Treating tank with aquarium salt, confused?

[mishyc]

I’m using the API aquarium salt. It’s a bit long but, I went to my Lfs because I have a lethargic dwarf gourami that has had clear/stringy poo for 2 days(she has been fine since I got her which is just over a month)they advised aquarium salt!

The water parameters have been fine up to now. My confusion is: I have a 64L (uk) and the instructions are in U.S.
Also the lfs said to put the salt in every 2 weeks/ months ( not sure which) but on the box it says do it every water change!

My question is: 1) is one table spoon enough to initially treat a 64L uk tank?
2) how often should I be putting the salt in ( I know to only put the amount in as what amount of water I’m changing)
3) I’m confused between uk and us litres/gallons
4) once the fish has improved do I stop the salt?

Hope someone can help

 

[V227]

I think 64L is just short of 17 gal. I'm guessing 3 teaspoons of aquarium salt.

 

[mishyc]

Thank you! How often should I dose the tank and should I stop once the fish is back to normal?

 

[V227]

Salt remains consistent in a tank. It only dilutes when you change out water. If you do a 33%
WC, approx. 5.5 gal. Add 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt. I'm not sure there is a set treatment timetable.

 

[mishyc]

Thank you again. I only asked because I’ve had the tank running for just over a year and never used salt, so naturally I thought that once the fish was better, I would stop using it

 

[King Fisher]

As V said, you want 1 TEAspoon per 20L of water. I once had a dwarf gourami with the same problem but he'd also have bloating. I fought this 6 times over two years before it finally killed him. I found that fasting your fish for 3 days also works well during this problem. When you do feed him feed sparingly. Might look into getting some meds for internal parasites just in case. Constipation can cause white stringy poo. So doing Epsom salt baths/dips also work. This will be a more concentrated mixture of Epsom salt to water in a separate container/tank which will be about 1 teaspoon per 4L of water. Place him in the bath for 20 min then remove him. You can do this once or twice a day for several days until he starts to get better.

 

[V227]

I've had tanks up and running for 30 yrs. And have never used salt. Many routinely add salt to their FW tanks believing that it's benificial. I'm not one of those. I see little wrong with short term use of aquarium salt regarding medicinal purposes.

 

[mishyc]

Thanks for the replies.
King fisher: I feed micro pellets once every day with a fast day every couple of days, I don’t think the gourami gets much as she shares the tank with 8 neon tetras and 6 cardinal tetras. I only put enough in that they eat it in probably 30 seconds. I can’t tell if she is bloated but would frozen peas help ( cooked)

 

[mishyc]

I've had tanks up and running for 30 yrs. And have never used salt. Many routinely add salt to their FW tanks believing that it's benificial. I'm not one of those. I see little wrong with short term use of aquarium salt regarding medicinal purposes.

That’s good, I really don’t want to add anything in the tank that I don’t have to, I think it just adds more complications, I will only use it for as long as I have to

 

[King Fisher]

IME dwarf gouramis have a problem with illness. Heard it was from over breeding. For the time being I would feed very little. The trick I used to do was feeding once every three days when my gourami was ill. If your gourami is bloated it will be very distinct.... stomach bulging on one side or both. You can try to feed cooked peas. I used to use Omega One veggie flakes to try to achieve a bowel movement. Seemed to work for me.

 

[mishyc]

IME dwarf gouramis have a problem with illness. Heard it was from over breeding. For the time being I would feed very little. The trick I used to do was feeding once every three days when my gourami was ill. If your gourami is bloated it will be very distinct.... stomach bulging on one side or both. You can try to feed cooked peas. I used to use Omega One veggie flakes to try to achieve a bowel movement. Seemed to work for me.

I will have a look at her in the morning, if not bloated I will fast for a few days.
I might be soppy but I don’t like seeing her I’ll, normally she follows me when I pass the tank and stays at the front of the tank when I’m looking in whatching what I’m doing! Now she mainly sits at the bottom and only comes to see me if I’m there for a while

 

[King Fisher]

That's common for an ill fish. My gourami used to not eat for at least two days when he was sick so it made fasting easy. He would almost take care of himself by not eating. But I would dose my tank with Epsom salt as well because he always bloated when he had stringy to clearish poo.

 

[mishyc]

This is her this morning, I don’t think she’s bloated do you?

 

[King Fisher]

Definitely not bloated so leave out the Epsom salt. Maybe fast her

 

[V227]

CB has posted several times that a large percentage of modern day Gouramis are infected with a species specific lethal virus that eventually manifests itself at some point, no matter how well the fish is kept. Hopefully your Gourami is not part of that group, but you might consider researching the topic and make your own determination.

 

[mishyc]

I hope not too, I’m going to fast her for a few days and hope to see some improvement [emoji53]

 

[Easy E]

Stringy poop is usually a symptom of internal parasites. Salt will do nothing to cure that. I would recommend trying some PraziPro.

 

[King Fisher]

I'll also add to do extra water changes. Pristine water always helps.

 

[mishyc]

She’s not looking any better today, I’m doing water changes every 2 days.
Easy e I’ve just read up on that, will be getting medicine today, I should have just went with what I thought and not listened to my lfs

 

[mishyc]

So she died yesterday in a year I’ve lost 4 guppies, 2 dwarf gourami and 2 neon tetras! I’ve had only 8 neon tetras survive a whole year!

I got in to this hobby thinking it would be therapeutic, starting to loose the will with fish keeping, will I ever be able to keep fish other than tetras???!!!!!!