(1) 2 3 »
Goldy Goldy
  • Forum Manager
  • Forum Manager
  • Joined: 10/3/2004 21:05
  • From Cheshire
  • Group: Registered Users Image Admin Caresheets Moderators Advisers
  • Posts: 16771
  • Posted on: 14/5/2005 21:09
Using salt in your aquarium #1
Salt Dosages

Aquarium salt is widely used to help prevent illness as well as treating for different diseases. Salts are widely used because they have so many benefits compared to using medications.

Examples:

* Salt will not harm your filters
* It is cheap to use
* It does not cause any harm to the person administering it
* It is not harmful to the majority of fish species
* It will not send a sick fish over the edge
* It quickly eliminates 7 out of 9 parasites

Before using salt you will want to remove submerged plants and perform a water change of 50%.

Salts that can be used are:

* food grade
* non mineralized cattle feed grade
* NON-iodized salt (no additives such as Yellow Prussiate of Soda)
* Aquarium salts available at the petstores

Do not use salt containing anti-caking agents such as sodium ferrocyanide (yellow prussiate of soda - this can release hydrogen cyanide when exposed to sunlight!)

Below is a helpful chart to use when help is needed!

However, the recommended dosage from Doc Johnson is 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon of water every 12 hours not to exceed 3 treatments. If dealing with large tanks or ponds you will need to use 3 pounds of salt per 100 gallons of water.

Also read the information below:

Salt levels do not dissipate with water evaporation or small water changes. Freshwater/coldwater fish like Goldfish are not designed to live in a saline environment. Salt is a wonderful remedy to treat ailments, or to control the toxicity of nitrite/nitrate spikes, but as a normal maintenance procedure it is a no-no for goldfish. Salt also tends to make water harder. If you already have hard water, you are adding to his stress. Through what is called "osmosis" your goldfish already maintains a normal high salt concentration in his body fluids and needs to absorb freshwater into his cells to keep in balance. By adding more salt to his water, you are overloading his system and putting him under osmotic stress. This can be fatal. It saps their energy and strength and weakens their immune system, or can even kill them. This is probably why your fish is spending a lot of time "sleeping" at the bottom of the tank. Give him some fresh oxygenated water w/o the salt. Save the salt for only when he is sick or there is a problem with your water. Happy fishing!!

Salt Dips-

* Providing salt dips help fish that have been shipped or moved recover their electrolytes.
* A fish that has been dipped in salt is more susceptible to medications being able to help them since the salt dipping will remove their protective covering (slime coat).
* Dipping removed unwanted parasites



Low Salt Dosages-

* Low salt dosages in the tank will provide minerals for the fish.
* Works like a protective covering on the fish to protect against nitrite poisoning.
* Will stimulate the slime coat

http://members.aol.com/sirchin/salt.htm
captk captk
  • Home away from home
  • Home away from home
  • Joined: 8/5/2005 13:25
  • From Australia
  • Group: Registered Users Basic Membership
  • Posts: 984
  • Posted on: 15/5/2005 0:52
Re: Using salt in your aquarium #2
Goldy, couldn't agree more.

I did notice that the links on the other web page seems to be broken so I'll just throw in a few common dosage rate just in case you are using rock/sea/canning/solar salt and it doesn't come with instructions as in aquarium salt.

Salt is an excellent tool and treatment option which I heartily recommend but it is still a chemical and should only be used when there is a need. Over used of salt have lead to salt tolerant parasites which kind of defeats the whole purpose of using salt.

OBTW, to avoid any confusion with US and imperial measurements, I shall use grams and liters.

The following are tank wide treatment and you should only add 1g/L of salt every 12 hrs. So if you need to raise it to 0.3% then it will take 3 seperate doses of salt over 36hrs.

0.1%-0.15%: (1 to 1.5g per L) general tonic level. Aids in de-stressing the fish, helps with breathing, protect fish against nitrIte poisoning (brown blood disease). Can be used indefinitely but not necessary.

0.3%: (3g per L) use to treat certain parasites such as ich. Helps to control fungus. Can be maintained for weeks.

0.6%: (6g per L) used for salt tolerant parasites. Controls fungus. Promote slime coat regeneration. 2 weeks duration max.

