AQUARIUM SALT MAINTENANCE IN FW TANK?

[Aquarii]

I've seen both Petsmart and Petco use leftover betta containers with the perforated lids filled with about 1/2 inch of aquarium salt and the rest with water sitting in the bottom of each tank. The staff don't know why it's there, they're just told to do it.

Is this possibly because the fish are new, stressed, and possibly prone to disease?

It's probably something I shouldn't do as a routine precaution, since none of my fish require salt added to the water.

Anybody smarter than the Petco/Petsmart people? - Like, all of you? (no insult intended to store employees!) [/b]

 

[rkilling1]

I can' say for sure as to why they do it. It may just be there to help with ICH.

There is no need to add it to your tank.

 

[Sidi]

Salt can be an amazing tool to fight ich (as mentioned above) and a few other diseases. When a fish is sick and stressed, assuming they aren't susceptible to salt (such as a scaleless catfish or many soft water fish) it can really help.

But everything I've read in modern advice says to avoid it as a preventative or constant additive. If necessary consider it to fix a problem, but it's not necessary beforehand.

 

[Zagz]

I don't use salt in the FW aquarium except for treatment. Keep in mind though that there are several fishes that do not tolerate salt at all, such as plecos, loaches or catfish.

 

[tropicfishman]

I too never use it unless I have brackish species of fish or battling something like ICH

 

[ThAtGuY11]

I have salt in my FW tank because my LFS told me that it will reduce fish sickness/loss and whatnot. but if you do use salt, it doesn't evaporate when the water does so only put it in when you do water changes if you do.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

You don't need salt in a FW tank. The salt they are using is Freshwater Aquarium salt, completly different than the salt needed for Brackish conditions which requires marine salt. It is a good idea to kep some on hand just in case your tank contracts ich or you have an ill fish. No reason to add it to the tank on a regular basis though.

 

[Jchillin]

Since the betta bowls do not have any filtration, the salt acts as a detoxifier of NH3/NH4, as well as a preventative for ich.

 

[tkos]

Ah the salt myth. Good to see it pop up every so often. I am sure that the salt in the tanks at Petsmart could be helping with poorly cycled conditions. Most likely it is due to lack of knowledge. It is a good reason though why everyone should have a quarentine tank and use it for all new fish coming into their system.

 

[hamburgler]

At least at petco the salt is used in that manner to act as a slow release. When dealing with that many fish incoming on a weekly basis, the spread of a disease is a huge risk so using salt is an obvious choice. "Slow release" is required because the units have automatic water changes. There is a constant drip system, and overflow installed in the sump.