# Best way to treat bacterial infections?



## uncleholmes (May 10, 2010)

Will raised temperature and salt do it? Any articles on it?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Raised temperature is used with organisms like ich...it really just speeds the lifecycle of the parasite...does not kill it. Salt is helpful also with ich to keep free-swimming parasites from attaching to the fish.

I have not seen an article or recommendation that treating a bacterial infection with heat or salt would be better than an antibiotic.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

http://www.flippersandfins.net/flexibacter.htm
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/c ... isease.php

The first article advises the use of specific antibiotics as the primary means for treating columnaris and mentions small amounts of salt as also being helpful. The second article does not like antibiotics at all and prefers salt baths, (uses heavy concentrations of salt) to treat columnaris. Columnaris being one of the more common bacterial diseases we see.

The best way to treat bacterial infections? I don't know. My experience with bacterial infections in my own tanks is (thankfully) limited. In dealing with members on this forum it seems more people go with the antibiotics but I have had some people report back good results with the salt bath route. (And the author who wrote the second article has significant experience with the subject)
It's possible that both remedies work and its a matter or personal preference as to which one you should choose. Some people just don't like to use drugs on their fish, period while others are not up for the challenge of doing the salt baths--much more involved than just dropping a few pills into the water. With a fish that is already weakened and stressed either method can add more stress than the fish can withstand and kill them. But what are you going to do? If the fish is really sick you have to do something. 
Ideally you want to avoid bacterial infections all together by keeping up with water quality, tank maintenance, addressing aggression issues so you don't have fish with open wounds that are likely to get infected, etc.

Robin


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