salt bath questions

I just got a call from a friend with a sick fish. I set up a small 50
gallon water feature for him and his largest sarassa comet is not doing
well. I went through the typical questions but could not make a diagnosis
due to my lack of experience. He was just going to bury it.

This leads me to my question. Could someone give me a generic salt bath
recipe for a generally ill fish. Many people are not willing to go to the
pet store for medications or special aquarium salt for a goldfish especially
when they cost more than the fish did. Sad, but it is reality. I need a
recipe that the average person could make at home.

One recipe I found mentioned 3 ounces of dissolved salt in one gallon of
water for 10 minutes. The average person is not going to understand how to
measure 3 ounces of dissolved salt. It would be much easier to understand
if the measurements were in teaspoons, tablespoons and cups of salt per
gallon.

I would also appreciate it if someone could address the type of salt that
one can use. Common table salt is what most people have on hand. Can this
be used? How about Kosher salt? Other suggestions? Thanks for your help.

On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 00:19:57 GMT, figaro wrote:

I just got a call from a friend with a sick fish. I set up a small 50
gallon water feature for him and his largest sarassa comet is not doing
well. I went through the typical questions but could not make a diagnosis
due to my lack of experience. He was just going to bury it.

This leads me to my question. Could someone give me a generic salt bath
recipe for a generally ill fish. Many people are not willing to go to the
pet store for medications or special aquarium salt for a goldfish especially
when they cost more than the fish did. Sad, but it is reality. I need a
recipe that the average person could make at home.

One recipe I found mentioned 3 ounces of dissolved salt in one gallon of
water for 10 minutes. The average person is not going to understand how to
measure 3 ounces of dissolved salt. It would be much easier to understand
if the measurements were in teaspoons, tablespoons and cups of salt per
gallon.

I would also appreciate it if someone could address the type of salt that
one can use. Common table salt is what most people have on hand. Can this
be used? How about Kosher salt? Other suggestions? Thanks for your help.

The strength of the bath and the duration of the bath depends on the
condition of the fish. For a weak bath, use one teaspoon of salt to a
gallon of water and leave the fish in this for 24 hours. If the fish
is still sick use a fresh bath every 24 hours. Use a cup (rather than
a net) to move the sick fish. For a strong bath, use one tablespoon
of salt to a gallon of water for 15 to 30 minutes. You can use 2
tablespoons for a very sick fish. Most fresh water fish can endure a
salt bath. However dwarf catfish should not be given any salt baths.

Do not use table salt. Aquarium salt is inexpensive and available at
most pet stores.

I would also appreciate it if someone could address the type of salt that
one can use. Common table salt is what most people have on hand. Can this
be used? How about Kosher salt? Other suggestions? Thanks for your help.
----------------------

From: Phisherman
Organization: AT&T Worldnet
Reply-To:
Newsgroups: rec.ponds
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 00:42:57 GMT
Subject: salt bath questions

The strength of the bath and the duration of the bath depends on the
condition of the fish. For a weak bath, use one teaspoon of salt to a
gallon of water and leave the fish in this for 24 hours. If the fish
is still sick use a fresh bath every 24 hours. Use a cup (rather than
a net) to move the sick fish. For a strong bath, use one tablespoon
of salt to a gallon of water for 15 to 30 minutes. You can use 2
tablespoons for a very sick fish. Most fresh water fish can endure a
salt bath. However dwarf catfish should not be given any salt baths.

Do not use table salt. Aquarium salt is inexpensive and available at
most pet stores.

My friend will not make a special trip to buy aquarium salt for this one
goldfish (he lives an hour away or I would give him some of mine) and I was
hoping to give him something he could use at home to help the fish. What
is it about table salt that will harm the fish?

But thanks for the recipe. I'll keep it in my file for future problems.

On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 14:19:22 GMT, figaro wrote:

I would also appreciate it if someone could address the type of salt that
one can use. Common table salt is what most people have on hand. Can this
be used? How about Kosher salt? Other suggestions? Thanks for your help.

Kosher salt and sea salt are commonly available at the grocery store.
Table salt has chemicals added in small amounts so that it does not
clump. While these are not harmful to us in the quantities used for
seasoning and preservation, fish are immersed in it, so it is a
concern. In addition, Iodide is added since it is deficient in our
soils.

--
Crashj

On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 14:19:22 GMT, figaro wrote:

I would also appreciate it if someone could address the type of salt that
one can use. Common table salt is what most people have on hand. Can this
be used? How about Kosher salt? Other suggestions? Thanks for your help.
----------------------

From: Phisherman
Organization: AT&T Worldnet
Reply-To:
Newsgroups: rec.ponds
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 00:42:57 GMT
Subject: salt bath questions

The strength of the bath and the duration of the bath depends on the
condition of the fish. For a weak bath, use one teaspoon of salt to a
gallon of water and leave the fish in this for 24 hours. If the fish
is still sick use a fresh bath every 24 hours. Use a cup (rather than
a net) to move the sick fish. For a strong bath, use one tablespoon
of salt to a gallon of water for 15 to 30 minutes. You can use 2
tablespoons for a very sick fish. Most fresh water fish can endure a
salt bath. However dwarf catfish should not be given any salt baths.

Do not use table salt. Aquarium salt is inexpensive and available at
most pet stores.

My friend will not make a special trip to buy aquarium salt for this one
goldfish (he lives an hour away or I would give him some of mine) and I was
hoping to give him something he could use at home to help the fish. What
is it about table salt that will harm the fish?

But thanks for the recipe. I'll keep it in my file for future problems.


