Sea Salt, Ich, & Bettas?

Question

Hi, I have a Betta who's dealing with a very mild case of Ich at the moment, and has been for over a week now. I've got him in a 1 1/2gal tank and have been treating him with "Ick Away". (Just a few drops at a time, since it's such a small tank.) He can't stand the air stone I had to hook up in there because the side of the bottle says to have good aeration. I think I'm doing everything I need to for him, in this case...

Then just yesterday, I noticed he's got damage on his head! Like, the scales are messed up, or something. It's fairly big too. I'm not sure how it happened, wether it was actual damage, or if it's another health problem.

My question is, I know salt is benificial to bettas, but can I use sea salt that is rock table salt? It's the only kind of salt I've got around the house. How much should I use, and how do I go about it? Should I do a half change b4 I add salt, b/c of the meds? Can I use Ick Away & salt at the same time?

Thank you in advance for your help!

This salt I've got has NO Iodine in it, but DOES HAVE an anti-caking agent in it...

Don't get me wrong, the Ich is clearing up, and from the looks of it, almost gone.

I figure it's from stress, if that's possible, since I had taken him out of our 55 gal over a month ago. None of the other fish are sick though.

He's easily stressed and depressed also. If he doesn't have "someone to talk to" he tends to sulk. lol So he's got his mirror and his tank sits right next to (sometimes up against) the 55 gallon tank. He loves it when the other fish "come and say hi!" lol

Answer 1

You can use virtually any salt intended for human consumption. Iodine is a non issue. Fish need iodine too, and most aquarium salt is sea salt which includes iodine. The levels of iodine aren't remotely near toxic in the qualities you use in a fresh water fish tank. (A salt water tank is a different matter, but for reason other than iodine.) Modern anti-caking agents are harmless, and at the very worst may leave a white residue. Remember you eat this stuff.

PS- The airstone isn't doing him any good.

PPS- If you can pump the heat past 85. Most strains of ich can't take temps above 85, and bettas are okay for a couple of days in the high 80s. (Bettas like it warmer than most fish. Generally they should be kept in 75-85F.) Just keep in mind most fish can't take this kind of heat.

PPPS- Just remember that once the ich is gone from the fish it can still be in it's free swimming stage for about 2 days.

Answer 2

I'd also say to continue with your current treatment. If you're still seeing ich on the betta after a week of treatment, it's possible you're underdosing the tank. The directions ofr Ich Away are to use 5ml per 10 gallon - that's roughly 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons, or 1/4 teaspoon for 2.5 gallons. You might not be adding enough drops for an effective cure.

Since this is a parasite and can irritate the fish, it's possible you betta deided to "scratch" his head on something. Unless it begins to show signs of infection, I wouldn't worry about the damage as much as getting the ich under control.

Answer 3

I would continue you’re coarse of action since you are seeing results. A water change between treatments is always helpful too.

As for the salt (marine salt for its trace elements, ECT can be used in low doses), you want to add 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons and note that only water changes remove salt so if you only change half the water, you only want to add half your initial dose of salt.
Salt will also be beneficial in the osmotic balance of the fish, supplying electrolytes that are especially important when a fish is sick. Calcium is another VERY important element for a sick fish OR a healthy fish too for disease prevention.

This articles may help you more:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Ich.html

Edit: You CAN use salt with the medication as the salt will only improved osmotic funtion more at a time the fish need it most. The addtion of Calcium I cannot stress more as this will aslo help here and will buffer theMalachite Green found in many ich remedies.

The point about iodine made later by Sabersquirrel is a good one. In fact it is an active ingredient in Barley pellets for algae control in ponds.

Answer 4

I would suggest you stick with your current treatment plan. Don;t change just yet. If the ich hasent cleared in 3-4 more days it may be time to try an different treatment like heat & salt, but for now just stick with what you have. Don't use the ich away and salt at the same time, that can be over kill and lead to too much stress on a sick fish.

Odds are very good the spot on his head is damage, not an additional disease problem. The best course of action is to wait it out and see what happens.

Ich can take a while to cure so hang in there and wait it out. If I can help further drop me an email.

MM

Answer 5

Do a water change in the tank. You do not need the air stone as Betta's can get oxygen from the surface, so there is no need to stress the fish out anymore with it.

As long as the salt you have doesn't have Iodine in it, it is safe to use in your tank. The normal rule of thumb with salt is one teaspoon per gallon of water.

As for the scales on his head, if the air stone is bothering him he may have tried to head but it to get it to go away which could have caused the damage. As long as it is just messed up scales and there isn't anything growing on the spot I wouldn't worry about it the scales will grow back in time.

Good Luck
E.

Answer 6

Bettas don't swim in Salt Water

Answer 7

Yes and no... it's safe for one time use, or if the salt non iodinized it's safe , but use only a pinch. The salt won't kill the fish on contact, but does accumulate in the fish
to unhealthy levels if they get too much, it's not good to add more with your salt. A purer salt such a kosher salt is a better over all choice for the mean time.good luck

Answer 8

My first question is how did you know your fish had ich and what kind did he have? there are a number of types of ich, from white spot, velvet, cotton and they are treated differently. Ich away is a generic name and unless you know what you are treating for it is useless.

