Salt Baths
- Effective old remedies for many fish diseases, including Ich.
- Add one tablespoon of common salt (sodium chloride) to a gallon of water at the same temperature as the aquarium, place the affected fish in this for five minutes; remove if the fish shows stress. Use only common salt and NOT iodised salt. Stronger salt solutions at four tablespoons of common salt per gallon of water may be used as a swab or dip-bath. Do not place the fish entirely in this solution strength, but rather wrap the fish in a clean, moist cloth and dab the affected areas with the solution.
- Adding one teaspoon of salt to a gallon of aquarium water makes a bath in which the fish can be kept for longer periods- watch for stress and remove to fresh water of the same temperature, if stress occurs. The addition of salt to the aquarium water at the rate of one teaspoon per gallon of water is also a useful preventative measure against Ich and Oodinium. Even concentrations of salt as low as 500 mg/L (0.05% solution) are effective controls for Ich in circulating systems. There is no harm to bacteria in biological filters at that low concentration of salt .
EPSOM Salts
- Use to treat constipation in fish.
- From the tank, remove half the water to a clean container to which is added epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) at the rate of 1 tablespoon per gallon (this keeps water temperature constant for the initial part of the bath. Swim the fish in this solution for 1/4 to 1/2 hour or until stress shows or faeces are released. Top the water up in the fish's usual container with dechloraminated water and return the fish to it. Change the water in about an hour to remove any faeces and residual salts. Dispose of the epsom salts solution by pouring it around your citrus trees or onto the garden beds, as it is a good for treating magnesium deficiencies in soils.