Cycling

[Angelfish56]

So I have a cycled freshwater tank if I added salt would it be a cycled saltwater tank

 

[tlkng1]

No....different bacteria types. The sea salt used in saltwater systems is toxic to freshwater bacteria. The salt added to freshwater systems in support of say, livebearing fish, is a special aquarium salt and not sea salt.

 

[melosu58]

As mentioned above you cant use the same bacteria. Great explanation tlkng1.

 

[tlkng1]

In truth I never understood the diffrence..just repeating what I was told . In a brackish tank, you use regular sea salt just as you would use in a saltwater system, just at a lesser salinity level, but, if you are only supporting fish in a freshwater system, like livebearers, you have to use the aquarium salt. Something about the "other" minerals in sea salt that aren't present in aquarium salt.