Salt bath for raphael cat with parasites?

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ChocolateCatfish
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Salt bath for raphael cat with parasites?

Post by ChocolateCatfish »

So I had a outbreak of some sort of parasite in my tank that I stupidly spread to both tanks before I knew about it, and my striped raphael is affected. He has been breathing very rapidly off and on for a few days but only today did he start flashing and I suspected parasites. He did it for quite a bit and I've been trying to watch him in the dark but I don't think he's scratching as much. I think it's a fluke parasite, not too sure yet. My platys (in a separate tank) were flashing too.
I'm treating my platys with aquarium salt + clean water and they already seem a bit better.

But I've heard raphaels can't have too much salt, sometimes not at all. My raphael is a little juvenile, he is only about 1 and a half inches long. I don't know if I should give him a quick, moderated salt bath or if it would hurt him or not. I ordered prazi in the mail but it won't be here until the 12th or hopefully before. If my catfish gets worse, should I attempt to catch him and give him a salt bath? Or should I just leave him alone?

Has anyone treated their raphael with salt? I've seen a guy on youtube successfully do it who used very little salt and his raphael was fine. I'm just not sure how to go about it. How much salt for one gallon of water? How long should I keep him in it? I'm especially worried since my raphael is so young.
This is also a last resort if he gets worse; he seems okay at the moment but I will only give him a salt bath if he gets worse and people think it's okay to give him one.

Any helps or tips would be greatly appreciated, thank you.
Bas Pels
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Re: Salt bath for raphael cat with parasites?

Post by Bas Pels »

My Platydoras - I think they are also referred to as striped Raphael - have withstood salt in my tanks up to 3 g/l for quite a while.

I kept them with central American cichlids, which can have salt, so I used it, and with South American ones, which can not.

It did not seem to shorten their lives, as I have them for quite a while, 27 years now.

But I never, ever, tried a salt-bath
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ChocolateCatfish
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Joined: 07 Sep 2015, 07:59
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Location 1: Nebraska
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Re: Salt bath for raphael cat with parasites?

Post by ChocolateCatfish »

Bas Pels wrote:My Platydoras - I think they are also referred to as striped Raphael - have withstood salt in my tanks up to 3 g/l for quite a while.

I kept them with central American cichlids, which can have salt, so I used it, and with South American ones, which can not.

It did not seem to shorten their lives, as I have them for quite a while, 27 years now.

But I never, ever, tried a salt-bath
27 years? That is one oooold raphael! o:
So do you think if it comes to it it would be okay to use on my baby 1 inch raphael?
He seems okay as of right now, he's breathing normally.
If I did need to give him a salt bath before the medicine arrives, how much should I use for 1 gallon? 1 tsp? Half a tsp? Just for future reference.
Thanks for the reply! ^^
Bas Pels
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Interests: Central American and Uruguayan fishes

Re: Salt bath for raphael cat with parasites?

Post by Bas Pels »

3 g/l is, assuming US gallons, some 11 g/gallon. That is, I think, a bit more than a teespoon, being some 3 g

Mind you, 3 g/l was not a bath, but it was what I used in their tank. More or less permanently that is - 30 % water changes once a wee would dilute this away in a few months.

I think a bath for 1 hour could easily be 3 times this amount

As I got mine @ ~8 cm, or 3 inches, I would be very interested in knowing how old they must have been. Perhaps you can post here when yours is 3 inches?
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