Salt added to freshwater aquaria?

[Mr. Overfilter]

I've learned quite a bit about tank maintenance since I joined this site. I read today that adding adding salt to a freshwater tank is a good idea. Two questions:

1. The idea for adding salt is to increase electrolyte's, in the form of sea salt, is good for my fish. I can understand the benefits, because I know that the same is true for me.

Now, do you add salt to your tank? If so, how's it going? Are there any visable cue's of the salt being present?

2. I read something similar about iron as a way to grow a healthier biological filter. The same question's above apply + If you add an iron supplement, how much?

Happy Thanksgiving!

[Aiken Drum]

Dont add salt if you have plants in the tank unless you know the plant to be tolerant to brackish water. Java fern, anubias and crypts are ones that i know will do ok in brackish water.

I only use salt in QT.

[Mr. Overfilter]

Originally Posted by Aiken Drum

Dont add salt if you have plants in the tank unless you know the plant to be tolerant to brackish water. Java fern, anubias and crypts are ones that i know will do ok in brackish water.

I only use salt in QT.

No plants as such, not yet at least. I do have some Marimo balls on the way. I don't want a brackish tank but I would like to add enough salt, or some other supplement to help my fish. How much salt does it take for a tank to be considered brackish? The salt I have says 1 tablespoon per 5g of water is the suggested SG.

[Brookster123]

Youd want to use aquarium salt, not reef salt. I've never been swayed in that direction unless it's for a specific purpose. Def nono in a planted tank.

[Mr. Overfilter]

I have API Freshwater salt.

[Aiken Drum]

Only plants that are suitable for brackish water will tolerate salt. Generally if you have plants dont use salt.

However marimo moss balls are brackish water plants so should be ok to add salt into the tank.

Brackish water is normally around 2 tablespoons per gallon (dependingon the level of brackishness you are looking for). For freshwater tanks 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons so you are only using 10% of the salt you would use for a brackish tank.

Originally Posted by Mr. Overfilter

No plants as such, not yet at least. I do have some Marimo balls on the way. I don't want a brackish tank but I would like to add enough salt, or some other supplement to help my fish. How much salt does it take for a tank to be considered brackish? The salt I have says 1 tablespoon per 5g of water is the suggested SG.

[rlederer]

I looked up the scientific literature on this question a while back and the evidence is clearly against adding salt to a freshwater tank. It just does no good as a regular thing. Most water, except RO, has sufficient electrolytes. For a quick dip to eliminate parasites, a strong solution is helpful, but this is just for an individual fish for a very quick 30 second salt bath.

[Mr. Overfilter]

Originally Posted by Aiken Drum

Dont add salt if you have plants in the tank unless you know the plant to be tolerant to brackish water. Java fern, anubias and crypts are ones that i know will do ok in brackish water.

I only use salt in QT.

I'm interested in adding salt for therapeutic reasons only. I think you're using salt for the same reason in QT. I'm going to slowy add 1/2 cup to my 125g and monitor the situation closely. Considering water changes I'm going to need an SG meter of some sort. Fun and games.

[Brookster123]

In my brackish setup I use reef/ocean salt, set water to a specific gravity of 1.026 or so. This is a system replicating fresh water mixing with ocean water. I'm not sure exactly what aquarium salt is? I know salt is salt. I'm not sure hobbyist use aquarium salt for anything but adding salt to freshwater tanks??

[rlederer]

Aquarium salt is evaporated seawater salt. Again, there is no good reason to add salt to a freshwater aquarium. And salt is not salt. There are hundreds if not thousands of salts but I think we’re mainly discussing aquarium salt or table salt here.

[Aiken Drum]

This is what i would call aquarium salt. Ive only used it for medication purposes and i dont really know the difference between this and reef/ocean salt if there is any.

Is this different to what you would add to a brackish set up? Im not very knowledgeable about salt.

https://apifishcare.com/product/aquarium-salt

Originally Posted by Brookster123

In my brackish setup I use reef/ocean salt, set water to a specific gravity of 1.026 or so. This is a system replicating fresh water mixing with ocean water. I'm not sure exactly what aquarium salt is? I know salt is salt. I'm not sure hobbyist use aquarium salt for anything but adding salt to freshwater tanks??

[Aiken Drum]

Is this factually correct?

https://www.myaquariumclub.com/aquar.....-373183.html

[Brookster123]

Originally Posted by Aiken Drum

Is this factually correct?

https://www.myaquariumclub.com/aquar.....-373183.html

No offense man. I've read a lot of your posts and you seem very knowledgable in the hobby. The link you posted had many spelling errors so I stopped reading. Could be my old phone?? All I know.. all I use marine salt for my reef and brackish. I've never ventured into the freshwater/salt benefits.

[charliebankston]

Originally Posted by rlederer

Aquarium salt is evaporated seawater salt. Again, there is no good reason to add salt to a freshwater aquarium. And salt is not salt. There are hundreds if not thousands of salts but I think we’re mainly discussing aquarium salt or table salt here.

Yeah, many different types. Only in my hospital tanks do I use salt. I use kosher salt. Common iodized table salt and amy color salt (like pink Himalayan) are no good and could/ will kill fish

[Mr. Overfilter]

Originally Posted by rlederer

Aquarium salt is evaporated seawater salt. Again, there is no good reason to add salt to a freshwater aquarium. And salt is not salt. There are hundreds if not thousands of salts but I think we’re mainly discussing aquarium salt or table salt here.

There are many who see a measure of salt in a freshwater tank as beneficial in general. There's no source of freshwater on the planet that is devoid of salt to some degree. Which means many tank fish evolved under it's influence. Adding salt to a QT, or holding tank is preferred by a few prefessional types as well. What do you mean by "thousands of salts", BTW? For the sake of clarity and focus, I never mentioned table salt in any capacity. Look for some contrary opinions.

[Mr. Overfilter]

The type of salt I'm using.

https://apifishcare.com/product/aquarium-salt

[rlederer]

What I meant by thousands of salts is that the chemical definition of salt is a chemical compound consisting of an ionic assembly of cations and anions. Salts are composed of related numbers of cations (positively charged ions) and anions (negatively charged ions) so that the product is electrically neutral (without a net charge).
So yes, we can talk about ordinary table salt, sodium chloride, but there are many many others such as potassium chromate, sodium chromate, cobalt nitrate, copper sulfate, potassium permanganate, nickel chloride, etc. No need for fish people to worry about these, but someone said salt is salt, so I responded to that statement.

[charliebankston]

Originally Posted by rlederer

What I meant by thousands of salts is that the chemical definition of salt is a chemical compound consisting of an ionic assembly of cations and anions. Salts are composed of related numbers of cations (positively charged ions) and anions (negatively charged ions) so that the product is electrically neutral (without a net charge).

So yes, we can talk about ordinary table salt, sodium chloride, but there are many many others such as potassium chromate, sodium chromate, cobalt nitrate, copper sulfate, potassium permanganate, nickel chloride, etc. No need for fish people to worry about these, but someone said salt is salt, so I responded to that statement.

Don't forget magnesium sulfate (epsom salt) which is technically not even a salt, lol

[rlederer]

Chemically, magnesium sulfate (epsom salt) is a salt. Good for soaking your sore feet, but not fish, in it.

[charliebankston]

Originally Posted by rlederer

Chemically, magnesium sulfate (epsom salt) is a salt. Good for soaking your sore feet, but not fish, in it.

Oh OK, I stand corrected