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I was told at one of the big pet stores, that salt is good for any freshwater aquarium. I was wonders after the initial setup; do I have to add salt on regular bases if so, how often?

Also, what other additives are recommended to add to the water once the tank is established? I was told the CYCLE is good to add on weekly. Any other suggestions are welcome.

It depends on what type of fish you plan on keeping. Some fish are not so tolerant to salts such as Cories and Clown Loaches. If salt is to be used ,I believe it is about 1 rounded Tablespoon for 5 gals of H20. Once the salt is in the tank the only way it is removed is by removing water. So the only time you add more is when you do water changes.Example:If it were a 20 gal and you removed 5 gal you would add 1 TBLSPOON for the new 5gal(remember to let saltdissolve in new water before adding to tank). Never add salt when just topping off your tank as evaporated water is just that and no salts evaporate from tank. So figure out what type of fish you are keeping and go from there.

Some people swear by adding salt to every tank; most people I know (including me) don't use it routinely, unless they are keeping brackish fish. I keep some around to use for sickness, but that's it.

Old remedies die hard...

The concentration of salt in a freshwater fish is much higher than in the surrounding water so salt is constantly "leaking" out of the fish into the water.

To compensate for this, fish have developed several solutions. The first and foremost is they ingest a very large quantity of water and as a result produce a large quantity of urine.

Kidneys extract the small amount of salt from the ingested water and put it back into the fish's bloodstream. An ion pump in their gills also removes salt from the water and discharges ammonia.

There's traces of salt in almost all freshwater and our tropicals know how to extract it. Dosing additional salt is not necessary and in fact may be dangerous to some species.

Whenever you're told to dose salt, consider shaking it on your cheeseburger.

--garyroland.

if u have fish like mollies(alone) i would definetely add salt as they are a brackish fish. my black mollie seems to get white spot every time i do a water change, however i never medicate because the fish cures itself on brackish water.
in my main tank i have corries and tetra. fish which are fairly intolerant to salt. however sydney's water(aust not canada) is fairly deficient in salt and my fish looked healthier and happier almost immediately after i added the salt.

for my mollie i used 1.5 tablespoons in 4 gal.
for my main tank i use 3 teaspoon in 20 gal.

is salt a must have? no. but it can help in slime coat production and infection fighting.

Mollies are raised in commercial freshwater ponds...

None, as far as I know, are raised in a "brackish" environment.

A proper diet and correct pH are the major contributors to slime coat production, not salt.

--garyroland.

Here is a good page with the uses of salt

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VM007

I am one of the hobbyists who swears by the use of salt. Before I used salt, I was constantly having disease and infections problems in my tanks, especially with my Bettas. Since i've started using it though, I haven't had one problem at all. The fishies colors are bright and vibrant, and all are healthy. I guess it could be a coincidence but i'll stick to the salt for now

hi, i was wondering, are we talking about normal table salt? or the conditioning salts you get from the pet shops?

Freshwater hobbyists should be aware that salt water hobbyist's trops are not immune to disease...

So many have tried salt to cure all kinds of disease and so many have failed in the attempt. The failures we never hear about.

--garyroland.



Last edited by garyroland at 07-Oct-2004 11:49

Maybe I need to clarify what I was trying to say. I am not saying that salt is a know-all cure-all miracle solution. I am speaking from MY experience, I have had very good results. Other hobbyists might not have had the same, I wasn't speaking on the hobby's behalf.

Hi Fish Dude,
The salt that they are speaking of is the non iodized
salt that is available at any grocery. Note the "non
Iodized" part. Iodine can be very toxic to fish in
fresh water. A very, very, slight amount is recommended
for the care and keeping of the various fresh water
shrimp but more than that amount is toxic.
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

thanks frank!

so what the conditioning salts sold in the LFS used for? are they necessary?

Salt was used many years ago in combination with the dyes to combat the ich parasite...

Sometimes it was effective, sometimes not. It was always a tossup.

Old timers discovered heat, an excess of it, did just as good, even better, than salt dosing and reverted to heat and dyes to kill the parasites.

I have heard time after time that hobbyists have gained an edge on fin rot in Bettas and other species by the addition of salt to their tanks.

This takes me back to the days when salt was applied to wounds to help keep infection out and salt used as a preservative, slowing down the spoiling of foods and game fish/meat.

When I kept Bettas I never had a fin problem with them, a popular malady these days, and never dosed salt to any of my tanks.

Good water quality should stand on its own without any salt or meds dosing. Bettas kept in tiny bowls and small tanks is not only cruel but because of the small water content the bowls tend to foul easily, inviting bacteria to the party.

Because of the residue remaining from salt when changing water, it's possible to cause a buildup of salt over and above what freshwater fish can withstand.

Salt, in my opinion, is not a preventative for disease no matter what benefits hobbyists claim to achieve. Good water quality is a benefit one should concentrate on instead.

--garyroland.

--When fish were invented, I was there.





Last edited by garyroland at 07-Oct-2004 12:23

Hi Jessnick,
Don't get too upset! Remember that other posts are other peoples opinions that we can read and maybe work out for ourselves which way we think might be best for our tanks. Don't leave FP. All of us have contributions to make and that's what makes the forum work..wouldn't it be a boring world if we all agreed about everything. Stick around...Your post might be the one that saves me one day.

Jessnick...

I too am one that believes in the advantages of using salt just like you. You are not wrong so put your mind at ease.

Gary, its fine to give your opinion but your opinion isn't the only valid one out there. Please show respect for others here.

Peace All...