introducing salt to freshwater

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freshwaterashley

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Apr 2, 2013
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Hi .. i have a freshwater aquarium consistingof guppies mollies platies and ghost shrimp.. mostly becauseof the ghost shrimp and the fact that some salt is good for my fish i went and bought some .. i nerd to know how to introduce it to them as in how much should i put in tostartand when is it time to add more?
 
Also will it harm any of my fish? Ad in are any of them non brackish familiar? Idk im new to the whole salt thing ... i just want to put in a healthy amount. Not sure what that is though lol
 
The idea that aquarium salt is good for your fish is a myth.

"Adds electrolytes to the water"
This is true, however unless your tap water is INCREDIBLY soft it already has enough of these electrolytes in them.

"Increases slime coat"
Slime coat can be stimulated in two ways - through a hormone or through an irritant. Sodium Chloride has no known hormonal value, so this means it stimulates the slime coat to grow by actually stressing the fish.

"Reduces stress"
The thought behind this claim is that salt will increase osmolarity, thus the reduction of osmotic pressure will then reduce stress. However, not all pressures result in stress - just like decreased barometric pressure does not relieve human stress, decreased osmotic pressure does not relieve fish stress. Furthermore, there is no evidence to suggest that NaCl reduces osmotic pressure in the first place.

The bottom line is, that it's best not to add it.
 
They told me at the pet store that the ghost shrimp need a certain amount of salt and i have well water
 
IF you stay with your above stated livebearers, you WANT to have some salt in their tank.
These central american fish come from waters that have about the equivelent of 1 tsp salt per 5 gal. Also their native waters hardness run about 10 to 15 dKH. Many people that keep mollys state that they are quite hardy when some salt is in their water and can be pretty fragile in perfectly salt free, very soft water. Also, all these livebearers need vegetable matter in their diet. As they are algae nippers in the wild. Livebearers can do well in mixed community tanks but the perfect conditions for them are to be with only other livebearers. Some expert livebearer breeders will back this up. OS.
 
IF you stay with your above stated livebearers, you WANT to have some salt in their tank.
These central american fish come from waters that have about the equivelent of 1 tsp salt per 5 gal. Also their native waters hardness run about 10 to 15 dKH. Many people that keep mollys state that they are quite hardy when some salt is in their water and can be pretty fragile in perfectly salt free, very soft water. Also, all these livebearers need vegetable matter in their diet. As they are algae nippers in the wild. Livebearers can do well in mixed community tanks but the perfect conditions for them are to be with only other livebearers. Some expert livebearer breeders will back this up. OS.

They do come from brackish conditions - however that water is created not just with NaCl ;) Pure sodium chloride does not have all the minerals that marine salt does. And obviously, marine salt is what you make brackish water with. Trying to replicate brackish conditions with aquarium salt is "like a half-hearted attempt."
 
Indeed I have slightly spiked my livebearer tanks with marine salt before for years. I was working on the statement that this person said she had already bought some Aq salt. Livebearers do better with a little salt. Many articles published on this fact. OS.
 
Ashley,
google your species of fish and look at native waters. Then you can decide what you want to do. It's not really earth shaking with or without, just your preference. OS.
 
IF you stay with your above stated livebearers, you WANT to have some salt in their tank.
These central american fish come from waters that have about the equivelent of 1 tsp salt per 5 gal. Also their native waters hardness run about 10 to 15 dKH. Many people that keep mollys state that they are quite hardy when some salt is in their water and can be pretty fragile in perfectly salt free, very soft water. Also, all these livebearers need vegetable matter in their diet. As they are algae nippers in the wild. Livebearers can do well in mixed community tanks but the perfect conditions for them are to be with only other livebearers. Some expert livebearer breeders will back this up. OS.

I've had black mollies for over 2 years and have never used salt and won't. They're in perfect health. I've read that adding salt will over time does kidney damage to fish and will not act as a benefit to fish.
 
I added the smallest amount to the water. Just about a teaspoon In my 20g high and since then my ghost shrimp have seemed to be alot happier. Swimming around instead of mainly staying on the bottom.. my mollies guppies and platies dont seem to mind it one bit.
 
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