s3xtcy Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Hello everyone, Yesterday I added a few new friends to my tank, a Geophagus Jurupari, a Geophagus Surinamensis and two Opaline Gourami. Yesterday im certain that they were all looking fine, swimming fine, interacting fine, and their fins showed no noticeable damage (im pretty picky at my LFS). Thismorning however, I have noticed that the RHS of one of my gourami is red, and thin and is barely used, it looks like it may have got caught in the intake, I will try to get a picture shortly, the other fish that shows signs of damage is my Geophagus Jurupari, whos fins look like they have been ripped along the length, (they are a bit tattery), Ive read before that adding salt to the aquarium helps them to breathe and aids in the repair of fins, wounds, etc, is this correct? should I use iodised salt? The only other one in the tank with any fin damage is a tiger barb whos tail is always getting eaten by the other tigers.. so he needs a little fixing up too. Also, on a side note, what do my latest additions like to eat? so far they have not really touched anything ive put into the tank. The had a litte bit of a poke at the flake food once it came down from the surface but not a substantial amount.. :dunno: Thanks!! I will try to take some photos now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3xtcy Posted January 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Heres the picture of the gourami: Videos of the gourami and of the Geophagus Jurupari are uploading now, Ill add them to this post when they are done - pictures were impossible! sorry!! Videos: Thanks everyone!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 congrats on the new additions! My daughter and I looked at some opalines today but instead got two pearls. Salt - I use salt with all new fish - just something I do .. UNIODISED plain salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3xtcy Posted January 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 great thanks, they are gorgeous and not too pricey either , how much salt do i add? Is there a specific teaspoons to litre measurement? Ive only got iodised salt... but this website says that it should be used? http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article5.html Table salt is basically also NaCl, only with iodine added (the myth that iodized salt is harmful fish is largely false... iodine is a natural element that is needed in the diet of all fish, and is actually a supplement in many fish foods... the only thing in table salt of real harm to FW fish are the decaking agents, which are very low in concentration). :dunno: :dunno: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 i say uniodised to mean salt that is not ordinary table salt which as the website says contains other stuff which is harmful. Check your salt container and see if there is antickaing agents etc. Plain uniodised salt or rocksalt should be available at the supermarket or a tonic salt from the pet store. I use 1 Tablespoon per 20 Litres. If you've got plants , the tolerance is around 1000mg/L (1t=5500mg) so 1T per 20L is fine with that also. (1.2T would be ok) especially short term then it will dilute with water changes. good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3xtcy Posted January 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 Thanks for the info, as for the fins, does that look like something salt will help with? or is there something else I should look at using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 i say uniodised to mean salt that is not ordinary table salt which as the website says contains other stuff which is harmful. Check your salt container and see if there is antickaing agents etc. Plain uniodised salt or rocksalt should be available at the supermarket or a tonic salt from the pet store. I use 1 Tablespoon per 20 Litres. If you've got plants , the tolerance is around 1000mg/L (1t=5500mg) so 1T per 20L is fine with that also. (1.2T would be ok) especially short term then it will dilute with water changes. good luck. The table salt in the big white containers uses an extremely dangerous anticaking agent, anti caking agent 551. It's used in manufacturing and the construction of buildings. It's used in manufacturing TVs, solar panels, cars and is used in systems for heating greenhouses. In sufficient quantities under the right conditions it can cause serious bleeding and scarring even death. (BTW, It's silicon dioxide, AKA silica/silica sand. Primary ingredient in glass. It's completely harmless) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3xtcy Posted January 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 Thanks Ira, thats exactly what my bottle of salt says on it.. just aswel i checked aye!! Do you think this will help the fins? or should i be looking at some form of finrot type solution? Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 I'm not an expert on healing measures on fish but salt and water changes is usually my first step for any fin damage. Guppys respond well to that and my dwarf gouramis did also.. but the dwarfs also got daily acriflavine baths for a week - they were quite damaged though after getting stuck in a driftwood tunnel and I had to push them out physically. They had dorsal and anal fin damage plus head wounds. They are fine now and as strong as ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3xtcy Posted January 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 hmm ok, thanks, I did a WC yesterday, so i might just step up the routine, twice weekly? they are due for another large one when i do the tank change this week :happy1: :happy1: :happy1: :happy1: until then i guess just add some stresscoat and salt the water, id appreciate anyone elses opinions too, thanks!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3xtcy Posted January 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 update : have been to LFS and they have given me a quarantine net and some Tonic. I have treated the fish directly and quarantined him as the odessas keep nipping at him. I have also dosed the tank as some other fish have signs of finrot too (the tiger and my swordtail) tank is now a horrendous blue colour, hope its not going to stain everything including my driftwood Thanks for everyones help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 Please read this. I know it is long but it explodes an awful lot of myths about salt in aquaria: http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/salt.shtml Salt does not specifically 'heal' but reduces the chance of infection that hinders healing. Nor does salt reduce 'osmotic pressure' or general 'stress'. Iodised salt is fine. Anti-caking agents are fine. I recommend 1/2 tsp per litre against infections. This is using normal table salt which is 6g per teaspoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3xtcy Posted January 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 Thanks Stella, that helps me, i bought some uniodised, no anticaking rocksalt from the supermarket, so ill use that till im out (which will probably never happen) and if it does ill just use the normal stuff, Thanks for everyones help, i get quite stressed when something like this happens to my pride and joys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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