Salt Bath

[celaeno]

what salt do i use?
how much salt do i add?
do i just chuck the salt in or let it dissolve first?
for how long do i bathe the fish?

 

[celaeno]

bump

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

What are you salt bathing the fish for? More than often salt baths are unesarsary or pointless.

 

[celaeno]

for possible sbd (swim bladder disorder). if i thought it was pointless, i wouldn't ask.

bump

 

[luque]

Once one of my fish had some sort of disease don't know which, but i put it in about 2 gallons of water with table salt (it really was the last resort as it was nearly dead) and too my amazement it survived!! so this may of been fluke but table salt worked for me

 

[Inchworm]

Hi celaeno :0

Since swim bladder problems could be caused by either an injury or an infection, the extra handling and netting involved might be more trouble than it's worth. Your best bet might be to isolate it and wait to see what happens. If it's bacterial in origin, Erythromycin is an appropriate medicine to use.

For future reference, salt can be very effective when a fish is suffering from a bacterial infection such as finrot. It cleans the wound out and then the antibiotic you will have put in the water can more easily heal it.

I use about one tsp. of aquarium salt per two cups of water, in a container large enough to hold the fish. Dissolve the salt well before adding the fish so it doesn't eat any. Add the fish and leave it for between 5 and 20 minutes, taking it out earlier if the fish passes out and rolls over. Don't worry-- it will come to when you get it back into its tank. Repeat the process up to 6 times a day until healing is well on its way.

I hope your fish improves quickly.

 

[celaeno]

for how long should i isolate it and wait for improvement?

i read here that i should use 1 tablespoon of epsom salt per gallon for 5-10 minutes, which conflicts with what you've said.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi celaeno

I would only wait a day or two before starting treatment. It might get better by itself. I've read not to feed fish with this problem, and I've read that you should try feeding the fish peas. It's your call.

The big problem is in making a good diagnosis since, as laymen, we aren't able to test fish in the same way doctors test people. A lot of it's guesswork and trying to figure out what might have brought the problem on in the first place. Why do you suspect Swim Bladder Disease?

The salt bath formula is what I use in the event of bacterial infection that is causing erosion of fins or barbels in corys. Fortunately, I don't have to use it very often. I'm sure that there are many variations to be found online.

 

[celaeno]

i've fasted it for a day and fed it peas for 4 days now. i plan to do a salt bath on thursday if the condition does not improve.

i suspect sbd because the fish twitches to the right while swimming.

do you think i could've bent the fish by pouring in water too quickly during a water change (in that case, it wouldn't be sbd)?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi celaeno

I'm no expert on the condition and suggest you ask about it in the Emergency forum. I was responding to your question about salt baths.

If you have reason to think you may have injured the fish when you poured the water in too fast, it's quite possible that's the problem. Let's hope that's all it is and that it gets over it quickly.