Salt can work as a salt bath. Dipping the fish in the salty water for a minute or so. If they get stressed take them out. I personally am afraid to try that way. So I use meds I hate using them but I know they work.
a salt bath is not likely to help much with ich, see below for why
OK so i was reading about ich (white spot) and it is a parasite with different life stages. currently on my fish it is in its adult stage (mid stage) and is resistant to chemicals, but after a few days it will fall off and form a cyst type thing and will be able to be killed. before it turns into little swimmy guys that are again resistant to chemicals.
i have used salt as a treatment for ich and it worked fine for me, basically the betta is a more advanced lifeform and has internal organs to help regulate salt levels. the ich as a single celled type organism can't deal with the salt at all! but only when in the one stage of its life cycle (although its actually only in the swimming stage it isn't resistant),
It is best to treat for at least a week preferably 2 (especially as you can't raise the temp) as some will be at different stages and you need to wait until all have been through the whole life cycle.
make sure the salt you use is 100% salt with no additives to make it free flowing, as these will harm/kill your fish
info below from
this page i realise this website is goldfish specific, but the info on treatment still applies to other fish too.
Heat, salt and darkness: This is surely one of the most hotly debated topics in fishkeeping! The suggested treatment procedure is as follows:
* gradually increase the tank's temperature to 80 degrees F.
* add salt to a solution of 3 teaspoons per gallon (in increments of 1 tsp per gallon every 12 hours).
* keep the tank in darkness by switching the light off and covering it with cloth or paper.
The theory behind how this treatment works is this:
* Increasing the temperature to 80 degrees F speeds up the ich lifecycle to a few days and therefore speeds up the rate at which the tomites are killed off by the salt. It also boosts the fish's immune system, helping it to fight off the disease.
* The salt raises the salinity of the water to a level beyond the the tomites' osmoregulatory tolerance, causing them to burst. Also, the increased salinity stimulates the fish to produce a slightly thicker slime coat, helping to prevent re-infection and secondary infections.
* Ciliated protozoans cannot find new hosts easily in darkness and therefore more of the tomites die before they can latch on to the fish.
There seems to be good evidence, judging by the many stories related by people who have tried it, that this method does successfully cure ich.
However, many aquarists argue that it is an unsuitable, even dangerous, treatment because:
* Raising the temperature to 80F reduces the oxygen level in the water which can make it more difficult for the fish to breathe.
Not a problem for bettas
* Higher temperatures encourage the rapid growth of bacteria and fungus, putting the fish at increased risk of secondary infections.
* Higher temperatures speed up the rate at which the ich reproduces and therefore places more stress on an already vulnerable fish population.
* Coldwater fish such as goldfish will be put under more stress by a tropical-level temperature.
Not a problem for bettas
* Such a high level of salt places osmotic stress on the fish as well as the ich tomites, so if the fish is badly infested and therefore already struggling to control its osmoregulation - then this might be enough to kill it.
* There is no real evidence that darkness inhibits cilliated protozoans.
Having read around extensively, I believe these arguments are not without some justification. Higher temperatures DO decrease oxygen levels; salt DOES place osmotic stress on fish, for example.
However, as with any treatment, the fish's primary needs must be weighed-up: is the treatment going to harm the fish more or less than the disease? Will it harm the fish more or less than using store medications? Is there anything that can be done to ameliorate the risks of a chosen treatment?
Given how serious ich can become, and given how aggressive some medications such as formalin and copper can be in the tank, then I would not say that the heat and salt treatment is a poor option in comparison. Plus, there are things the fishkeeper can do to minimise some of the drawbacks: decreased oxygen levels can be resolved by increasing aeration in the tank, for example, and
the temperature and salt can be increased gradually so avoid stressing the fish. And darkness certainly isn't harmful! And, of course, some of the risk factors are counter-balanced naturally by the fish itself: yes, a higher temperatures increases bacterial activity, but it also sends the fish's immune system into top gear, thus giving it extra protection against the bacteria.
In conclusion, I would say that store-bought medications carry equal benefits and risks in treatment of ich; it is up to each individual fishkeeper to decide which is the best option for their fish, because only they know their particular dispositions.
/www.thatfishshop.com/health/white_spot.htm