Now we are going on to salt baths and dips. (health warnings attached. )

1.0%: Salt bath. Can be helpful to restart osmotic process in case of dropsy/bloating. Kills some parasites. Perk up a sick fish. Controls (not cure) bacteria. 1 hour max. Care must be taken with small or very weak fish. Any sign of destress (e.g. rolling over), remove the fish into a bucket of fresh dechlor water immediately.

1.5-3.0%: salt dips. This is serious stuff. Kills saprolegnia and other fungus. Controls bacteria. Treats fin and tail rots. Strips slime coat so meds can get to the parasites underneath. Must be used with great care. 10 mins max. As soon as a fish rolls over, remove it and place in a bucket of fresh dechlor water immediately. DO NOT use with small fish or very weak, sick fish as the dip will push them over the edge. Be warned!

This is only general information and what should be done on specific cases must be assessed individually.
I know enough to know that I don't know enough
Fishmerised Fishmerised
  • Just popping in
  • Just popping in
  • Joined: 19/8/2005 15:09
  • Group: Registered Users Basic Membership
  • Posts: 15
  • Posted on: 19/8/2005 15:49
Re: Using salt in your aquarium #3
I'm a big fan of salt and use it at a maintenance dose of .1% all the time. Salt at low levels also will discourage the growth of saprogenia or common water mould.
captk captk
  • Home away from home
  • Home away from home
  • Joined: 8/5/2005 13:25
  • From Australia
  • Group: Registered Users Basic Membership
  • Posts: 984
  • Posted on: 19/8/2005 15:59
Re: Using salt in your aquarium #4
I'm a fan of salt as well but I don't like the idea of keep salt in the tank all the time. It can lead to salt resistant bugs and give you less option when you do need to use salt. I think using it sparsingly is a better long term plan. Salt is a type of chemical afterall.
I know enough to know that I don't know enough
Fishmerised Fishmerised
  • Just popping in
  • Just popping in
  • Joined: 19/8/2005 15:09
  • Group: Registered Users Basic Membership
  • Posts: 15
  • Posted on: 20/8/2005 14:13
Re: Using salt in your aquarium #5
I'll agree you have a point there.
loachy loachy
  • Just can't stay away
  • Just can't stay away
  • Joined: 24/8/2005 12:31
  • From Lancashire
  • Group: Registered Users Basic Membership
  • Posts: 98
  • Posted on: 29/8/2005 23:05
Re: Using salt in your aquarium #6
Right, so If I wanted to put salt into my aquarium, going off doc Johnsons recommendations,

My tank is 240 litres, so that is 52.8 gallons, now it says 1tsp of salt per gallon, so would I add 52 teaspoons of salt in one go into the tank??

Sorry to sound like a thicko, but I've not used salt as an ich treatment before, and it sounds like an awful lot of salt to me!

Would I need to half the dose, as it's for treating clown loaches?

So many questions!!
Goldy Goldy
  • Forum Manager
  • Forum Manager
  • Joined: 10/3/2004 21:05
  • From Cheshire
  • Group: Registered Users Image Admin Caresheets Moderators Advisers
  • Posts: 16771
  • Posted on: 29/8/2005 23:16
Re: Using salt in your aquarium #7
Usually you add it gradually over about 3 days loachy to prevent shocking the fish, so you would add about 17 tps a day, but I would half this dose as you have clown loach plus I would advise asking at your Lfs before using it with the clown loach and see if they use it, just to be on the safe side.
loachy loachy
  • Just can't stay away
  • Just can't stay away
  • Joined: 24/8/2005 12:31
  • From Lancashire
  • Group: Registered Users Basic Membership
  • Posts: 98
  • Posted on: 30/8/2005 8:15
Re: Using salt in your aquarium #8
Thanks Goldy!

what's the lfs btw?
Euryale Euryale
  • Brackish Moderator
  • Brackish Moderator
  • Joined: 26/1/2005 9:06
  • From Essex
  • Group: Registered Users
  • Posts: 1237
  • Posted on: 30/8/2005 8:20
Re: Using salt in your aquarium #9
lfs = Local Fish Shop
Resized Image
loachy loachy
  • Just can't stay away
  • Just can't stay away
  • Joined: 24/8/2005 12:31
  • From Lancashire
  • Group: Registered Users Basic Membership
  • Posts: 98
  • Posted on: 30/8/2005 8:34
Re: Using salt in your aquarium #10
Ahh right