How Long For Salt Bath?

[SarahMarie]

One of my platys ripped her fin a few days ago and looks like it's turning into fungus. I'm thinking of giving her a salt bath but I don't know how long to leave her in for? It's one teaspoon per 5 litres of aquarium salt. Does that seem like te right thing to do? If so how long should I leave her in the salt water for? Thanks for any help

 

[coolie]

Well seeing as platys can live in brackish water, I don't think a 30 minute bath would hurt which is how long you would use a methylene blue bath for.
It's only really strong solutions which are just literally a "dip."

 

[the_lock_man]

20-30 minutes should be fine.
 
I've not heard anyone claim platies as brackish before, and Seriously Fish don't mention it - you're not getting mixed up with mollies are you?

 

[coolie]

you're not getting mixed up with mollies are you?
 

 
Possibly, they always seem to be in the same set of tanks at the LFS. Maybe none of them are in brackish water?

 

[the_lock_man]

None of my LFS have specifically brackish water, mollies are kept in fresh.

 

[SarahMarie]

Thanks for the help guys! I'll do that when I get home from work. I don't want her getting ill

 

[coolie]

 
None of my LFS have specifically brackish water, mollies are kept in fresh.

 
We used to have a local fish shop with various biotopes, and shop bred fish like mollies and guppies, brackish setups and various breeding tanks in the shop.
It was very interesting shop. The guy was also very hot on whether you were caring for the fish properly.
 
It's a real shame to see the demise of these shops. Unfortunately, it all comes down to money at the end of the day.

 

[fish48]

How to prepare a salt bath:
All you need is a small container such as a margarine tub, fill it with Tank water, add 1 or 2 heaped tablespoons of aquarium salt, (cooking salt will work just as good.) Dissolve the salt by stirring the aquarium/cooking salt with the tank water. Remove the fish from the tank with a net, leave the fish in the net and put the net in container/tub for up to 30 seconds, any signs of stress (eg; Fish turning on its side) Remove fish immediately and put back in the original tank, When putting the fish back in there tank It will swim/sink to the bottom, it will seem shocked/stressed for a few seconds, then it will swim/ act normal

 

[coolie]

That's more of a salt "dip".

 

[SarahMarie]

What's the difference between a salt dip and a salt bath?

 

[fish48]

there is no difference l call it a salt bath

 

[coolie]

A dip is something where the strength is such that the fish wont tollerate it for more than a few seconds so you dip it in and out. (like a sheep dip) A bath is something you can put your fish in and not worry that it's going to die rapidly. Sometimes people use a hospital tank for a bath. But I wouldn't be preparing a really strong solution of something and filling a hospital tank with it.