Pleco+Salt=?

[Aquarist1234]

Can a Bristlenose Albino Pleco be in an aquarium with freshwater aquarium salt in it?

 

[fadetoblack06]

Idk if they can but I had one in with the salt and he did just fine.

 

[Aquarist1234]

Idk if they can but I had one in with the salt and he did just fine.

Thanks, I feel better now.

 

[My Fish Babies.]

I have heard mixed reviews about Plecos and salt. Some say it should be avoided completely and others state low doses for a short period of time is ok. The best advice I can give is to just keep an eye on him.

 

[BillD]

You do not need to, nor should you use salt regularly in a fresh water aquarium, regardless of what you have heard. This is an old aquarium myth that has taken on a life of it's own.

 

[Aquarist1234]

You do not need to, nor should you use salt regularly in a fresh water aquarium, regardless of what you have heard. This is an old aquarium myth that has taken on a life of it's own.

The aquarium salt says for regular freshwater use... does that mean it's ok. My rank has the specified amount.

 

[fadetoblack06]

What kind of pleco do you have?

 

[Aquarist1234]

What kind of pleco do you have?

An Albino Bristlenose Pleco

 

[joel618]

Bn plecos are pretty hardy. However i agree w billd, salt should mainly be used for treating disease. The only thing you should add to your water on the reg is prime imo.

 

[Aquarist1234]

Bn plecos are pretty hardy. However i agree w billd, salt should mainly be used for treating disease. The only thing you should add to your water on the reg is prime imo.

Thanks, I won't add any more during pwcs.

 

[BBradbury]

Aquarium Salt in Freshwater Tanks

Thanks, I won't add any more during pwcs.

Hello A...

Don't be afraid to use a little standard aquarium salt in your freshwater tanks. Most freshwater aquarium fish will benefit if you use a little. Contrary to popular belief, standard aquarium salt, commercial canning salt and Kosher salt have been used for decades as a general "tonic" to maintain healthy immune systems in freshwater fish and it's been proven that gill function improves with a little dissolved salt in the tank water.

Salt and large, frequent water changes are the most effective means of preventing fish illnesses, because most fish pathogens can't tolerate even a trace of dissolved salt in the water. So, common sense tells you to use a little to maintain a healthy tank.

Use a little more than a teaspoon in every 5 gallons of your replacement water and your salt senative fish and aquatic plants will thrive.

B

 

[severum mama]

You do not need to, nor should you use salt regularly in a fresh water aquarium, regardless of what you have heard. This is an old aquarium myth that has taken on a life of it's own.

I could not agree more with this statement. There is absolutely no need to use aquarium salt in a freshwater tank, unless you are using it to treat disease.

 

[BBradbury]

Using Salt in Freshwater Aquariums

Hello sev...

Absolutely your right to disagree. However, there is pretty strong evidence out there to support it's use. The fact that it's used to treat illness in freshwater fish is pretty good evidence in itself. It was used regularly many years ago and there must have been a very good reason. Maybe, as we think we've gotten smarter than the "old school" tank keepers, we've forgotten some of the "old tried and true" methods. Seems kind of a shame to me.

Anyway, I really think if we used a little aqaurium salt routinely in the replacement water, we wouldn't need to use a lot later.

Just a thought.

B

 

[severum mama]

I don't use it routinely and have few problems with illness, and we're running over 70 tanks here. I also have experience working at a shop where I was responsible for keeping the FW section, which consisted of 50x 55 gallon tanks. I'm not trying to be argumentative here but having literally kept hundreds of FW aquariums over the years, I have not seen any reason whatsoever to use aquarium salt with freshwater fish with the exception of disease treatment, and even then it's only useful with certain issues.

Undergravel filters were used in marine tanks for years- there must have been a reason, and that reason was that hobbyists lacked the technology of better filtration methods and the understanding of why UGF is a bad idea in marine tanks. To say that an old habit must be the way to go because that's the way it has been done since the early days, is a logical fallacy. I have nothing against the old school fishkeepers, and I know quite a few of them. They use box and sponge filters all day long in their fishrooms, but there's never a mention of salt.

I'm curious what the strong evidence is, as I have never seen any. I'd love to look over some articles or links.

 

[BBradbury]

Using Salt in Freshwater Tanks

Hello again sev...

This is a good conversation. We may be "splitting hairs", but your reference to undergravel filters versus the filters we have now is exactly what you've described, improvements in technology not in chemistry. Salt works the same way it did then as it does now and will in the future. It can't be improved upon, where technology is always getting better.

I have no doubt you have considerable experience with fish keeping and so do other establishments that use salt in their freshwater tanks and have for decades. An example of what I'm talking about is Aquatics Unlimited in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a large breeder of freshwater fish. They've used salt in their freshwater tanks, 12,000 gallons of freshwater tanks, since the 1960s. They use about three times more than I'd use, but how do you argue with success. They obviously know what they're doing.

Thanks for you post.

B

 

[siva]

Can a Bristlenose Albino Pleco be in an aquarium with freshwater aquarium salt in it?

No. Your pleco should not be exposed to aquarium salt if it can be avoided. This is true for many other catfish as well. Often they can tolerate it when the tank is being treated for illness, but even then I would explore other methods (such as heat only for ich, for example). Freshwater fish, in general, thrive in freshwater. Proper husbandry is the best way to prevent illness. No salt necessary.

 

[absolutangel04]

I don't personally find most large scale fish breeders to have enviable practices as far as keeping fish long term. Their job is pump fry out of breeding tanks, not to maintain balanced communities. Now, I am very certain that some larger breeders have excellent husbandry practices, but I certainly would not say that just because some a breeder doe it that it should be considered a success.
I agree with the statements about salt being for disease treatment. I have never actually found any research saying salt improves gill functions or immune systems, so as far I am concerned claims like that are simply old myths. Yes, salt treats some diseases, but so does tylenol. Does that mean we should all be take a constant dose of tylenol so we never get headaches? No. Because there are side effects. Salt can have side effects too, especially for fish like plecos and cories. I do know some hobbyists have kept these species with salt and had it work out ok, but that is not always the case. I have also seen species like plecos do very poorly after salt was introduced into a tank. So, experiences do not always provide the best proof.

 

[joel618]

Not to get off topic, but what about the use of epsom salt with plecos, catfish and plants? I know it is different than aquarium salt. I change 8 buckets of water durring my mbuna tank pwc and add a heaping tablespoon of epsom to 4 of the buckets i replace. I do it mainly to harden the water and help if they are constipated. Just making sure im not doing more harm than good.

 

[daveho]

i have no special qualifications or anything but i personally have noticed with my L022 pleco he seems to stress a little when salt is added to the aquarium. i used it once based on the advice of a forum but discontinued use based on that fact. in my head salt is used to treat deasese only and i would think having disolved salt in the tank may make the illneses harder to treat if they have been exposed to trace amounts, perhaps the develop a tollerance?

 

[meegosh]

I have to agree with the general population. In addition to it stressing certain inhabitants, why add another expense to this already semi-expensive hobby? Freshwater tanks are called that for a reason. That is why there are saltwater and brackish tanks. I have never used salt in any of my tanks and I never will. I'll save my money and buy something worthwhile. Just my $0.02.