Vitamins??

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earhtmother

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Mar 22, 2010
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Since we no longer have access to antibiotics without a vet visit etc does anyone have any suggestions what I can use as a *multi vitamin* in both my quarantine tank and regular tanks to make sure their immune systems are working at top efficiency.
 
Vitamins

Since we no longer have access to antibiotics without a vet visit etc does anyone have any suggestions what I can use as a *multi vitamin* in both my quarantine tank and regular tanks to make sure their immune systems are working at top efficiency.

Hello ear...

Standard aquarium salt has many immune system benefits. A rounded teaspoon in every 5 gallons of tank replacement water is about right. The amount is a good source of electrolytes and organic spinach and garlic are excellent sources of most vitamins. This is in addition to a good brand of low phosphate flakes, freeze dried and frozen foods.

B
 
I don't know the pros or cons of using aquarium salt, although I've heard arguments both ways. Maybe it helps, but what is the evidence for it, or any other additive, strengthening the immune system?
 
Aquarium Salt

I don't know the pros or cons of using aquarium salt, although I've heard arguments both ways. Maybe it helps, but what is the evidence for it, or any other additive, strengthening the immune system?

Hello rled...

If you go back and research the early years of the water keeping hobby, most if not all the authors recommended salt as a tonic for healthy fish in general, especially for livebearing fish. I've been in the hobby quite a few years and noticed recently that some have moved away from using aquarium salt in freshwater fish tanks. I've always used a little in all my fish tanks and there must have been a good reason for so many authorities to recommend its use. Anyway, fish keepers with more experience than I have say it's good, so I use it. The decision is yours.

B
 
I don't know the pros or cons of using aquarium salt, although I've heard arguments both ways. Maybe it helps, but what is the evidence for it, or any other additive, strengthening the immune system?

Ive always heard that a little salt helped fish in keeping a good slime coat which would keep parasites and certain infections from setting in. My evidence for using it(only as a medicinal remedy) is I've had several fish get a white fuzzy infection all over their bodies i think was columnaris and salt took care of it. Also I have noticed a difference in the regrowth rate of damaged fins when using salt but this could be due to other unknown factors.
 
Well, I have done some reading, including a couple of scientific papers, and it seems that except for use as a treatment for parasites, salt should never be added to a freshwater aquarium. It's just not helpful other than a medication.
 
Using Aquarium Salt

It's interesting to me that an authority would recommend the use of aquarium salt to treat a parasite infection. This begs the question, if you used salt to eliminate the parasite, why wouldn't you use a little all the time to keep the parasite from ever developing in the first place? Maybe this authority has never kept a fish tank. This makes no sense to me.

B
 
It's interesting to me that an authority would recommend the use of aquarium salt to treat a parasite infection. This begs the question, if you used salt to eliminate the parasite, why wouldn't you use a little all the time to keep the parasite from ever developing in the first place? Maybe this authority has never kept a fish tank. This makes no sense to me.

B

Maybe long term salt use has some ill effect on fish? Just a random guess.
 
Salt used as a medication is used in high concentrations because it’s the osmotic pressure that kills the parasites. Using salt in low concentrations on a regular basis is of no use in controlling parasites. It would be like taking low doses of antibiotics to prevent an infection. Won’t work. Depends on the parasite, but some require very high salt doses to eliminate.
 
Salt seems to mainly be used for skin issues as it helps promote a slime coat for healing and helps heal damaged fins.
 
Awwww geez... this is the day... aside from argumentative banter (re-read op's post). I would most def opt for salt over vitamin A-Z in a Quarantine tank...
 
In a display tank?? Nothing.. just keep parameters in check.. if your water wont match your ambitions than tailor yoir ambitions to your water.
 
Let's try that again.
The consensus *seems* to be salt in the quarantine tank but not in the day to day tanks. This then leads me to ask how I transition them from the *brackish* quarantine tank to *home* without shocking their systems
 
It won't be brackish in the sense of a true brackish system. Just change out 50% of the water with unsalted water. And after a day or 2 put your fish back in your main tank.

IMO, you can treat a main tank with aquarium salt if you have multiple fish with problems and it's more practical to leave them in the main tank. Salt will later be removed with water changes. And salt won't kill your fish with proper dosing.

I've known guys to add small amounts of salt to thier tanks as BBradbury does and thier fish lived full lives. Some are strongly against the idea.
 
Yeah I always added salt when I had Mollies but when I returned from my 30+year break from the whole fish thing I was told that salt wasn't needed. Now that Canada doesn't allowed to be sold OTC, only from a vet which means a $90 visit before the cost is meds salt may become a tank staple again
 
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