# Hirudo salt



## Snipes (Nov 17, 2009)

I am keeping some Hirudo medicinalis and I have been having trouble finding the salt for them, so they are on rainwater ATM. I see it at leechesusa, but I am not getting a response to my email and I dunno about calling since I am not part of a hospital or a school. Anyone know where to get it?


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## zonbonzovi (Nov 18, 2009)

These guys sell it:

http://www.biopharm-leeches.com

They also sell fishing leeches, so I assume they will sell to folks not in healthcare?

As an aside: any pix?  I've kept the smaller, local variety before but am intrigued by these beasts...


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## Kirk (Nov 18, 2009)

Leeches U.S.A. also sells leech salt for _H. medicinalis_. You have to call them to place an order. There are no restrictions on owning leeches, and I've bought from them. You'd have no problem buying a container of salt from them.


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## Snipes (Nov 29, 2009)

just to update, leechesusa does not sell to people unattached to a company, and for those of us in the staes, there is no contact that works for us at biopharm. I have been told that purified water works just fine though, but I have read a paper saying that it will eventually kill them because of minerals lacking. It said rainwater that is pure (no runoff from roof) works fine. (feel free to pm me for this paper). 
It would be nice to have the salt. If anyone can actually obtain it, please let me know how you did it or if i can buy some off of you. But for now, purified h20 + rainwater seem to be doing enough to keep them alive.
They are so far making great pets. And unlike spiders and scorpions and most other arthropod critters, they get very, very attached to you.


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