Samsonpaul
New Member
Can I put Rock salt on Planted tank to treat sick fish.., Is there any problem for plants..?
Can I put Rock salt on Planted tank to treat sick fish.., Is there any problem for plants..?
- Thread starter Samsonpaul
- Start date
What's wrong with the fish?
There's not normally any issue for plants as long as you don't overdose.
SALT
Using Salt to Treat Fish Health Issues.
For some fish diseases you can use salt (sodium chloride) to treat the ailment rather than using a chemical based medication. Salt is relatively safe and is regularly used in the aquaculture industry to treat food fish for diseases. Salt has been successfully used to treat minor fungal and bacterial infections, as well as a number of external protozoan infections. Salt alone will not treat whitespot (Ichthyophthirius) or Velvet (Oodinium) but will treat most other types of external protozoan infections in freshwater fishes. Salt can treat early stages of hole in the head disease caused by Hexamita but it needs to be done in conjunction with cleaning up the tank. Salt can also be used to treat anchor worm (Lernaea), fish lice (Argulus), gill flukes (Dactylogyrus), skin flukes (Gyrodactylus), Epistylis, Microsporidian and Spironucleus infections.
You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt), swimming pool salt, or any non iodised salt (sodium chloride) to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres (5 gallons) of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.
If you only have livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), goldfish or rainbowfish in the tank you can double that dose rate, so you would add 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres and if there is no improvement after 48 hours, then increase it so there is a total of 4 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.
Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, Bettas & gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.
The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria but the higher dose rate (4 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) will affect some plants and some snails. The lower dose rate (1-2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) will not affect fish, plants, shrimp or snails.
After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.
If you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.
When you first add salt, add the salt to a small bucket of tank water and dissolve the salt. Then slowly pour the salt water into the tank near the filter outlet. Add the salt over a couple of minutes.
There's not normally any issue for plants as long as you don't overdose.
SALT
Using Salt to Treat Fish Health Issues.
For some fish diseases you can use salt (sodium chloride) to treat the ailment rather than using a chemical based medication. Salt is relatively safe and is regularly used in the aquaculture industry to treat food fish for diseases. Salt has been successfully used to treat minor fungal and bacterial infections, as well as a number of external protozoan infections. Salt alone will not treat whitespot (Ichthyophthirius) or Velvet (Oodinium) but will treat most other types of external protozoan infections in freshwater fishes. Salt can treat early stages of hole in the head disease caused by Hexamita but it needs to be done in conjunction with cleaning up the tank. Salt can also be used to treat anchor worm (Lernaea), fish lice (Argulus), gill flukes (Dactylogyrus), skin flukes (Gyrodactylus), Epistylis, Microsporidian and Spironucleus infections.
You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt), swimming pool salt, or any non iodised salt (sodium chloride) to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres (5 gallons) of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.
If you only have livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), goldfish or rainbowfish in the tank you can double that dose rate, so you would add 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres and if there is no improvement after 48 hours, then increase it so there is a total of 4 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.
Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, Bettas & gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.
The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria but the higher dose rate (4 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) will affect some plants and some snails. The lower dose rate (1-2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) will not affect fish, plants, shrimp or snails.
After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.
If you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.
When you first add salt, add the salt to a small bucket of tank water and dissolve the salt. Then slowly pour the salt water into the tank near the filter outlet. Add the salt over a couple of minutes.
Hello. Rock salt is all natural. So, I'd say if you need to treat your fish with it, that would be fine. You don't need much. A tablespoon in a large bucket of water should be enough. I use standard aquarium salt and dose a tablespoon in five every five gallons of treated tap water. It doesn't affect my plants. I believe it has some benefits and I dose a little when I change out the tank water.
10 Tanks (Now 11)
Samsonpaul
New Member
Thank you so much sir..., I've Red Cherry Barbs, Threadfin Rainbows, Siemens algae eater and Kuhli loachs in the tank along with Assain Snails. I bought these fishes from online all were in good condition but Zebra Loach was sick not moving and white spots all over the body. After watching that I immediately taken out that Zebra loach and Quarantine with Rock salt but after 3-4 days all the other fishes also suffering with white spots and Threadfin's become soo weak & their stomach become small... What should do now bro should I put salt on Planted tank or take these fishes out from it and keep on Quarantine separately
Pictures of the fish asap so we can confirm the problem?
