aquarium salt use?

[Harlock]

Just curious:
Can you please explain why the Diatom filter kills ich?

I know you didn't ask me, but allow me to explain: A diatom filter doesn;t necesssarily kill Ich as much as it removes it. A Diatom flter removes very small particles from the water. We're talking microns of width here. So, the diatom filter can filter out, unicellular algae blooms, Ich, etc. They are pretty spiffy, but expensive.

Another question:
So even if you quarantine new fish - they can still have ich but not spread it until they become stressed (eg. moved to larger tank)? - so does that mean you should always treat the Q-tank w/ salt??

There are so many debates about the prophylactic treatment of fish on the internet it isn't even funny. If you're going to really use a Q-tank and are worried about, a salt bath is recommended. Using common salt (not marine or aquarium salt, as those affect pH) to 5 teaspoons per gallon, adding half of the solution to a transfer tank (or bucket or Rubbermaid or whatever it is you use) then watch the fish for ten minutes. Any stress, pull them out. If no stress, add the other half and give them 15-30 minutes. That should take care of Ich. After that, put them in a quarantine tank and treat them for other things, if you wish. Leave them in the Quarantine tank 30 days and really observe them. If you see any flashing, any scraping of gills or rubbing against rocks or whatever, turn back the cock and treat them. Their 30 days just started over. This is the most effective and safest way of quarantining fish, or rather I should be saying, protecting your existing fish.

Thanks!

You're welcome.

 

[pkn25]

Harlock is right, diatom doesn't kill ick, but filter out the ick so that they cannot remain in the tank and attach themselves to the fish. The diatom filter seems to extract all the free swimming ick even in an 80G established fully planted tank that medication couldn't seem to take care of.

Regarding quarantine, I quarantine new fish from 3 days to a week in a quarantine tank with just the same water siphoned from the main tank with no salt, no meds. The Q tank is a bare tank (no gravel) with only a foam filter and a couple of rocks stacked up for hiding places to make the fish comfortable.

Now with the diatom filter, I am not so worried about ick anymore. Even if ick happens, I just run the filter for about a week and ick would be gone. Actually, I haven't seen ick in any of my 4 tanks for about 4 months since I got the filter and got rid of the last ick. I can't speak enough for the wonderful use of the diatom filter on ick, and I am not in any way affiliated with any diatom filter companies .

pkn25

 

[Paccula]

If you're going to really use a Q-tank and are worried about, a salt bath is recommended. Using common salt (not marine or aquarium salt, as those affect pH) to 5 teaspoons per gallon, adding half of the solution to a transfer tank (or bucket or Rubbermaid or whatever it is you use) then watch the fish for ten minutes. Any stress, pull them out. If no stress, add the other half and give them 15-30 minutes. That should take care of Ich. After that, put them in a quarantine tank and treat them for other things, if you wish.

actualy, a salt bath won't rid a fish of ich. the parasites that are attatched to the fish are protected against anything you can throw at them. you can only kill them when they are in the free-swimming stage of their life cycle before they attatch to the fish in the first place. although, I'm sure a salt bath may be good for other illnesses, but I don't know what at the moment.
also, Harlock, I hope you don't mean to treat the fish with meds for illnesses they arn't even showing, as this may do more harm than good. not to knock your good judgement, you've given alot of good advice that I've taken to heart!

 

[daveedka]

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39759

Harlock is right, diatom doesn't kill ick, but filter out the ick so that they cannot remain in the tank and attach themselves to the fish. The diatom filter seems to extract all the free swimming ick even in an 80G established fully planted tank that medication couldn't seem to take care of.

The diatom filter can be an effective way to remove ich, but cannot garantee that ich didn't survive or remain at some level in your tank. This is the type of solution that leads to the myth that ich is always in your tank. It takes one surviving freeswimmer attached to the gills of your fish to continue the life cycle of ich. I would also question what medication and how long the treatment was kept in place. While I much prefer the salt/heat method, Properly administered meds, for the correct period of time are 100% effective. the question is time and method.

actualy, a salt bath won't rid a fish of ich. the parasites that are attatched to the fish are protected against anything you can throw at them. you can only kill them when they are in the free-swimming stage of their life cycle before they attatch to the fish in the first place. although, I'm sure a salt bath may be good for other illnesses, but I don't know what at the moment.

A salt both won't help, but salt treatment will. the difference is based in the amount of time, as well as the amount of salt. When people talk about slat baths they are referring to high concentration salt for short periods. The Salt treatment that Harlock is reffering too is not at all the same game. Details are in the article linked above.

While there is and always will be a debate about preventative treatments in Quarantine, Salt and heat is a fairly harmless treatment that can be used.
I fully agree with the sentiment that You shouldn't medicate until you identify a disease but I also put many of my fish through a metrodozinal treatment while in QT. Simply because internal parasites generally get identified after its too late to treat. So in my Mind it's better to eliminate the possibility while the fish is still eating. With ICH, I watch the fish. one gill flash and they get a full ich treatment and an extra 4 weeks in QT. There are some things that it's just better to prevent in my mind.
ICH will show you signs, but they can be very subtle. You need to closely observe your fish while in QT if you want to catch every little sign of a problem.
Dave

 

[illiswiller]

Interesting - The reason I asked about the diatoms is because a lot of pool filters use it. Plus, I'd actually heard about it as a insect treatment for lawns. The vet tech told me that they (the diatom bits) are sharp and penetrate the exo-skeleton of insects. I have no idea if it is true.


I recently had some cardinals come down w/ ich after being in the community tank for a couple weeks! I had watched them in the store on more than one occasion and there was no ich in the tank (I trust the LFS, I think). My parameters are perfect and the tank is understocked..... Now they are back in the quarantine T and I'm treating both tanks w/ salt (community tank at 1 tsp/gallon, quarantine at 2 tsp/gallon)..... I wondered if I had quarantined them and salt-treated them (even if they weren't symptomatic) if I could have prevented this!
THANKS for the info and opinions!