Can I salt bath my Dat?

[Nick1223]

I have had a 5" Dat for 2-3 weeks. Real fat, has eaten great. Loves market shrimp. I have noticed his black has been a little pale the last day or so. Today he just looked at the shrimp, did not eat a thing. He is still swimming a lot. I did miss my WC last weekend. I will do that tonight. I also saw him rub on the substrate.

This is my second attempt at a Dat. I lost the first the same way after about 6 weeks. Really don't want to lose another Dat.

I wonder if the missed water change has lowered the water quality too much. All other fish are fine. I am thinking ich. I have done a salt bath on other fish for ich before with good results. Can you do that on a Dat?

I just don't want to do anything wrong.

 

[slednex11]

id get on top of your water change and go from there first test your water and get things in check and the dat will most likey be fine! dats do change the colour so don't worry about that and fish do scratch them selves once and awhile but if he continues to flash then consider bumping your tank temp to 86-88 degrees salt does help heal but isnt a must to kill ich my dat was fine with those temps for 3 weeks while i had an outbreak good luck and be patient

 

[Nick1223]

Thanks for the advise. I am just scared to lose him after my last experience. I had wanted a Dat for years, finally got a tank big enough to house one and he only lasted a few weeks. Took me almost a year to get the guts to try again. I really like this guy. I would hate to see anything bad happen.

 

[T1KARMANN]

I have had a 5" Dat for 2-3 weeks. Real fat, has eaten great. Loves market shrimp. I have noticed his black has been a little pale the last day or so. Today he just looked at the shrimp, did not eat a thing. He is still swimming a lot. I did miss my WC last weekend. I will do that tonight. I also saw him rub on the substrate.

This is my second attempt at a Dat. I lost the first the same way after about 6 weeks. Really don't want to lose another Dat.

I wonder if the missed water change has lowered the water quality too much. All other fish are fine. I am thinking ich. I have done a salt bath on other fish for ich before with good results. Can you do that on a Dat?

I just don't want to do anything wrong.

ALL tiger fish rub flick themselfs on substrate and decor its normal

i wouldnt do anything we was bright with black stripe as they normally are at first then the stripes fade some days it may have black stripes other days it wont have any this is normal

as for food they can go a month + without food so dont panic after one day

 

[framcosco]

My two cents: As previously mentioned, keep water pristine by doing WC's & do filter maintenance. Once you have that in check & the dat continues to flash/not eat -- & you suspect ich, increase temp to 86 degrees -- that's if all of your fish can withstand this temp (I mention this as some species will not do well in higher temps). DO add salt -- as high temp & salt has been a proven winning combo against ich.

Do not do a salt bath if you are treating for ich as the entire tank needs to be treated. Besides, a salt bath will not cure a fish from ich.

I realize dats do flash here & there, but it can get to the point where a problem is evident (too much flashing). How often does your dat flash? You mentioned you missed a WC, -- what is your bio load like? how large of a tank? tank mates? filtration?

Yes, dats can go without eating for a long time, but if your little fella loves MP & all of a sudden stops eating -- it may be a sign of a problem(s).

Get water parameters in check and observe for the next day or so.

....just realize this is an old thread.... update on the little fella?

good luck.

 

[Nick1223]

So I got my water perameters under control. But my Dat was still black as the day I brought him home. In talking to my lfs and other MFKers I came to the conclusion that perhaps my two Oscars may be stressing him out. So I moved him to the grow out tank, where he was by far the largest fish, no one in there to intimidate him. After a few weeks he was still very black most of the time, but I noticed when I went down to feed he would stabilize. I was so confused by all this, so I called the previous owner. Previous owner has much more experience than I in general, and with Datnoids. When I asked him he said that the Dat had done that to him as well, and that it is no big deal. When the previous owner put him in a tank with more human foot traffic, the Dat stabilized right away. Long story short is; my Dat is back in the main tank an looking stable and eating like a champ again. Thank you to my fellow fishy friends for helping me through the Dat curse. (Is there such thing as a Dat that needs human interaction to be happy, or, much more likely, I carry the food.)


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