
these ailments must be treated with great care. Otherwise, because of the
extreme sensitivity of these fish, they may suffer a life-threatening
upset, possibly as a result of an allergic reaction triggered by exposure
to certain chemicals, and succumb. While conceivable treatment scenarios
include direct injection as well as the administration of a liquid
medicine orally or in powdered form in the fish feed, the easiest method,
for a large number of fish, is to add therapeutic substance(s) directly
to their aquarium tank water.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Tests have shown that skin problems in tropical and decorative fish
can be treated successfully by adding a highly dilute suspension of
colloidal silver to the aquarium water in which such fish are living.
Among the species which have been treated are koi, goldfish and a variety
of tropical and marine fish, which collectively exhibited a wide range of
skin lesions. These lesions include ulcer diseases and fin and mouth rot
all of which are bacteria eating holes in the fish. There is also help
given on treatment of skin virus problems such as herpes.
[0004] In accordance with the present invention, a method of treating skin
problems in fish comprises adding a teaspoon (5 ml) of a suspension of
colloidal silver in which the concentration of silver ranges between 6
ppm and 12 ppm (parts per million) to 10 gallons of water in an aquarium
every other day and then changing 50% of the water once a week, so that
the water to which the fish to be treated are exposed has a silver
concentration initially in the range of 0.77 ppb to 1.5 ppb (parts per
billion). Within a matter of days this treatment has been found effective
in healing some fish, even those with rather large wounds. Further, since
the effective concentration of silver is so dilute that some nitrifying
bacteria can survive this treatment, so some bio-filtration is still
possible.
TYPICAL TEST PROCEDURE AND RESULTS
[0005] A typical test using koi fish which initially suffered from a large
skin ulcer of about one inch long and a about inch wide. This lesion was
observed to have been completely healed after the fish was exposed, for a
period of 29 days, to an aqueous solution containing initially 1.3 ppb of
colloidal silver. A cup of Zeolite was also added to the 10 gallon
aquarium housing this fish to reduce ammonia buildup. Further, the fish
was fed every other day 2 pellets per 6 inch length of fish with Ichiban
Koi Food, a product of Misty Mountain, to help the animal maintain an
active immune system.
[0006] Some fish exposed to the same concentration of
colloidal silver
were found to heal completely in less than two weeks.
[0007] Test were conducted with multiple fish in the 10 gallon test and it
was found that good results if the total length of the combination of the
fish (measured nose to tail fin) was 16 inches in length or less.
[0008] Fish exposed to
colloidal silver at concentrations as high as 10
ppb were shown to have no toxic reaction. The lethal dose concentration
of
colloidal silver has not been established at this time.
[0009] It was also found that skin problems could be prevented from
occurring in tropical and decorative fish by having silver colloidal
concentration in the aquarium of about 0,5 ppb.
METHOD OF PREPARING THE
COLLOIDAL SILVER SUSPENSION
[0010] A suitable
colloidal silver suspension was prepared, using
electrolysis, by applying an electric current which varied between 9 and
33 volts d.c. to two silver plates placed in a vat of distilled water.
The concentration of silver in this suspension was determined
analytically to lie in the range of between 6 ppm an 12 ppm. The stock
solution is 10 ppm is now available at the inventors' corporation, Misty
Mountain.
[0011] It is understood that those skilled in the art may conceive other
applications, modifications and/or changes in the invention described
above. Any such applications, modifications or changes which fall within
the purview of the description are intended to be illustrative and not
intended to be limitative. The scope of the invention is limited only by
the scope of the claims appended hereto:
