what is the best way to apliy the salt that is made for fish tanks

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drprowant

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Jan 10, 2011
Messages
71
Location
Michigan
i have some Acu salt and did not know how i should go about putting it in my fish tank it is for fresh water and a guy said to just put the amount that it said in to the tank and a nuther guy said that i should put it in to a small dish and i did not know the right way to go about it ? so pleas help



-------Derek
 
When I need it, I prefer to measure it out and put it in a small tupperware type container with a few small holes punched in the lid.. This way it will slowly dissolve in to the water column.

Why do you think you need it? I use it for sick fish...
 
I know some fish are listed to like some of this salt in the water.. I've found it best not to use it unless your fish are going through severe stress/sickness as it helps with their slime coat... I'm sure others will have reasons for it too, but I quickly learned it's not needed..
 
I add approx. 1-2 Tbs of Api salt every other pwc or when I notice my Mollies are acting sluggish. I use it primarily to help w/ their gill function and it works well to get them out of their "funk". Some ppl swear by it and others think it isn't necessary, (especially if your tank includes freshwater fish). My tank has a variety of fish, including a Clown Loach that could get "burned" by too much salt. This is why I only add a very small dosage and I have yet to see any negative effects to any of my fish.

I add the salt in the following manner, (although others may do it differently)... when I'm doing a standard pwc, I remove approximately 25% of the tank water. Once that's done, I add the salt, (along w/ the appropriate amount of Prime), in the first bucket of water for refilling my tank. I fill the bucket w/ warm water and stir it around enough to help it dissolve some of the salt, (not all of the salt will dissolve btw). Before refilling the tank w/ the treated water, I allow it to cool down to the same temp as the water in the tank.

When filling the tank back up w/ the first bucket, I leave approx. 1/4 of the water in the bucket and top it off w/ more water and repeat this for every bucket. Eventually the salt will break down enough by the time you pour in your last bucket.

Honestly though, if no brackish fish reside in your tank, it isn't necessary to add salt. Not to mention if you add too much it could harm your fish. My tank includes Mollies that do best w/ some salinity in the water. Along w/ them, I have a variety of other fish that could become sensitive to high salinity levels. This is why I use a much smaller amount than what's directed so I don't chance harming any of the fish.
 
thank you that is a lot of help and i will remember that if i ever need to pass it on and once again thank you so much

------Derek
 
You're welcome! :D

If nothing else, definitely hold on to the salt if you plan on using it for treating stress/illness. I don't use that method because of my belief that too much salt can harm fish like my Loach. But others have used salt and had success. It just depends on your preference.

I've only had 2 ich outbreaks since I setup my tank. I just remove the carbon from my filter media, increase the temp, and use medicated flake food, along w/ Ich Attack. In 2 weeks, ich is cured completely. My only complaint about Ich Attack is that it turns the water brown, (but it's only temporary).
 
Yeah, McLumpy is correct. Hold on to it, it's a good thing to have in your arsenal. I also 2nd the comment about other fish not doing well with the salt.

When I first started using salt, it was a pain researching other fish to see if the salt was going to be a problem with them...
 
You should dissolve all salt before adding it to your aquarium. Salt chrystals will burn the fish if they touch it for too long, and especially if they eat it. I personally add the appropriate amount to a small dish or cup filled with water from the tank, and stir it around until the salt is completely dissolved.
 
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