salt in Feed?

[spanner]

Just a quick one, Has anyone tried adding salt to their fishes food as a means of treating Hexamita. We've been using this method in fish faming for treating gut bacteria for quite a while, with good results. Just a thought!

Good question!!! Fish loves salt. It has a soothing effect to their digestive system. Fish farm uses it and big some discus breeder feed them routinely once a week with rock salt. For discus start spitting food and not greeting me when I approach to the tank. It usually a sign of upset stomach or the beginning of Hex . I mix one table spoon of salt with 1 oz. of beefheart will stop them spitting and get them chase for food again the next day. You are the first person who ask this question.
Jimmy

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Very interesting JimmyL. I have a few fish in my tanks who are notorious food spitters, I will have to try this method.


-Ryan

[nirfun]

Ryan
tell us the result please ;)
Thanks and good luck.

[brewmaster15]

interesting info spanner..how much salt do you use?

I don't think it will work for hexamita though I can see some benefit for a stomach infection., But Hexamita is mainly in the intestinal track and I would guess that the salt would be absorbed before that point.

-al

[spanner]

We've been using salt for a couple of years now to treat for an anearobic bacteria which thrives in the hind gut of trout. There has been very little lab work done with salt in diets and the only reason that we have been given as to why salt works is that it may change the enviroment of the fishes intestine enough to make life for some bacteria impossible. We mix the salt with feed at a rate of 2 to 4% salt,ie 2 to 4 kg salt with 100kg pelleted food. It has been used in salmon at a rate of 6%. Hope this all makes sense.
Spanner.