Aquarium Diseases - Are They Safe?

[afishdude]

ya ya i know salt but in this case it might work as well with lifeguard from jungle labs

it helps lower stress help gill function promotes disease recovery but do put to much in it

wtf are you even talking about???
were talking about people catching dieseases from sticking hands in aquariums. and your telling us to add salt to help gill function im sorry but i dont have gills.

 

[Musho3210]

lol afishdude

anyway some people may get an allergic reaction which is pretty common in saltwater tanks, but an actual disease is pretty rare, with an open cut there is also the chance of an infection.

 

[Bignose]

anyway some people may get an allergic reaction which is pretty common in saltwater tanks, but an actual disease is pretty rare, with an open cut there is also the chance of an infection.

good point, Musho, allergies are probably the most common "problem" from a fish tanks. They aren't really a disease, but allergies can definitely make you feel as miserable as if you did catch something.

 

[andywg]

it helps lower stress help gill function promotes disease recovery but do put to much in ithttp/www.aquariumfish.net/information/aquarium_salt.htm

Helps gill function? I would like to see some evidence for that.

The old belief was that because FW fish are always having to maintain a higher dissolved salt level in their body than in the water around them that increasing the dissolved salt level would aid them in their osmoregulation. However, the fish have evolved over millions of years to have their osmoregulatory systems cope with their natural (low salt) water conditions, and some fish handle salt badly (as noted in the link).

Salt was mainly used back when "old water" was believed to be very good for the aquarium (much like carbon). The salt would reduce nitrite (and I suppose, to some extenet, nitrate) toxicity for fish whereas we now do this far better with water changes. Aquarium salt is not in any way necessary as a continuous addition to the water of a FW tank.


Back to the original topic, the risks are most likely very small. I can think of very few (if any) cases of someone on this forum (which gives a large n number) having any health problems associated with the tank water. One hears of fish biting, electrocuting (CFC...) and some marine fish and inverts injecting venom but very rarely, if ever, any problems from the water.

I myself take no precautions with my tanks, washing my hands neither before, or after, working on them. The only problem I have ever noticed is if my Eczema has broken the skin on my hands and I work on the marine tanks too long. I presume that the salt water draws water from the area worsening the condition.

 

[grimmy]

it helps lower stress help gill function promotes disease recovery but do put to much in ithttp/www.aquariumfish.net/information/aquarium_salt.htm

Helps gill function? I would like to see some evidence for that.

The old belief was that because FW fish are always having to maintain a higher dissolved salt level in their body than in the water around them that increasing the dissolved salt level would aid them in their osmoregulation. However, the fish have evolved over millions of years to have their osmoregulatory systems cope with their natural (low salt) water conditions, and some fish handle salt badly (as noted in the link).

Salt was mainly used back when "old water" was believed to be very good for the aquarium (much like carbon). The salt would reduce nitrite (and I suppose, to some extenet, nitrate) toxicity for fish whereas we now do this far better with water changes. Aquarium salt is not in any way necessary as a continuous addition to the water of a FW tank.


Back to the original topic, the risks are most likely very small. I can think of very few (if any) cases of someone on this forum (which gives a large n number) having any health problems associated with the tank water. One hears of fish biting, electrocuting (CFC...) and some marine fish and inverts injecting venom but very rarely, if ever, any problems from the water.

I myself take no precautions with my tanks, washing my hands neither before, or after, working on them. The only problem I have ever noticed is if my Eczema has broken the skin on my hands and I work on the marine tanks too long. I presume that the salt water draws water from the area worsening the condition.

i just did with that link

 

[afishdude]

rofl, grimmy they just say that so people like you, that dont no better, buy it. its all about money.

 

[Musho3210]

yup yup yup mr angelfish brackish. I have read about salt is that the salt is "prickly" and its kinda corrosive to the fish and therefor the fish builds more of a slime coat. Dunno if its true though......

Have you checked out the scientific forum yet grimmy?


I know someone at my fish store that if he puts his hand in a saltwater tank it dries up fast and if he stretches it like by making a fist or something it tears the skin, so obviously he always wears gloves before his hands go in the tank lol. Some anemones and corals can deliver nasty stings as well.

