salt water dips for freshwater fish?

[fishfanatic]

My beloved Angelfish has had Popeye since Sunday. On Monday I started to treat with Maracyn. I have now gone the 5 days as the instructions say. The eye does not seem to be any better it actually seems worse! I went to the lfs and the man said to dip the fish in salt water for 15 second and that it should kill the bacteria. Is this true? Also above the eye has this puss like stuff (kind of like a zit) some of them have popped and some just get bigger and bigger! I want to know if this is normal?

[Homedog98]

Just treat the whole tank with salt, and keep treating with Maracyn. One tablespoon of API aquarium salt per 5 gallons of water. QT him if you can, but the salt bath won't kill anything... Just shock your fish.

[fishfanatic]

I have been treating with seachem paraguard for the last 2 and a half weeks (then the popeye apeared so i stopped with the paraguard and started with the Maracyn. Along with the paraguard i used some jungle salt to help kill the ich. So there is salt in the tank. Is jungle salt the salt i need to use or did i make a mistake?

[Homedog98]

I'm not familiar with that brand. Can you make a makeshift QT?

[fishfanatic]

i unforchenitly do not have a QT. What do you mean by makeshift?

[Bettababe1011]

She means to find anything you can keep the fish in comfortably to treat it. Like I had to use a fish bowl at first when disaster struck.

[fishfanatic]

Would like a 5 gallon bucket work? I have a old heater and i just got a new filter so i can put my old filter on it (i have not stopped using the old filter yet so the bacteria sould still be alive.

[fishfanatic]

what are the odds of the trancfer to the bucket killing the fish? or is the fish going to die anyways?

[Homedog98]

He'll be fine. Just put in some main tank gravel, filter goop, and water, and you can just put him straight in and start treatment. Daily water changes, API aquarium salt, and Maracyn will work the best.

[fishfanatic]

Do i use Maracyn one or two (or do i use both)? I am so happy to hear he will be ok.... this was my fist ever anglefish and i have had him for over a year.

[Homedog98]

Both, now that he's got a QT. Plus the API salt for the fastest results. It'll take about a week with it, but he'll heal.

[fishfanatic]

Do i use the tank water for the QT? Do you know of any chain stores to get the maracyn and API salt from? I sold my lfs out of the maracyn

[fishfanatic]

I saw on line that petsmart has both of the Maracyn's and the API salt guess were i will be tomorrow?!?!

[fishfanatic]

I have had luck in the past with dipping freshwater fish in salt water. it cured cotton mouth on one of my fish. Sould i just give it up and toss that idea out the window?

[Shadowraven]

Popeye is cause by a build-up of fluid behind the fishes eye. It is a symptom of another problem going on in the fish. It is usually caused by a internal bacterial infection, but can sometimes be caused by over-saturation of gases in the water, particularly nitrogen.

The fish should be placed in a separate container with aeration. Add 2 teaspoons of marine salt/gallon of water. Gradually increase this to 4 teaspoons/gallon over 24-hrs by adding another 1/2 teaspoon/gallon every 6 hours to the water. If there is no improvement by the 3rd day, the gradually take it up to 6 teaspoons/gallon the same way as before. When done slowly decrease the salt level by doing PWC in the container to ween the fish back to FW conditions.

Often feeding the fish with some antibiotic food like Medi-Gold can help as well.

Please keep us informed of your progress so we can help.

[Homedog98]

Marycyn, Maracyn two, and 1 tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons is best, since pop eye is usually just an injury.

[joy13]

Originally Posted by Shadowraven

Popeye is cause by a build-up of fluid behind the fishes eye. It is a symptom of another problem going on in the fish. It is usually caused by a internal bacterial infection, but can sometimes be caused by over-saturation of gases in the water, particularly nitrogen.

The fish should be placed in a separate container with aeration. Add 2 teaspoons of marine salt/gallon of water. Gradually increase this to 4 teaspoons/gallon over 24-hrs by adding another 1/2 teaspoon/gallon every 6 hours to the water. If there is no improvement by the 3rd day, the gradually take it up to 6 teaspoons/gallon the same way as before. When done slowly decrease the salt level by doing PWC in the container to ween the fish back to FW conditions.

Often feeding the fish with some antibiotic food like Medi-Gold can help as well.

Please keep us informed of your progress so we can help.

+1

Antibiotic food if you can get your hands on some.

[fishfanatic]

O my gosh when I went to scoop my anglefish up to put him in the QT a peace of puss about 1cm long came out of above his eye!! The eye is not poking out near as far now. But now there is a huge hole above his eye!! It was bleeding for a little while but I think it has stopped. Does this change my cores of treatment?

[Shadowraven]

Not the one I quoted to you. This makes it more likely that this is a result of an internal infection. It is not uncommon for a fish to lose an eye to this problem. It will not make them unable to survive in the tank though. Just try to keep everything clean as you can and treated. Fish usually survive popeye.

The treatment I suggested is an old one, but one that has proven to be an effective treatment for this.

[joy13]

Don't put the fish in a salt dip it can cause more harm than good. I don't really know if the fish could withstand an epsom salt dip or not to help cleanse the wound. Get your hands on some medicated food.