Aquarium salt?

[canis_lupus]

k i just bought some aquarium salt 4 my tank.....i only have livebeares....and i was wondering how much to put in. i want my mollies 2 b happy and i'm afraid they might have a touch of fin rot..... should i go with the one tablespoon per 5 gallons and increase the temp to 80 degrees is this dangerous 4 fry? if i want to keep salt in my tank is this the right amount to have in it? sorry 4 the basic question )

 

[AquaNut]

I use a tsp of salt/gallon ... but I wouldn't add it all at once. Add it over a period of days. I tend to keep my tanks at about 80 degrees, but most people keep them cooler. The fry will be fine as long as you add the salt gradually.

 

[Kossy]

1 tsp/gallon is a good indicator. However I don't reccomend adding it to fry. Also wats 80 deg (I'm from Australia we use deg/C)

 

[Kossy]

Forgot to add I keep mine at 25 deg/C (Corys prefer it around there)

 

[aernympha]

u do relise that if u use salt with mllies they become reliant on it and then can't live with out it......... mine do fine with out it and with weekly water changes!!!! that keeps mine healthy!

 

[canis_lupus]

i kinda figured they'd rely on it.....but that's ok i don't have cories or anything like that and i read that all livebearers like a bit of salt.......after i added 2 tsp of salt my male molly got up and swam around quite a lot......i'm wondering if the pet store had them in salt he's not 2 happy....but ican't c any signs of sickness so i'm hoping he's just having a problem with not being the leader of the tank

 

[canis_lupus]

o sorry kossy 80F is 27C i use degrees c 2 in canada......but this site has kinda converted me

 

[AquaNut]

I don't see what the big deal is if your livebearers become reliant on salt. They're reliant on water and oxygen, too, and we provide those unfalteringly. Aquarium salt is as cheap as dirt and very easy to deal with. All of my fry are in salted water - never had a problem. Ich, fungus, and numerous other parasites have an almost impossible time living in salt. I'd far rather add the salt than the medications and chemicals to deal with things like that. You don't need to keep them at 80... anything over 75 should be fine.

 

[Alien Anna]

I don't see what the big deal is if your livebearers become reliant on salt. They're reliant on water and oxygen, too, and we provide those unfalteringly. Aquarium salt is as cheap as dirt and very easy to deal with. All of my fry are in salted water - never had a problem. Ich, fungus, and numerous other parasites have an almost impossible time living in salt. I'd far rather add the salt than the medications and chemicals to deal with things like that. You don't need to keep them at 80... anything over 75 should be fine.

I don't actually think it's true. I've got some sailfins who were raised in salt, spent weeks in the LFS in fresh and have then adapted to a little salt in my tank. They seem perfectly healthy.

 

[AquaNut]

I don't see what the big deal is if your livebearers become reliant on salt. They're reliant on water and oxygen, too, and we provide those unfalteringly. Aquarium salt is as cheap as dirt and very easy to deal with. All of my fry are in salted water - never had a problem. Ich, fungus, and numerous other parasites have an almost impossible time living in salt. I'd far rather add the salt than the medications and chemicals to deal with things like that. You don't need to keep them at 80... anything over 75 should be fine.

I don't actually think it's true. I've got some sailfins who were raised in salt, spent weeks in the LFS in fresh and have then adapted to a little salt in my tank. They seem perfectly healthy.

I really wouldn't know if they become dependent on it or not, as I have never tried to take them from salted water to unsalted water. I just see that as an argument against salt in the water quite regularly, and I can't see where the merit is in it. Even for those who are so very against the use of salt in fw aquaria, mollies are brackish water fish and PREFER some salt in their water. I just don't know why salt is the enemy *cries profusely over it all*.