FishProfiles.com Message Forums

I am a little suspicious that my betta has a mild case of gill flukes because he chokes on food sometimes and I've seen him scraping the gill area on his plant... Nothing really bad ATM but I don't want to see it get worse. So, I believe gill flukes are crustaceans, which react negatively to the presence of copper... so do you think putting a couple old pennies in his bowl will take care of it, or at least help? Looking for the cheapest possible solution, and pennies is it (otherwise I'd go straight for the saltwater bath, but I don't have any kosher or aquarium salt). Plus I know that copper isn't going to hurt my betta. So, would it work?

><>

never heard of the penny thing, try the salt baths and add some salt to his tank or bowl.

It's an old-school trick. If you're an old-timer aquarist like a couple people here or if you're like me and read the OLD books (1970's and before), the 2 "home remedies" (because commercial meds weren't as easy to get as most are today) were salt baths and copper from pennies (nowadays they have to be minted before 1982 to be solid copper). The salt bath was a cure-all, but the copper is good against only certain things. I don't have any salt (as I said), don't want to go all the way to Wal*Mart to get some, so I'd like to know if a couple pennies in the bowl would work (besides, it's a lot cheaper).

><>

You learn something every day.

Copper is actually still used in some prepared medications. You just have to be careful not to dose copper meds to tanks containing invertebrates, because it kills them (otherwise, you'd lose the point of having the copper).

><>