Aquarium Salt OR Rock Salt

[desley]

Hi,

I think one of my platties has ich. I cannot really see any white spots but he is rubbing against the decorations as if trying to scratch an itch.

I have run out of my aquarium salt I purchased from the pet shop.

When I phoned up they said you can buy rock salt which I did. When I used to pour the aquarium salt mixture into the tank you could see the (hard to explain) .. salty water dispersing through.

When I pour in this new rock salt mixture I don't see the same effect.

Is Rock Salt just as good as aquarium salt ? I will go to the shop immediately to get aquarium salt if better.

ANY HELP please quick as I want to try and treat my tank with salt rather than let this get hold and have to use medications.

Thanks
Desley

 

[DrOizo]

Ok firstly how new is the tank? What size is it and what are its occupants. It may not be ick. Fish flick and scratch mainly to do with bad water conditions. what are your params? I would guess that its due to high nitrite, I would also guess that your tank is quite new? That would explain why you can't see any spots. Do not salt if you have catfish (Cories/Pl*cos etc,

 

[desley]

Hi,
Thanks for your quick response.

My tank is 20 US gallons and I have platties, guppies, danios and some guppy fry.

It seems to be 1 platty rubbing himself against the decoration.

Apart from a guppy which was never doing very well from the start (now isolated in his own little fish bowl) ... all others are doing well. One danios has a torn fin but I think that was from playing too rough.

I change the water every 2nd day or so (about 10% from the top) and do a fortnightly gravel clean. I was not replacing the salt .. really only using salt when problems occurred. I just aged the water and poured it in. I was adding a filter media called "Easy Life" which seems to make the water very clear and the fish bright.

I cannot find any water test kits as yet for anything but PH which was about 7.4 and I lowered it to about 7.2.

The tank has been set up for about 7 months and I have been through some trial and error .. losing fish and then having good times where I don't lose fish.

Problem is here we have had heatwave conditions and power blackouts about 1 month ago (over now) and that's when my problems started. They were doing well before then.

I had a carbon pad in my trickle system but took it out and I am using filter wool .. which then goes over ceramic noodles onto a phosphate pad .. then over to filter wool and lastly over ceramic noodles.

Sorry if I give too much or the wrong info but I am not sure what is relevant.

My temp is set at 26 degrees (78.8 F) but it does not kick in much as we are still having warm days. It might kick in during the night as our temps are starting to get below 20 degrees now.

Thanks
Desley

 

[DrOizo]

Ok so its not a new tank prob. You really need to test your water params. when the blackout occured did the ceramic noodles dry up. If so then your bacteria might have died and your tank could be recycling. Mybe its just this one fish whos a bit loopy, it happens. It might also be gill flukes or parasitres of some sought but I would't mediacate untill you know what your params are doing (Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate)

 

[desley]

Hi again .. and thanks.

I really have been trying to find a better water testing kit. Looks like I will have to try to find one on-line .. which I didn't want to do .. but can't get one locally.

I turned on my lights this morning to check it all out. I've been keeping them off as one of the guppies had babies (shock to me cause I didn't think they looked ready) ... and thought they can hide better if the lights are out.

The platty doesn't seem to be rubbing against the side now .. but I did add the last of my aquarium salt late last night.

In the meantime .. should I go get more aquarium salt or is rock salt the same ?

Should I raise the temp to 28 degrees (82.4 F) ?

I noticed one of my other small platties (was a fry don't know when they stop being called fry) ... say 3 months old had a white feaces ... while other fish's feaces are greeny/brown. I have been giving them frozen peeled peas only starting this in the last week or so. Maybe that changed his digestion but it was white .. not green. Maybe a parasite. He looks good and healthy.

Thanks for any help
Desley

 

[desley]

Sorry forgot to add NO the noodles didn't dry out as they stay up in the trickle system part of the filter but I did do a beginner NO-NO. I hosed out the filter system with the garden hose most likely killing off all the good bacteria. This could have been why they all got sick after. The heat, loss of power & my NO-NO. I have learnt by this forum not to do that now.

I really want to know if I should go and get aquarium salt or is rock salt from the grocery store just the same ??

Going out soon and would like to get aquarium salt if better.

I have gone ahead and raised my temp to 28 ... and it is not kicking in much anyway .. as the water must be about that temp anyway. It might just keep it more stable at 28 at night.

Thanks
Desley

 

[DrOizo]

I wouldn't want rock salt as it contains lots of other minerals. you need to get pure refined salt like intrepet aquilibrium. I still don't think salt will solve the prob though. Perhaps someone else can expand

 

[desley]

Hi thanks for your advice.

I did a big gravel clean and have now lowered the temp back to 26 .. and not added any salt and all seems fine (fingers crossed).

Thanks again for your help.
Desley

 

[DrOizo]

Just make sure You watch the params and Water change often

HTH