Using salts

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 5:34 pm

Hello I have a large tank with some goldfish, Zebra Danios, and a Plec, which I was told is a Hong Kong Plec (although I know that name can mean more than one type).

Anyway, all fish seem to be reasonably healthy, except for one of the goldfish, which has had, what looks like a 'Heamaroid' or similar it's anal region. This does not seem to have affected it, but I have tried various other things before, to no avail.
Also, one of the other goldfish seems to have odd looking eyes, but yet again, it doesn't seem to affect it.

It doesn't seem to be a life or death situation anyway!!

I have some Aqualibrium Physiological Salt which I want to try, but I need to know if this will affect the Plec or not before proceeding.

Thanks.

raving_wayne · Post by **raving_wayne** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 5:57 pm

hiya m8 just to let ya know if its what they call a hong kong plec then its not even a plec m8 its a hillstream loach

rave

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 6:03 pm

Yes I looked it up in the species bit on this site.

Will it be affected by salt added to the tank as medication for the other aforementioned fishes??

Thanks.

raving_wayne · Post by **raving_wayne** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 6:23 pm

i would like to answer this but im not 100% sure i would wait till someone like emma turner reads your post she is a genius who knows just about everythign about every loach and her advice is second to none

rave

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 6:27 pm

Thanks!

Diana · Post by **Diana** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:34 pm

Goldfish handle salt just fine, and it is a good medicine to start out when they have some sort of irritation like this.
Most Loaches, however, including the Hillstream Loaches are not so toleranst of salt (sodium Chloride or other).
I would move the Goldfish to a hospital tank and treat them there. This way, also, If you need to get stronger medicine, then you will not be adding it to the main tank.

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 12:56 pm

Thanks, that is what I was thinking anyway.

Also, I just noticed a few min ago that the biggest goldfish (the one with the odd looking eyes) has lost some of it's scales and is quite obvious, it isn't just one or two, so I will have to do something sharpish anyway!!

Emma Turner · Post by **Emma Turner** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:23 pm

Hi Doug,

I would treat the goldfish in a separate tank if possible as the hillstream loach ("Hong Kong plec") will not appreciate the addition of salt to the aquarium water.

As you've probably discovered by now, the hillstream loach requires very fast moving water with a high level of oxygenation or it will slowly suffocate. Fancy goldfish prefer slower moving water, so this combination is far from ideal. Your best bet would be to set up a river tank for the hillstream loach or rehome it with someone who can provide it with the conditions it requires.

You might like to print off this poster and hand it to the manager of the aquatics store that sold you this hillstream loach to go in with your goldfish: http://www.loaches.com/articles/Hillstream%20Flyer.pdf

Good luck,

Emma

raving_wayne · Post by **raving_wayne** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:35 pm

think i may print a few of them for some of the shops round here, lol

thankyou emma

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:10 pm

Yes I know, I have intended to get a hillstream tank for quite a while (I'd sort of forgotten, I'll admit). I have just started a new job so will have money now, so hopefully I can buy something soon, and get it some company.
Problem is space for another tank.

I personally, from what I read on here before, I wouldn't have got it, but the family wanted something to help eat the algae and .... well, you know how these things go.

Perhaps I should give the Loach to someone as mentioned, and get something like snails instead! (I had been vaguely considering selling the 2 biggest goldfish to someone for in a pond or similar anyway. They are both the ill ones now, so maybe that's some sort of sign they need to move to somewhere bigger!).

By the way, we have had the Loach for over 6 months and has happily being hoovering up and down the glass, ornaments and rocks, eating algae, so surly it couldn't have been suffocating for all that time??!!

For the record, the goldfish are now in separate tanks and with salt added. They don't look very happy as you'd imagine, but what else can I do??

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 6:54 am

Emma Turner wrote: As you've probably discovered by now, the hillstream loach requires very fast moving water with a high level of oxygenation or it will slowly suffocate.

We have had it for over 6 months now, so surely if it were to suffocate, it would have done it by now??!!

Emma Turner · Post by **Emma Turner** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 1:10 pm

Doug wrote: We have had it for over 6 months now, so surely if it were to suffocate, it would have done it by now??!!

Not necessarily. There is a difference between surviving and thriving.

Emma

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 3:31 pm

Well, I will see what I can do then.

Actually, I was talking to someone the other night here who was telling me that Glasgow Botanic Gardens are apparently always looking for gold fish for their indoor ponds.

Something to bear in mind if I ever want to rehome of any of my bigger gold fish.

I think they meant mainly Kois and the like though.

The 2 biggest ones still have to get better anyway, the 'hole' in the side of one of the biggest, where the scales are missing is looking relatively clean, but I have just noticed another one in the main tank that has the same problem, only to a much smaller degree, so, I don't quite know whether to keep it in he separate tank, or whether it is simply a problem of normal run of the mill day to day injury if you know what I mean. I don't want to take the chance anyway!

I suppose I have just to to sit and watch to see what happens.

The other's 'haemeroid' thingy has shrunk considerably, but it's still there.

Note to self - This is a LOACH forum!!

Diana · Post by **Diana** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:14 pm

Another possible disease to look into when the fish have holes in their sides is Aeromonas.

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:34 pm

Just looked it up, I need Lymnozyme before adding the salt, eh??

Thanks, will see into that along with the tank for the Loach, which seemingly has nothing to do with this, of course.

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Using salts

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