Are you sure your fish doesn't have a fungus? and not ich?

Salt will not help the fungus. It also will not cure your fish of ich and can do more harm than good once you have started to medicate the bowl.

here is more on ich and how to determine what kind you have. You also need the MEDS that are for the type of ich your fis has, saying it is ich and not a fungus.

Ich may take a few days to cure, however if it is going on over a week and it hasn't gotten worse or better, it may not be ich at all but a fungus. Look at your fish carefully. Is the ich inside the gills? Is he having problems breathing?

Is it white spot disease or is it Ich? You need to know the difference between the two since they are treated differently.

Cryptocaryoniasis, White Spot Disease or Marine Ich is caused by an infestation of the ciliated protozoan Cryptocaryon irritans. Although Cryptocaryon becomes a parasitic organism at one stage in its life cycle like Oodinium and Brooklynella do, and it progesses less rapidly than these other ich diseases, in a closed aquarium system it can reach overwhelming and disasterous numbers just the same if it is not diagnosed and treated upon recognition.

Unlike Oodinium and Brooklynella that typically attack the gills first, which allows these ich diseases to advance into life-threatening levels quickly as they go unnoticed, Cryptocaryon usually appears at the onset as salt-sized white spots visible on the body and fins of a host fish, and when the organisms become parasitic, it is then that they move inwards to the gills. Because crypto is more easily recognized in its beginning stage, this makes it much easier to treat and cure before it gets out of control.

Aside from the appearance of the white spots, fish will scratch against objects in an attempt to dislodge the parasites, and rapid respiration develops as tomonts, mucus, and tissue debris clogs the gills. Fish become listless, refuse to eat, loss of color occurs in patches or blotches as the trophonts destroy the pigment cells, and secondary bacterial infections invade the lesions caused by the trophonts.

Although copper is very effective on Oodinium, and it works well to eliminate crypto organisms in their free-swimming tomite stage, it is not as effective on the Cryptocaryon trophonts that burrow deeply into the tissues of fish. A combination of freshwater and formalin treatments adminstered by means of dips, baths, and prolonged treatment over a period of time in a QT is recommended

Reinfection will occur no matter how effectively the fish have been treated if Cryptocaryon is not eradicated from the main aquarium, which can be accomplished by keeping the tank devoid of any fish for at least 4 weeks. For fish-only aquariums hyposalinity can be applied, and to speed up the life cycle of the organisms, elevate the tank temperature to 85 degrees for 10 days to 12 days. For treating reef tanks, FishVet No-Ich Marine, Ruby Reef Kick-Ich, and Chem-Marin Stop Parasites are Cryptocaryon specific remedies that are said to be "reef safe". Several days prior to returning fish to the main aquarium, clean all filtering equipment, change any filtering materials, and do a water change.

Remember to remove all filters media and turn off protein skimmers when treating for any types of Ich.

Although many over-the-counter remedies contain the general name Ich or Ick, carefully read the product information to be sure it is designed to specifically target and treat "Cryptocaryon"

Brooklynella hostilis - these protozoa reproduce asexually by means of simple binary fission through conjugation, which is why they are able to multiply so much more rapidly than Cryptocaryon (White Spot), and Oodinium (Velvet Ich), and why it can kill fish within a few days and even hours upon recognition

Most similar symptomatically to Oodinium, this too is a parasite that primarily attacks the gills first. At the onset fish may scrap up against objects, rapid respiration develops, and fish often gasp for air at the surface as the gills become clogged with mucus. Fish become lethargic, refuse to eat, and colors fade, but the most noticeable difference that sets Brooklynella apart from Oodinium is the heavy amount of slime that is produced. As the disease progresses a thick whitish mucus covers the body, usually starting at the head and spreading outward, skin lesions appear, and it is not uncommon for signs of secondary bacterial infections to arise.

Suggestions range from copper, malachite green and other remedies, with some recommended being used in conjunction with formaldehyde. However the general consensus is these types of medications are either largely ineffective or do not work at all, and that the best and most effective treatment for Brooklynella is formaldehyde alone. Typically a standard 37% formalin solution (shop & compare prices) is mixed with either fresh or saltwater in a separate treatment container, initially all fish are given a quick dip or a prolonged bath, followed by continued treatment and care in a QT. Of course the longer fish are exposed to the formalin treatment, the more effective it will be at eliminating this "disease". Whether to administer a dip or a bath to start with is something you will have to determine yourself, but there's a very simple way to do this.

Since these are Free swimming parasites which are in watersources, come attached to our fish etc. The only way to ensure NO ICH is to get a UV Sterilizer and addit to the tank. The UV Sterilizer kills the free swimming forms of various ich and other parasites.

As always feel free to email me.

Hope this helps