Ruadh

This is something I've just learned about.
I've been asking locally for advice on my swordtail's. They've been turning white and dieing one by one.
I asked at one LFS and he suggested livebearer disease and I got what amounts to a sulfa drug for fish to try to cure it.

According to this web site:

http://www.gbasonline.org/disease_chart.htm

it's not a disease at all, it's electrolyte imbalance that effects the slim coat.
Now looking that up it seems to me that this may be a contributing factor to some of the problems, such as ich, others have suffered.

How do you check for an imbalance and how do you adjust it?

Rick

__________________
I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous

Jay

Hey Rick

My first reaction is that web site is an advertisement for Jungle chemicals and is a little thin on sound information.

Electrolytes are the sum of all of the mineral salts and trace elements that make up the GH in your tank water beyond the big two Calcium and Magnesium. Electrolytes are essential for healthy cell function in all living creatures. Humans replenish electrolytes after exercising by drinking Gator Ade.

Live bearers like guppies, mollies, platies etc. do much better <-read that thrive, if the GH of the water is boosted with additional mineral salts and trace elements that more closely match their natural origin. THIS DOES NOT MEAN ADD TABLE SALT OR AQUARIUM SALT.

Seachem makes a product called "Live bearer Salt" it contains a small amolunt of NaCl (table salt or aquarium salt) but boosts the mineral salts (electrolytes) in the water. It is a great product...I use it in my guppy tank.

Hope that helps a bit

Regards,
Jay

Ruadh

Thankx very much Jay.
Several so called 'in the know' people at three LFS's have told me to add salt.
I will go see if I can find Seachem's stuff.
Is there a way to test for this?

Rick

__________________
I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous

Jay

Other than the normal GH test, not easily unless you want to go to the expense of having your water tested by a commercial lab.

You might want to ask your local water company for an analysis of your tap water.

IME the addition of mineral salts for Live Bearers is much higher than is available in most tap water. The chemists at Seachem have worked out dosing amounts that will get you in the ballpark for your situation and overdosing is really not an issue considering the wide range of acceptable amounts.


Regards,
Jay

Ruadh

Thankx Jay
That's what I was thinking about.
Even if I were to calculate the amount of salt to add based on the amount of water changed, I thought that it might be possible to over dose over a period of months.
I suppose to combat any possibility one could forgo adding salt every so many water changes.

Looks like I'm going to have to hunt for the Seachem, the stores here don't carry it.

Rick

__________________
I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous

Jay

When I dose this stuff, I only add it to the amount of water I am adding to the tank.

You might want to go to "that fish place" to find it. They are, IME, a quality online company.

Jay