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Hi, I have a 10 gallon tank with 3 Platys i've been reading around and some fish aquarium salt is okay for. Do I need to worry about that? Also what else could I feed them besides Flakes?

Thanks

It's not necessary to add salt for just the platies.

Alternatives to feed would be some of the frozen foods such as frozen brine shrimp, blood worms, etc.

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

As oldtimer said, bloodworms and brine shrimp, both live and frozen make great sources of food. Personally, I feed all of my fish frozen food.

What kind of salt are you talking about. There is standard aquarium salt, which can be used in freshwater. It acts as a cure-all medicine for many fish ills. There is also sea salt. That is what is used in marine and brackish aquiriums. Your platies would be just as healthy, if not more so, with a small bit of salt added to their water.

- Dj :88)

Aquarium salt should be pure rock sea salt... the 'difference' with salt suitable for your aquarium is that it has not been treated with iodine, which most table salts have.

As for adding salt to your tank - it's really not required, and as a begining 'fish keeper', i'd suggest it is better left alone. The biggest problem wqith salt is that it builds up prgoressively in your tank, only being removed (exponentially) with water changes... Salt does help with some diseases, but good water quality helps with ALL diseases, and should be your goal.

Regular water changes, monitoring of your tank parameters with your own test kits (particularly pH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate), adequate airation and adequate filtration. Your fish will live a long and happy life, and there will be no need to pickle them in salt!

Jester's post on the salt is excellent advice. As for the food, my platies really like HBH Veggie Flake. From what I understand, platies like a fair bit of vegetable matter, and this flake is popular with mine. Funny, though, I've ever seem them go after any of the fresh veggies I've put in the tank.

non-iodized pickling salt from the grocery store is the same as aquarium salt exept it is about an 1/8 of the cost, I add it to all my tanks at every water change :88)

The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is like an bacon and egg breakfast: the chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'."