Aquarium salt?

[Aquatic_Adam]

Please research osmotic pressure, salinity and the needs of truly freshwater fish. You have just said that all fish require brackish (raised salinity) water there and that is not correct.

That is untrue. Freshwater fish actively seek out salts to replace any they have lost.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

If I was the poster of this thread I would listen to fish guy and Tim. They have better resources on their side. It does seem as though conventional wisdom is shifting away from salt. And general I add one tablespoon per five gallons when I set up my tank and don't really add salt afterwards unless I have sickness. So I guess if I really think about it. I add salt only to remove it each week through a partial water change.

 

[Homedog98]

I know it's educational for others, (I respectfully disagree with myself lol) but there's too much of a chance that things could go bad.

 

[Fishguy2727]

"Freshwater fish actively seek out salts to replace any they have lost."
Where did you get this?

People like salt too. But we know it has serious harmful effects long term to constantly have too much salt in our diet.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

All living things actively seek out what there body loses. Fish lose salts through urine much like humans and need to replace it.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

People like salt too. But we know it has serious harmful effects long term to constantly have too much salt in our diet.

Haha you make it seem like I'm dumping salt barrels into my tank! That's just silly...

 

[Fishguy2727]

They do need it, but unless your tap water is abnormally soft and you are keeping hardwater fish it shouldn't be an issue.

The only fish I have seen actively go toward saltier water were brackish fish that were being kept in fresh. When we slowly added water to their bag to acclimate them to their new water they swam right to the saltier water. When I have added salt to freshwater tanks the fish either don't notice or swim the other way. I have not seen them seek it out in any way.

But to freshwater fish one tablespoon per five gallons is like dumping buckets in. It is MANY times more salt than ANY freshwater fish would have naturally. IF (and this is a HUGE if) you really wanted to add salt all the time I would say use a marine salt so it has other minerals in it that the fish could use (and is more natural, the salts in freshwater aren't just sodium and chloride) and it should be a trace (like one teaspoon per twenty gallons at the most). Even then I would say only to do it with hardwater fish being kept with soft tap water.

Fish keep the salts in their body. Freshwater fish urine is very dilute water due to water always going into the gills and being pumped out by the kidneys.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Tell me if you agree. There are many requirements for an aquarium but Salt is not necessary. It has some potential uses for when fish are sick. It can add to the stress coat and helps reduce osmotic stress on the gills. Which is useful when sick. But as far as all time use. Not necessary. Especially for beginners. The small advantages it adds are only applicable to variable times and the potential dangers of salt out weight the advantages.

 

[Tim Wheatley]

Tell me if you agree. There are many requirements for an aquarium but Salt is not necessary. It has some potential uses for when fish are sick. It can add to the stress coat and helps reduce osmotic stress on the gills. Which is useful when sick. But as far as all time use. Not necessary. Especially for beginners. The small advantages it adds are only applicable to variable times and the potential dangers of salt out weight the advantages.

Yeah I'd go with that.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Yes, but IF it increases slime coat it is only because it is irritating the fish, not beneficial.

I do think that certain special salts can be used all the times in a few types of tanks, like Rift Lake Cichlids, but only cetain types of salt and even then the salt has a very low dose. This allows you to simulate their natural water chemistry which helps them thrive better (better growth, colors, health, and breeding).

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

I agree too. Glad we had this discussion! Looking forward to more!

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Yes, but IF it increases slime coat it is only because it is irritating the fish, not beneficial.

I do think that certain special salts can be used all the times in a few types of tanks, like Rift Lake Cichlids, but only cetain types of salt and even then the salt has a very low dose. This allows you to simulate their natural water chemistry which helps them thrive better (better growth, colors, health, and breeding).

Yeah, there will always be exceptions. And btw. I have kept neons with my one tablespoon per five gallons of salt. Been alive for over a year and still kicking! But after this discussion I may reconsider my approach.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Let me know when they are alive after six years or if they start breeding.

IME the best thing you can go for your fish are lots of water changes (I do 80% weekly, but don't jump into anything crazy like that) and feed the best food possible (I feed NLS exclusively). Do these things and 95% of all your problems will be avoided.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

I have heard neons are real hard to breed in captivity though. And I'll check back in 4 more years about them

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

And maybe I'm showing my age here but what is nls? I need to look this god food up!

 

[Angelfish56]

Wow that was a lot of reading I wasn't expecting this many responses check out my one in general retailer on the driftwood store it has zero responses

 

[Fishguy2727]

NLS=New Life Spectrum.

 

[Crepe]

There's no point in aquarium salt other than for treating external parasites, curing a constipated fish or for sw tanks. I wouldn't use it on a regular basis. Minerals in your water should be more than enough to maintain osmotic pressure and you should be replenishing them with each WC and micros if you have plants.

 

[themartins]

I tend to agree with Predfan27. I have used coarse aquarium salt in my freshwater aquariums for 30 years. I use API Aquarium salt - 1 Tablespoon to 5 gallons of water.

 

[mdawg75]

Thanks to all for the great info, but now after reading the whole thread, I feel like I need some salty french fries to eat