Salt Bath

[Terriann]

Hello

I have treated for gill flukes 3 times now, to no avail, i have checked with my lfs and they still think its flukes and I think it may be responsible for other disease I have recently had to battle with.

I would like to get rid of these gits quickly as I am fed up of them irritating my fishe and think that a salt bath could be the solution to all my problems!

I have a 20 litre medicine tank (I only have small fish at the minute) and would like please, some plain english step by step instructions on how to give my little fishies a salt bath (by the way the tank they live in is a 190 litre tank). The fish I need to treat are:

1 Krib
1 Sailfin
2 polkadot loaches

None of the others are flicking.

Do I put the water in the tank and then add the salt gradually, or salt the water and breifly put the fish in?
How much salt will I need to use for a salt bath? And just checking, it is aquarium salt isnt it and not table salt?

It isnt an emergency as they havent themselves killed any fish (they have made them more sesceptible to disease though - currently fighting off a bacterial infection which has taken out a few of my fish!).

Also, how do I get two very large bala sharks back to the fish shop, I don't have a bag big enough! I have had to downsize my tank and they are now too big!

 

[helterskelter]

I personally would goto a salt dip, this meant catching the infected fish.

Get a liter of water and mix 30g of salt into it.
Place the fish one at a time into the mix.
They dont like it and will float on the surface.
Leave then for 60 seconds if possible and then return them back to their tank.

This should kill the infection. may have to repeat though in 4-5 dyas.

Also, how do I get two very large bala sharks back to the fish shop, I don't have a bag big enough! I have had to downsize my tank and they are now too big!

Get a big bucket with a tight fitting lid, the type of lid the clicks down.

 

[WILDER]

Salt no good on gill flukes.
What med have you used.
Some flukes are eye layers so you have to treat up to 4 weeks with some meds.

Flukes cause bacterial infections as in there hook they carry a nasty bacteria that enters the fish blood stream when the parasite pierces the skin.
After treatment of flukes they tell you to back up with a bacterial med.

Some sites say salt baths some say salt dosnt do much.It might remove some of the gill flukes that are attached to the gills, but it won't kill the eggs in the tank.

 

[Terriann]

Hello, I have used Sterazin (by waterlife) which was recommended over the interpet stuff by lfs. £9 too! I have only had my tank up and running with fish for a few months so I would rather not use any more dye medication if I can help it. Is it safe to treat for four weeks in a row? I thought it would cause more harm than good.


Will a salt bath not help at all, I read somewhere that it would knock them all off the fish.

Ps thanks for info on salt dip!!!!

Salt no good on gill flukes.
What med have you used.
Some flukes are eye layers so you have to treat up to 4 weeks with some meds.

Flukes cause bacterial infections as in there hook they carry a nasty bacteria that enters the fish blood stream when the parasite pierces the skin.
After treatment of flukes they tell you to back up with a bacterial med.

Some sites say salt baths some say salt dosnt do much.It might remove some of the gill flukes that are attached to the gills, but it won't kill the eggs in the tank.

I have already had to use a bacterial med which is in my tank at the moment, its good to know the flukes are responsible for that and not how I look after them - was ready to give up as everything that kept going wrong! I read that it could help below, if you are still sure it won't help then I will go and try another med and do a 4 week course (not something I am looking forward too!)

[URL="http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/...?article_id=335"]http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/...?article_id=335[/URL]

 

[WILDER]

Some flukes are eye layers so when you first treat it kills the adult fluke but not the eggs.
You have to retreat to kill the eggs when hatched so that the fluke dosn't get to the adult stage to start the process of all again.
Hope that made sense.
I tryed the waterlife med but it did nothing on my fish.
I used flubenol but its no longer available in the uk, you had to treat once a week for four weeks
There is another med called wormer plus but never used it myself.
[URL="http/article.dphnet.com/cat-02/flukes1.shtml"]http/article.dphnet.com/cat-02/flukes1.shtml[/URL]
http/www.aquarist-classifieds.co.uk/php/detail62_45492.php

 

[Terriann]

Some flukes are eye layers so when you first treat it kills the adult fluke but not the eggs.
You have to retreat to kill the eggs when hatched so that the fluke dosn't get to the adult stage to start the process of all again.
Hope that made sense.
I tryed the waterlife med but it did nothing on my fish.
I used flubenol but its no longer available in the uk, you had to treat once a week for four weeks
There is another med called wormer plus but never used it myself.
<a href="http/article.dphnet.com/cat-02/flukes1.shtml" target="_blank">http/article.dphnet.com/cat-02/flukes1.shtml</a>
[URL="http/www.aquarist-classifieds.co.uk/php/detail62_45492.php"]http/www.aquarist-classifieds.co.uk/php/detail62_45492.php[/URL]

Fantastic, thanks, I am going to look into this!