Salt as a Medication

Salt acts in 3 ways to cure fish of parasitic problems.

It acts as an irritant, is a mild antiseptic and it affects osmosis. To get rid of a parasite such as flukes fish need to be irritated enough to produce excess mucus.

    Care must be taken that the salt is dissolved and added gradually so the fish are not burnt.

The main action of salt when used in a bath is to dehydrate the parasites living on the fish. This kills the parasites.  This happens by osmosis or the movement of water from low salt concentration to high salt concentration. You may be worried that adding salt to your pond could harm your filter bacteria. There are so many species of filter bacteria that not all will be affected by salt and will take over or you may use a salt bath.

    Try not to excessively stress your fish when catching them. For parasites and flukes on skin and gills use  3 oz of salt  per gallon of water for  10 minutes per day for 3 or 4 days. Long term dosages are 1oz  per 1 galllon  but water changes and oxygen must be added.

    Do not use salt on viral diseases, swim bladder or tumours etc. as  it will have no effect.

    Do not use salt with potassium permanganate or formaldehyde it could cause cardiac arrest.

    The salt should be non iodised.

I use 1 lb. of salt for every 100 gallons of water.  This is the same ratio fish in their bodies so it can be used a year long solution.   Your plants can tolerate that much salt, and it is great for medicinal purpose, especially in the spring and fall when immune systems of fish are lowest with parasites and bacteria still active.
    When fish are recovering from transportation such as being in a bag for 24 hours, a dosage of   3 lbs. of salt per 100 gallons for several days is recommended. Stress is one of the most undesirable things for fish health, and salt the best medication for relieving it.

Eugene Gmitrowicz