 

[raptorrex]

its not much good for anything except chips. but it does make the LFS some money, and that is why you still see it in shops. despite it being little used by experienced keepers. someone put it nicely recently "fish Keepers Snake oil"

 

[Bignose]

i just did with that link

You do understand that your link actually says nothing (nothing!!!) about gill function, don't you?

Did you not read through any of the evidence that I and many others gave you in your own thread? http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=211791

grimmy, every time I ever see you ignorantly post how good salt is, I am going to make sure that I post the facts. Every Time. Maybe I won't convince you, but hopefully I will convince anyone else who happens to read the thread. If you ever do read the evidence, I and many others provided for you, and you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask -- either in a thread, or PM me. But, I don't have much hope of you reading them and opening your mind enough to think for yourself, you are going to cling to your unsupported beliefs of how great salt is, and let no amount of scientific evidence sway your mind. All I am asking is to read through some of the evidence against salt, rather than clinging to your beliefs like they are a security blanket. The other choice is, if you want to keep believing in salt, is to find some scientific evidence about how great salt is. There has been much evidence provided to you to show how bad salt is, but you -- the supporter -- have never brought any evidence about how good it is. Not just in terms of fighting disease -- salt does have some benefit there -- but in terms of everyday, healthy use.

 

[Musho3210]

also wouldnt some diseases create an immunity if they are in contact with salt for a while?

 

[grimmy]

i just did with that link

You do understand that your link actually says nothing (nothing!!!) about gill function, don't you?

Did you not read through any of the evidence that I and many others gave you in your own thread? http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=211791

grimmy, every time I ever see you ignorantly post how good salt is, I am going to make sure that I post the facts. Every Time. Maybe I won't convince you, but hopefully I will convince anyone else who happens to read the thread. If you ever do read the evidence, I and many others provided for you, and you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask -- either in a thread, or PM me. But, I don't have much hope of you reading them and opening your mind enough to think for yourself, you are going to cling to your unsupported beliefs of how great salt is, and let no amount of scientific evidence sway your mind. All I am asking is to read through some of the evidence against salt, rather than clinging to your beliefs like they are a security blanket. The other choice is, if you want to keep believing in salt, is to find some scientific evidence about how great salt is. There has been much evidence provided to you to show how bad salt is, but you -- the supporter -- have never brought any evidence about how good it is. Not just in terms of fighting disease -- salt does have some benefit there -- but in terms of everyday, healthy use.

ok heres another link to prove my point http/www.usaquatic.com/Chemicals_Ap-Aquarium-Salt-33Oz

 

[-germ-]

Anyhow liking post number 11's info, i've been confusing myself over this for a while.
There is no fish TB, it is just another nonsense common name, SO the only true forms of TB are;
mycobacterium tuberculosis tuberculosis and mycobacterium tuberculosis bovis (sp?).
Anyone confirm this?
If not then back to the muppet bashing.....

 

[andywg]

ok heres another link to prove my point http/www.usaquatic.com/Chemicals_Ap-Aquarium-Salt-33Oz

That isn't proof, that is marketing from a website that wants you to buy the product.

 

[The-Wolf]

There is no fish TB, it is just another nonsense common name

correct
Piscine tuberculosis (PTB) is not a form of tuberculosis, in reality it is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium marinum which is the same genus as the bacteria that causes TB in humans (Mycobacterium tuberculosis).

Mycobacterium is the genus and then there are 50+ species of Mycobacterium that cause disease,
many of which cause tuberculals (sp?) and thus referred to as tuberculosis.

taken from an earlier topic of mine
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...&hl=piscine

 

[Musho3210]

ok heres another link to prove my point http/www.usaquatic.com/Chemicals_Ap-Aquarium-Salt-33Oz

That isn't proof, that is marketing from a website that wants you to buy the product.

get him andy!

yeah grimmy, try and find a third party explanation on the use of salt that looks legit, oh wait, we already showed you one..... If you forgot its in the scientific section.