Will pond salt cure my fish?

Question

I was checking on my fish today when i noticed my biggest, oldest koi had these white/grey patches on its side. At first i thought it just had a bit of food stuck to it or something because it looked like something that had just got stuck on. But i soon realised it was fungus. The problem is, i have no where to take the fish out and treat it separately, so i need something that can go in the pond and won't harm the rest. Would pond salt do any good? I need something that is safe for sturgeons.

Answer 1

Salt won't harm a sturgeon and it is a recognised cure for fungal growth. How big is the pond?; to effectively use salt is going to need a bit of applied mathematics.

It is probably your best first option as reaching for the fungicide is going to damage plants and you would have to take care with the sturgeons which are chemical sensitive.

Answer 2

sounds like it might be carp pox, use a strong salt solution, watch fish for distress, change 1/3 water in 1 week, if necessary treat again

good luck

Answer 3

Is the mark fluffy? Or does it look like a drop of wax? If the latter then it sounds like carp pox.  This isnt much too worry about as fish can live with thisfor a long time. It is a viral infection that has no cure, similar to the common cold in us humans.  

If it is the former then salt would probably be your best bet. Try tonic salts frst if this doesnt work then use a fungicide, but ensure that it does not contain formalin. A mixof malachite and acriflavin is usually best. Good luck.

Tom