salt for fish health

[dax29]

I see a lot of people using salt in freshwater aquariums. I don't use it. I've got hard, high pH water and I just don't adding salt is a good idea, so I don't. But, I know many of you do and it seems to help fish in general and may prevent some diseases. I've gotten rid of my corys (returned to pet store) and I've got loaches, rams, and dwarf gouramis, and of course my black ruby barbs. Any comments on salt will be appreciated.

 

[Meredith]

There have been a bunch of threads about this. Some people swear by it. I don't use salt. And unless I need to treat ich or some such disease, I wont ever use salt. I just don't think its necessary. But that is only my humble opinion.

 

[dax29]

salt threads

I need to check out the threads, if I can figure out how best to search for them. You too have otos. I just finished complaining to someone that I can't find the little buggers in any lfs here. I don't get it. They will have discus, exotic corys, strange cichlids, but no otos. Are they that rare. I've got lots of brown algae for some to eat. My chinese algae eater (that has been returned to pet store), killed mine I think. I removed their carcasses from the tank and I saw him continuously harassing them beforehand along with a flying fox. Anything with a horizontal stripe is a target with the chinese algae eater.

 

[Guest]

I use aquarium pharm. salt. You can even pick this stuff up at walmart. I use the dosage of a tablespoon per 5 gallons. About ever 2 or 3 water changes i'll add it again. It doesn't harm the fish so as long as its not harming them I figured it might do a little good.

 

[BrianNY]

Yep, salt has been debated up the proverbial river. IMO, it's an exceptional tonic (even for soft water fish like discus). I use it frequently to help reduce stress by aiding the fishes ability to deal with osmotic pressue. I do not keep my tanks on a regular salt regimen and frequent water changes eventually get the salt content to zero.

Fish with scales can withstand a certain amount of salt with NO ill effects. It might be an irritant to scaleless fish. JMO

 

[Quake2player]

In the "Unhealthy Fish" forum here, there is a sticky writeup on how salt & increase in temps (to 86), can rid of ich. My RAM caught ick last week and I have been doing this treatment. I guess what they say about RAMs is true... they are a "bit" more sensitive cause the rest of his tankmates have been ok... neons, rosey barbs, corys and otos. The jury is still out on whether or not this treatment has totally taken care of the ick (to be followed up in the Unhealthy forum)... but there seems to be no ill effects on the rest of the tank... maybe plants are affected.

My ram is eating readily and he's swimming around... the spots have dissapeared, but it looked like he had some red irritations near the mouth last nite... I hope it gets better today.

 

[ChileRelleno]

I use salt for alot of minor problems and as a additional treatment when treating some major problems. Salt, just like anything else is best used in moderation and when used properly is a very effective non-medicinal treatment.
I do not keep my tanks salted, and any that is used is removed via subsequent PWC's.
Unless a tank is Brackish then common sense says that constant elevated salinity is not sensible .