Additives to make the salt pourable and iodine. I'm not familiar with
kosher salt but if there are no additives, it should be safe. Another
thing, make sure when the fish is transferred to/from the bath make
sure the temperatures of both waters is the same.

http://www.mu.edu/~buxtoni/puregold/...rtmnt.htm#salt
any kind of salt is fine for a salt dip of less than 5 minutes.
1/2 cup salt with no additives per gallon of tank water (no temp shock)
Ingrid

figaro wrote:

I just got a call from a friend with a sick fish. I set up a small 50
gallon water feature for him and his largest sarassa comet is not doing
well. I went through the typical questions but could not make a diagnosis
due to my lack of experience. He was just going to bury it.

This leads me to my question. Could someone give me a generic salt bath
recipe for a generally ill fish. Many people are not willing to go to the
pet store for medications or special aquarium salt for a goldfish especially
when they cost more than the fish did. Sad, but it is reality. I need a
recipe that the average person could make at home.

One recipe I found mentioned 3 ounces of dissolved salt in one gallon of
water for 10 minutes. The average person is not going to understand how to
measure 3 ounces of dissolved salt. It would be much easier to understand
if the measurements were in teaspoons, tablespoons and cups of salt per
gallon.

I would also appreciate it if someone could address the type of salt that
one can use. Common table salt is what most people have on hand. Can this
be used? How about Kosher salt? Other suggestions? Thanks for your help.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

Crashj wrote in message . ..
On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 14:19:22 GMT, figaro wrote:

I would also appreciate it if someone could address the type of salt that
one can use. Common table salt is what most people have on hand. Can this
be used? How about Kosher salt? Other suggestions? Thanks for your help.

Kosher salt and sea salt are commonly available at the grocery store.
Table salt has chemicals added in small amounts so that it does not
clump. While these are not harmful to us in the quantities used for
seasoning and preservation, fish are immersed in it, so it is a
concern. In addition, Iodide is added since it is deficient in our
soils.

Kosher salt or sea salt? I have both in my pantry. The kosher salt box
says it includes yellow prussiate of soda as an anti-caking agent. The
sea salt cannister says it contains magnesium carbonate.

On 25 Aug 2004 16:00:40 -0700, (Dave) wrote:

Crashj wrote in message . ..
On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 14:19:22 GMT, figaro wrote:

I would also appreciate it if someone could address the type of salt that
one can use. Common table salt is what most people have on hand. Can this
be used? How about Kosher salt? Other suggestions? Thanks for your help.

Kosher salt and sea salt are commonly available at the grocery store.
Table salt has chemicals added in small amounts so that it does not
clump. While these are not harmful to us in the quantities used for
seasoning and preservation, fish are immersed in it, so it is a
concern. In addition, Iodide is added since it is deficient in our
soils.

Kosher salt or sea salt? I have both in my pantry. The kosher salt box
says it includes yellow prussiate of soda as an anti-caking agent. The
sea salt cannister says it contains magnesium carbonate.


Neither one is a good choice. Ask your druggist if he would sell you
some pure Sodium Chloride. Don't you have a WalMart, KMart, Target
or pet store? They have aquarium salt.

I would also appreciate it if someone could address the type of salt that
one can use. Common table salt is what most people have on hand. Can
this
be used? How about Kosher salt? Other suggestions? Thanks for your
help.

Kosher salt and sea salt are commonly available at the grocery store.
Table salt has chemicals added in small amounts so that it does not
clump. While these are not harmful to us in the quantities used for
seasoning and preservation, fish are immersed in it, so it is a
concern. In addition, Iodide is added since it is deficient in our
soils.

Kosher salt or sea salt? I have both in my pantry. The kosher salt box
says it includes yellow prussiate of soda as an anti-caking agent. The
sea salt cannister says it contains magnesium carbonate.


Neither one is a good choice. Ask your druggist if he would sell you
some pure Sodium Chloride. Don't you have a WalMart, KMart, Target
or pet store? They have aquarium salt.

Thanks for all the info. I told my friend to use 3 tbs. of whatever salt he
had in one gallon of pond water for 10 minutes. The fish sounded pretty far
gone, could be dropsy or constipation from his description. I'll find out
tonight if the fish has shown any improvement. And I'll buy him some
aquarium salt for his upcoming birthday so he can have a better chance in
the future. I hate to see animals suffer even if they only cost a few
cents. I appreciate the quick responses here. Good group of people.

You can buy him somethng even nicer if you just buy rock salt Around here
its about 3.50 for 25# or 60 cents for a 1# box.
Bill

"figaro" wrote in message
...

I would also appreciate it if someone could address the type of salt
that
one can use. Common table salt is what most people have on hand.
Can
this
be used? How about Kosher salt? Other suggestions? Thanks for
your
help.

Kosher salt and sea salt are commonly available at the grocery store.
Table salt has chemicals added in small amounts so that it does not
clump. While these are not harmful to us in the quantities used for
seasoning and preservation, fish are immersed in it, so it is a
concern. In addition, Iodide is added since it is deficient in our
soils.

Kosher salt or sea salt? I have both in my pantry. The kosher salt box
says it includes yellow prussiate of soda as an anti-caking agent. The
sea salt cannister says it contains magnesium carbonate.


Neither one is a good choice. Ask your druggist if he would sell you
some pure Sodium Chloride. Don't you have a WalMart, KMart, Target
or pet store? They have aquarium salt.

Thanks for all the info. I told my friend to use 3 tbs. of whatever salt
he
had in one gallon of pond water for 10 minutes. The fish sounded pretty
far
gone, could be dropsy or constipation from his description. I'll find out
tonight if the fish has shown any improvement. And I'll buy him some
aquarium salt for his upcoming birthday so he can have a better chance in
the future. I hate to see animals suffer even if they only cost a few
cents. I appreciate the quick responses here. Good group of people.