Adding salt

[pete]

All fish are NOT ok with salt William........sorry to contradict you but Pleco's will keel over and die if you add salt with them in the tank.........i speak from experience here too

Always check very carefully if the fish you have will tolerate salt BEFORE adding it :what:

Sorry to go against the grain here but you gotta be very careful when adding ANYTHING to your tank

 

[William]

My plecos are fine i think you must have overdosed... heavily!

 

[adeyc]

William. Sorry m8.
You've got to Remember that a few of us here have been keeping fish for years and have accumulated a combined knowledge of over 60 years. Most through trial and error as there was no internet when some of us started the hobby.
Ok so the dinosaurs may have roamed the earth when I started. And yes some fish may benefit from a very small does of salt but as we've already stated, most don't. I hope you understand.

 

[pete]

Overdose?......not me m8 lol

As ive already said everyone should be very careful what they add and should also be very careful of the doseages

 

[William]

yup!  I noticed great lakes was saying 1 tbs per gallon which I think is too much...

I was informed by a very reliable and reputable fish store, yes I know most are dumb .  That the doses (1 teaspoon per 4 gallons) are good for pretty much all fish, I questioned the tetras and pleco that I have but they informed me that they are all fine at this dosage.  You may have been keeping fish for 40 years  8)  8) and I understand your knowledge and bow down to your greatness  :laugh:  :laugh:  however, from my limited experience in my tank and my conditions my fish have all thrived and I have not had one casualty in the 5 months it has been running  

If you don't want to put salt in your tank it is your choice and many fish who used to like saltwater eg mollies have become accustomed to freshwater.  However in my experience my fish seem happier and healthier since I added salt

Rant over!

 

[adeyc]

Glad to here your one of the success stories m8 But as you've said it's all down to personal choice in the end.
As for doses it all varies from source to source. 1 tsp(5ml) per 4 gallons is a low dose and probably does have some beneficial properies and the 1tsp per gallon is generaly given as a treatment for illness and is the recommended does for brackish water, which a few fish including Mollies and Malayan Anglefish prefer. As with marine tanks freshwater tanks that are having any water replaced due to evaporation don't need any more salt added. the water evapourates but the salt is left behind so you should only add freshwateras adding more salt will poison the fish etc in the tank.

 

[William]

exactly! However for water changes you may need to add a little salt to replace the stuff which you take out .

 

[adeyc]

yes but when you do a water change how much salt do you add? adding the same amount will build up the salt level in the water over time(unless you measure the salinity) e'g you have a 40 gallon tank = 10 tspns, you do a 25% water change(10 gallons) you measure the salt to the correct dose for 10g but there is already salt conent for 30 g in the remaining tank water plus a bit more due to evaporation of some of the water. thus by adding water dosed with salt for 10g you are actually increasing the dose of salt in the water every time. eventually you will end up with the salinity of the dead sea in your tank.

Ok then. Tommorows lesson will be on how much salt to add to your chips(french fries)

 

[William]

Well pointed out sorry for the confusion. For the water change only add the salt dosage to the amount of water you are adding to replace the water you took out. Any evapouration water should not have salt added otherwise as adrian says it will build up and in high doses I have no doubt it will kill your fish.

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Heres what I do.
I've never added salt, even for med. Plus I don't keep any fish that need it, so thats just me

 

[wotfish?]

ive only added salt once to treat ich, and it worked a treat, but other than that i dont add it.


sue