Adding salt 'tonic' in FW tank

[AquaOne]

I bet someone's already covered this, but here goes anyway.
I have a recent 195L (about US 36g) tank with 2x angels, 2x golden gourami, 3x platy, 5x cory & 2x pitbull plec.
I have introduced about ½ the normal salt tonic concentration (gradually increased over 6x pwc) and just heard (from another thread) that cory's don't do salt !
Is it time to stop adding any more salt tonic ?
I would add that water condition remains optimal and all the fish seem happy enough. The main reason for adding salt tonic (from what I've heard) is to help keep various diseases away.

 

[Fishguy2727]

You don't need to add salt to a freshwater tank all the time. Have it on hand in case you need to treat specific problems or see overall stress. Cories are not particular sensitive to it the way people make them out to be (although some species can be, but not the common ones in most LFSs). You are doing more harm than good long term by adding salt all the time. I can't wait for this myth to die.

 

[AquaOne]

Thx Fishguy, I don't add all the time as such, I have introduced small amounts each pwc and planned to stop once up to the recommended level. It's all on the box, but that's not where I am presently so I can't tell you what it suggests. I am intrigued that there is a marketed product (indeed many varieities) that you feel is of little or even no help in a FW tank. There has to be situations where FW fish are in or on the edge of SW tidal conditions, so wouldn't this be a natural condition for them to be in. There are some FW shrimp that only release their eggs when they reach 'slightly salty' water, and salmon... well they go from SW to FW and back to SW even !
Before you ask, no... I don't have salmon in my FW tank, some in my groceries cupboard though.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Those are called brackish water fish and they do require low salinities to thrive (usually around a specific gravity of 1.008). Freshwater fish do not need salt all the time. They are from waters that are FRESH, not brackish. These are the conditions they have adapted to and evolved in. This is what their organs can handle. Adding salt, especially at the levels that the box of aquarium salt suggests, is more harm than good long term.

There are tons of products that you do not need or will not help. The companies want to make money and they need to sell the idea that a given product is needed. If they can do this they know that you will buy it over and over and over again. You will recommend it to others. Thenthey keep making more unnecessary products.

Aquarium salt has an important place and use in the hobby, but it is not adding it all the time. It is having it on hand to use if needed if there are signs of stress or specific illnesses. These are FRESHwater fish, keep them that way.