Yellow tang constipated

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I heard the Epsom salts is mainly for freshwater fish. I want to try it but don’t want to continue to make my parameters unstable

Both the peas idea and the Epsom salts are from freshwater fish cures, specifically goldfish. These got over-extrapolated to marine fish.

The person who came up with the peas idea worked for the Shedd Aquarium, it was designed for gas in the intestines of fancy goldfish (they get this due to their malformed bodies). Marine fish like tangs normally eat nori, and so do not have any issues with lack of fiber. It has nothing to do with the fish's swim bladder.

Epsom salts, magnesium sulfate, is the fourth most common salt in our sea salt mixes. Adding a bit more to a marine aquarium has no benefit other than to raise the salinity a bit and skew the ionic concentration.

Jay

 

[BuddyBonButt]

I would dose the Epsom salt then - 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. That might help relax his bowels. It is reef safe.

Any Epson salt or is there an aquarium brand that sells what I would need? Also is it safe to use with copper power?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Any Epson salt or is there an aquarium brand that sells what I would need? Also is it safe to use with copper power?

This is a post that started back in 21015, and is based on some old, incorrect information. Take a look at my post above yours, from Mar 8, 2022.

The only way to dose Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) for marine fish is to add it to their food (usually a gelatin mix). It is dosed in the food at 3% by weight.

Jay

 

[hrdneglcry]

Also I'd add that I tried this without reading to second page with no results except it looks like its killing my green sinularia. I guess sinularia absorbs to eat and no matter how many water chages I do it continues to decline.

 

[jepuskar]

Prolly needs to drink more water.

 

[hrdneglcry]

Just one more word of caution about adding epsom salt in hopes of treating constipation or an impaction. It did not help. But worse it may have killed my large sinularias. Also I thought that the sinularias poison from being shocked was messing with my gsp and anthelia. I removed the sinularia but now am wondering if the epsom salt damaged all of my coral. I have changed about 100 percent of the water and still troubles with corals as I think that they absorbed it.