Aquarium salt safe for these fish?

[D_Tristan22]

Is aquarium salt safe for
Kuhli loaches
Angel fish
Guppies
Dwarf gourami
Mystery snail

 

[HeatherW]

I don't think your loaches will like the salt

 

[D_Tristan22]

Would they die or get sick?

 

[HeatherW]

I'm not sure what happens to them. They can handle some salt. Like maybe half the regular dose. I put too much in with mine once and they start acting funny - flashing around, and all that crazy stuff. Also they almost looked like they were burned. Water change to reduce the salt and they seemed to get better.
Why do you want to add salt?

 

[D_Tristan22]

Oh dang. I did add the salt and they are acting like that too. Should I do an immediate WC?

My guppy has been squared (prego) for the past week and I read salt helps calm down and probably helps with delivering so I added the salt.

 

[Khuligirl93]

Loaches are scaleless fish and should not have salt in their water. Your guppy should be fine without salt as long as she is not being harassed, has plenty of plants to make her feel safe, and most importantly if you do regular water changes and your parameters are stable.
I would definitely do an immediate 50% WC to help out your poor loaches.
Here's a nice article clearing up some common misconceptions about salt:
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=31554&highlight=salt

 

[D_Tristan22]

Loaches are scaleless fish and should not have salt in their water. Your guppy should be fine without salt as long as she is not being harassed, has plenty of plants to make her feel safe, and most importantly if you do regular water changes and your parameters are stable.
I would definitely do an immediate 50% WC to help out your poor loaches.
Here's a nice article clearing up some common misconceptions about salt:
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=31554&highlight=salt

Ahhh. Will the loaches suffer a lot? It's 11 pm and I won't be able to do a WC right now until morning. I have another tank with a betta in it that I can transfer over for now? But would it be safe for the loaches in the betta tank. It's a 5.5 gallon.

 

[HeatherW]

Well it is a little late but I would do a large water change ASAP and no, don't move the loaches to that small tank. That will just stress them out more

 

[gilpi]

Is aquarium salt safe for Kuhli loaches Angel fish Guppies Dwarf gourami Mystery snail

Why? Angels and salt not a good mix.

 

[BBradbury]

Adding Salt

Is aquarium salt safe for
Kuhli loaches
Angel fish
Guppies
Dwarf gourami
Mystery snail

Hello D...

Keep the dose to a teaspoon or a bit more in every 5 gallons of your replacement water and your fish and plants will appreciate it.

B

 

[D_Tristan22]

My angel didn't seem to be affected by the salt. What does it do to the angels?

I did a 60% WC. My siphon stopped working so I had to go to plan B and dip a container in to get the water out.

But now it's fresher water and my loaches seem to have appreciated a lot.

 

[gilpi]

My angel didn't seem to be affected by the salt. What does it do to the angels? I did a 60% WC. My siphon stopped working so I had to go to plan B and dip a container in to get the water out. But now it's fresher water and my loaches seem to have appreciated a lot.

Why do you feel you need salt?

 

[BBradbury]

Water changes, provided they are large enough and frequent enough is all you need to keep the fish and plants healthy. 50 percent weekly for tanks up to 30 gallons and every two weeks for tanks larger than 30 Gs is sufficient.

Salt, dosed in a small amount of roughly a teaspoon or a bit more for every 5 gallons of treated tap water has many benefits for fish and plants. It's been used for decades as a general tonic to boost the immune system of aquarium fish and plant mineral replacement. It reduces the toxic affects of nitrogen and calms fish when they are introduced to a new tank. It retards the growth of parasites and stimulates the function of the sensitive gill tissues. There are many other benefits, but these are enough to encourage its use in the aquarium.

B

 

[HeatherW]

BBradbury - that may be true of some fish, but the loaches for sure do NOT appreciate the salt. yes they can handle some but you should NOT be keeping them in the salt as a regular environment. if you are treating something in your tank, then you can add some, but your advice is not good for ALL fish - you need to look at your specific tank and your inhabitants before you make such a broad statement. Every tank is different.

 

[gilpi]

Never understood the salt concept in fresh water fish, no matter what.
I know the benefits of a salt bath with a diseased fish and in the keeping of brackish water fish but to add salt just because?
Our goal is simulate the fish's habitat as close as we can, though we never will accomplish that in a closed environment, do our fish "tell" us they want salt or how good they feel with it or that they need it?
Take angel fish for example, their natural habitat is the area of the Amazon basin with soft black water... salt?
Bottom line I guess, is our tanks and if adding salt makes some feel like they are doing the right thing, well so be it.

 

[trennamw]

Teeny tiny amounts of salt exist in even freshwater and can be a source of necessary electrolytes. It is unfortunate there isn't a more definitive answer out there about salt, and how much for each species. I'm beginning to understand another aspect is total dissolved solids, which aren't part of the typical testing kit everyone has.

Adding a touch of salt to my betta tank seems to have really helped some issues and made him super happy. But that's my betta in my tank with my tapwater (which is crazy soft).