Aqurium salt

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Alex93

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jul 25, 2014
Messages
113
Iv seen it in pet shops what is used for/to treat ?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
What do you use t for


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
Aquarium salt is not for marine of brackish tanks. It is basically uniodized table salt; plain sodium chloride. It is used to treat ich when combined with higher temps. There is also a myth that a little salt is good for pretty much all freshwater fish, at all times.
 
Standard Aquarium Salt

Iv seen it in pet shops what is used for/to treat ?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

Hello Al...

I use standard aquarium salt in my freshwater tanks, to maintain healthy gills, skin and immune system in general. Livebearing fish may benefit a little more than others.

B
 
Aquarium salt is not for marine of brackish tanks. It is basically uniodized table salt; plain sodium chloride. It is used to treat ich when combined with higher temps. There is also a myth that a little salt is good for pretty much all freshwater fish, at all times.

Have to agree with BillD on the myth though you will get both sides of the fence on this topic. It could be beneficial for treating ich even though I treat it simply with higher temps and water changes for a couple of weeks till its gone.
 
With all said here be sure to research your fish because some can't tolerate salt.

Sent from my EVO using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
Some people claim it helps with the immune system by increasing the fish's' slime coat, but this is an outdated assumption and has been pretty much debunked.
Apparently the salt acts as an irritant to the fish, so it makes more slime coat to protect itself. Kind of like how your eyes produce tears if you get hot sauce in them.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
Also used for treatment of bacterial infections. I find it won't cure a serious infection by itself but may help.
 
So it would be beneficial in my tank that in unsuccessfully trying to treat for ich ( how high shall I turn my heater up to help treat it ) thanks everyone


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
So it would be beneficial in my tank that in unsuccessfully trying to treat for ich ( how high shall I turn my heater up to help treat it ) thanks everyone


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

Depending on the fish (not goldfish or coldwater fish) around 84f more or less works for me and lots of partial water changes.
 
Iv only got to rams left Now my heaters at it highest setting and it's at 72f so gunna take sone water out So temp goes higher thank you


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
There is also a myth that a little salt is good for pretty much all freshwater fish, at all times.

Yep, you need to be sure that your species of fish will tolerate added sodium chloride. I would not add it to a tank containing corys.
 
Iv only got two Bolivian rams in there now the rest died while treating the white spot is salt ok got them


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
I can't really comment with salt and rams except that with salt I've started at a low dose in a QT to see how they do and then increased dose in morning and night.

For ich, I've used 86F. I'm not disagreeing with 84, my only note is you don't want any cold spots in the tank where ich can re-establish. The tank temp has to get up into the mid 80s to stop ich. Temps lower than that are just speeding up the ich parasite cycle without killing them off.

Increased aeration (usually by lowering water level and getting more filter splash) will help the fish.
 
I didn't add salt for treating ICH mainly cause I was worried of plants melting. My rams had it and cranking up the temp to 86 solved my issues
 
Aquarium salt is made from evaporated seawater. This is NOT to be confused with Marine salt for salt water aquariums.

It helps fishes electrolytes just as gatorade helps athletes. This is why some people say it will help a fish when sick.

Much of a fishes gas exchange is through the gills, hence electrolytes help fish improve breathing functioning during illness or high nitrate levels.

Many scaleless fish are sensitive to salts...ie cory cats, hence I use 1/3 a dose for my tanks with scaleless fish and never had a problem. I just make sure the fish are not near the salted water when added.

It can also be used as a bath when parasites attack a fish, but I have found alternative treatments that work better. I personally would never place a fish in a high concentration of salt.

I hope this helps. I am a biologist and know my chemistry well.
 
Iv only got to rams left Now my heaters at it highest setting and it's at 72f so gunna take sone water out So temp goes higher thank you


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice


You might need to invest in a better heater suited for your size tank. I think 72f for the rams is kind of on the low side and perhaps one the reasons you're having problems with them.
As a couple of posters mentioned, bringing it to 86f for a while will most likely get rid of the ich.


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice
 
Isit ? Thank you will deffo be getting a better heater , the pet shop told me that was perfect temp -_-


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
Back
Top Bottom