How Often Should I Dose Epsom Salt

[Pluteaz]

Hey reefers, so I've had to dose my QT with epsom salt to help clear dead internal parasites in my fish. I am also dosing prazi and metro. I tried to feed metro soaked food, but the fish wouldn't feed. So I decided to dose the tank instead. I added epsom salt the same day. Do I need to redose the epsom? Or is the one time dose all they need?

 

[Big G]

Epsom Salt: Treats eye and other injuries. Popeye in one eye usually means injury, but popeye in both eyes usually denotes a bacterial infection requiring antibiotic treatment. Cloudy eye can be a bacterial infection or flukes.

How To Treat - 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of aquarium water. Repeat only once, if necessary. Use only “USP” grade Epsom salt.

Pros - Reef safe, as Epsom salt is just magnesium sulfate.

Cons/Side Effects - The effects of excessive sulfate in a reef aquarium are not fully known.

 

[Pluteaz]

Epsom Salt: Treats eye and other injuries. Popeye in one eye usually means injury, but popeye in both eyes usually denotes a bacterial infection requiring antibiotic treatment. Cloudy eye can be a bacterial infection or flukes.

How To Treat - 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of aquarium water. Repeat only once, if necessary. Use only “USP” grade Epsom salt.

Pros - Reef safe, as Epsom salt is just magnesium sulfate.

Cons/Side Effects - The effects of excessive sulfate in a reef aquarium are not fully known.

Thank you!

 

[Paul B]

Epsom salt or magnesium is a large component of sea water. I add about a pint every 6 months or so. There is a formula but I just do it this way and it has not hurt anything in decades.

 

[miyags]

I think once is all you'll need.mag will stay in the water column a long time.

 

[theMeat]

Magnesium is more stable than calcium and alkaline but does get consumed, especially if you’re growing algae

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

It wont help to expel the worms dosed into the water. I dont not feel it will help anything dosed into the water.

But a pinch in the food will spit those dead worms right out. Keep trying to feed it.

 

[Pluteaz]

It wont help to expel the worms dosed into the water. I dont not feel it will help anything dosed into the water.

But a pinch in the food will spit those dead worms right out. Keep trying to feed it.

It did help to expell some of the stomach contents within a 24hr mark, fish take up the salts in seawater as a method of their osmoregulation. Ideally it would be best to treat internally, but I wasn't successful with one particular fish. My royal gramma is just having a tough time and being picky. I don't blame the poor fish, but it's still fighting the good fight.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

I am glad the worms passed !

I realize fish take in salt through the water. Epsom salt is comprised of magnesium and sulphate, both of which are already abundant in saltwater. At the reccommend dosage the effect on the levels of these ions is negligible, meaning the water fish take In after dosing epsom salts is effectively identical to what it was prior to dosing.

Mixed in the food, it could have a laxative effect when concentrated or undissolved epsom salt is ingested directly into the fishes gut.

Wishing your fish a speedy recovery!

 

[Pluteaz]

I am glad the worms passed !

I realize fish take in salt through the water. Epsom salt is comprised of magnesium and sulphate, both of which are already abundant in saltwater. At the reccommend dosage the effect on the levels of these ions is negligible, meaning the water fish take In after dosing epsom salts is effectively identical to what it was prior to dosing.

Mixed in the food, it could have a laxative effect when concentrated or undissolved epsom salt is ingested directly into the fishes gut.

Wishing your fish a speedy recovery!

Thank you! I wish my fish made it easier, but guess that's the hand I was dealt haha. I think it's the increasing of the concentrations of magnesium sulfate in the seawater that causes a similar effect. I know that magnesium and sulfate ions are present in seawater, but increasing the concentrations also increases the concentration in the fishes body. I definitely agree it's not as effective as getting the epsom directly in the gut but I think I got a similar result, even though it wasn't as strong of a response... theoretically?

Have you had a run in with internal parasites? If so how long did it take till your fish were cured? Cause I would also like to get an idea of how long people's fish were medicated before their fish were cleared of internal parasites.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Every fish I get these days seems to have internal parasites.

I now use fenbendazole + metro orally for 14 days on every fish I qt. Internal parasites can be quite stubborn.

 

[Pluteaz]

Every fish I get these days seems to have internal parasites.

I now use fenbendazole + metro orally for 14 days on every fish I qt. Internal parasites can be quite stubborn.

Yikes, I got my work cut out for me then haha. Thank you so much for your insight. Hopefully I won't run into this issue too often, and hopefully I can get my fish to feed on some epsom salt in their food when I do. I really appreciate your thoughts and you're time

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

The epsom isnt needed, it just helps move things along. Is the fish eating unmedicated food?

 

[Pluteaz]

The epsom isnt needed, it just helps move things along. Is the fish eating unmedicated food?

It took medicated food once prior, and it's been a couple days since it has eaten any food.

 

[dburke732]

Epsom Salt: Treats eye and other injuries. Popeye in one eye usually means injury, but popeye in both eyes usually denotes a bacterial infection requiring antibiotic treatment. Cloudy eye can be a bacterial infection or flukes.

How To Treat - 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of aquarium water. Repeat only once, if necessary. Use only “USP” grade Epsom salt.

Pros - Reef safe, as Epsom salt is just magnesium sulfate.

Cons/Side Effects - The effects of excessive sulfate in a reef aquarium are not fully known.

Hey I know this is super late to this thread but I just treated my 5 gal QT tank with epson salt because my flame angel has popeye in one eye from what I’m assuming he scratched it in a rock. My question is how long between the first dose and the second dose(if necessary)should I wait

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

It wont help to expel the worms dosed into the water. I dont not feel it will help anything dosed into the water.

But a pinch in the food will spit those dead worms right out. Keep trying to feed it.

Correct - adding it to water is a freshwater tonic, it doesn’t do anything in marine tanks. Feeding it in food at 3% by weight will help expel protozoans.
Jay