If the fish have small white dots (about the size of a grain of salt) on their body and fins, they have white spot and salt won't help. To treat white spot you either use a Malachite Green or copper based medication, or heat.
Malachite Green is a carcinogen (causes cancer) but works.
Copper works but will kill shrimp, snails and other invertebrates in the aquarium.
For heat treatment, you raise the water temperature to 30C and keep it there for 2 weeks, or at least 1 week after all the white dots have gone.
*NB* Do not use heat (30C) and a chemical medication because you will kill everything.
Before you treat the tank, clean the filter, and do a 80-90% water change and gravel clean the substrate. This will reduce the number of pathogens in the water and buy some time for the medication or heat to work.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.
Increase aeration surface turbulence to maximise oxygen levels in the water when using chemicals, salt or heat.
If the fish have small white dots (about the size of a grain of salt) on their body and fins, they have white spot and salt won't help. To treat white spot you either use a Malachite Green or copper based medication, or heat.
Malachite Green is a carcinogen (causes cancer) but works.
Copper works but will kill shrimp, snails and other invertebrates in the aquarium.
For heat treatment, you raise the water temperature to 30C and keep it there for 2 weeks, or at least 1 week after all the white dots have gone.
*NB* Do not use heat (30C) and a chemical medication because you will kill everything.
Before you treat the tank, clean the filter, and do a 80-90% water change and gravel clean the substrate. This will reduce the number of pathogens in the water and buy some time for the medication or heat to work.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.
Increase aeration surface turbulence to maximise oxygen levels in the water when using chemicals, salt or heat.
Samsonpaul
New Member
TwoTankAmin
Fish Connoisseur
I am going to have to disagree with what Colin_T said about salt.
Picon-Camacho, S.M., Marcos-Lopez, M., Bron, J.E. and Shinn, A.P., 2012. An assessment of the use of drug and non-drug interventions in the treatment of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis Fouquet, 1876, a protozoan parasite of freshwater fish. Parasitology, 139(2), pp.149-190.
http://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/...macho et al Parasitology Ich chemo review.pdf
Maceda-Veiga, A. and Cable, J., 2014. Efficacy of sea salt, metronidazole and formalin-malachite green baths in treating Ichthyophthirius multifiliis infections of mollies (Poecilia sphenops). Bull. Eur. Ass. Fish Pathol, 34(5), p.18
Picon-Camacho, S.M., Marcos-Lopez, M., Bron, J.E. and Shinn, A.P., 2012. An assessment of the use of drug and non-drug interventions in the treatment of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis Fouquet, 1876, a protozoan parasite of freshwater fish. Parasitology, 139(2), pp.149-190.
However, there are an awful lot of treatments which have been tried and may or may not work. If you are a nerd and curious read the above study here and check out the tables.
http://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/...macho et al Parasitology Ich chemo review.pdf
Maceda-Veiga, A. and Cable, J., 2014. Efficacy of sea salt, metronidazole and formalin-malachite green baths in treating Ichthyophthirius multifiliis infections of mollies (Poecilia sphenops). Bull. Eur. Ass. Fish Pathol, 34(5), p.18
I'm gonna sprinkle some salt over my killifish and roast potatoes, mmm salty fish n chips
Good clear pictures, nicely done
They have white spot and need treating asap, as in right now.
There's more info on white spot at the following link, if you're interested.
What is ICH?
This is a common question that is often asked, what is ich and how is it recognisable and what causes it? The real term is ICHTHYOPHTHIRIASIS. OR commonly known as white spot. It is an extremely comon parasite that affects aquarium fish. It is highly infectious and potentially lethal and...
www.fishforums.net
Samsonpaul
New Member
All fish died bro only one cherry barb left... Thank you for helpingGood clear pictures, nicely done
They have white spot and need treating asap, as in right now.
There's more info on white spot at the following link, if you're interested.
What is ICH?
This is a common question that is often asked, what is ich and how is it recognisable and what causes it? The real term is ICHTHYOPHTHIRIASIS. OR commonly known as white spot. It is an extremely comon parasite that affects aquarium fish. It is highly infectious and potentially lethal and...
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