a little salt?

barkdog · 12-27-2006, 10:21 PM

I was told today in an aquarium store that adding a little salt to a freshwater aquarium is good for the fish. The suggestion was 10 teaspoons in a 75G tank. Good advice, or really, REALLY bad advice?
I've got assorted small tetras, rasboras, Congo tetras, platies, swords

jd@ga · 12-27-2006, 10:36 PM

Welcome to the forum! I use salt in my tanks and it is good for the fish. I by no means go by the directions, I usually cut my doses by half of what is called for. Remember to replace the salt during water changes. Watch the directions on the package and don`t overdose.

Sarah84 · 12-27-2006, 10:41 PM

you need to remember some speices like salt some don't. I think tetras are sensitive to it... from what I've read.. I could totally be mixing it up with another species. Another species off the top of my head would be any scale- less fish like Loaches, Corydoras. here is the link to the sticky on using salt.

http://www.fishtankforums.com/5-fres...-aquarium.html

hope this helps
sarah

barkdog · 12-27-2006, 11:07 PM

Brilliant article, thanks very much. BTW, do you keep the chihuahua in the 10gallon or the 55?

jd@ga · 12-27-2006, 11:25 PM

Sarah is right , that`s why I dose lower than directions indicate.

BJP · 12-28-2006, 06:45 AM

Another AquaSource article referenced. I've had quite a few arguments with RTR (the author) over the years on the topic. I've bred quite a few fish over the years maintaining salt at around a tablespoon per five gallons in the tanks all the time including angelfish and I've talked to many others that have also including Tom Griffin ( the site host for AquaSource).

Here's a handout I put together myself to help clear the air a bit.

--------------

Quote:

Table salt comes in two forms with anti caking agents in both and iodine in one of the two.
Neither the anticaking agents nor the iodine are toxic in the trace amounts used.
Aquarium salt Aquarium Pharmaceuticals brand contains six different salts and iodine but no mineral content sufficient to increase the GH,PH or KH.
Aquarium Salt Jungle Brand is pure sodium chloride with nothing else added. No iodine or anticaking agents.
Ocean mix is manufactured to duplicate all the trace elements of salt water. It does increase the PH, GH, and KH and contains all the salts, iodine and even some gold usually.
cichlid salts are generally a mix of sodium chloride and Epsom for the magnesium.
Which salt to use?
For ick, any of them except Aquarium Pharmaceuticals brand should be sufficient for ick elimination in normal dosage amounts.
If you have hard water fish or brackish and want to increase the hardness as well as the PH and salt content then Ocean Mix is ideal.
If you have soft water fish and don't want to increase the hardness then any of the others mentioned will do that.
Personal preference takes care of the rest.
If you're going to use it for short-term medical purposes it makes little difference, which you use, except for the ocean mix that can affect the waters parameters.
If you want more than just sodium chloride but no water chemistry increases then the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals brand gives you six bullets in the gun since you're hunting blindly anyway increasing the odds of actually hitting something.
Long-term use of iodized table salt can lead to increases in algae production from the iodine. If that's a problem skip it.
If you're paranoid about the anti caking agents and iodine anyway then Jungles salt will fill the desire for sodium chloride without the extras.
Whether you do or don't use it for any reason at all is a personnel decision you make in the privacy of your home and will never be universally accepted as the only way to go by all. Mainly because we all have different water chemistry, needs and desires.

BJP · 12-28-2006, 07:10 AM

Over the years RTR has talked me out of using it as a regular addition except for certain tank types like africans, brackish, crabs, mollys etc.

I tend to use it only for medical treatments and new tanks until after they're cycled if fish are present.

At the time the article was written the maximum allowable quantity for arsenic in drinking water was higher than it is now. I believe it was lowered to 10ppb. The level at the time was about 400% higher. Until I find out a measure for what percentage of arsenic is delivered via the anti caking agents with some salts to be sure the dosages are lower than the current standards I'm personnely steering clear of the salts that contain them.

Jay · 01-04-2007, 10:35 AM

I read through the hand out twice and did not find any glaring misinformation.

It seems to say what I have been harping on for a while...That you cannot throw the word "Salt" around. There are many, many, salts besides table salt.
I too have been persuaded by RTR's writing.

I have been experimenting with Seachems Livebearer "Salt" in my guppy tank.
The anecdotal results are impressive. The mixture is designed to affect GH, with no NaCl which would interfere with my plant growth. It provides a customizable brackish solution depending on species.

Jay

Tommy Gun · 01-05-2007, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barkdog

I was told today in an aquarium store that adding a little salt to a freshwater aquarium is good for the fish. The suggestion was 10 teaspoons in a 75G tank. Good advice, or really, REALLY bad advice?
I've got assorted small tetras, rasboras, Congo tetras, platies, swords

I just wanted to express some of my own opinions and observations that apply spacifically to your questions. I really agree with most of what is here right now, and what I dont agree with is not crucial anyways.

I think that 10 tablespoons of salt is a bit high for your tank because of the tetras. Almost all of the tetra family of fish are sensitive to salt and if the 'normal' dose of salt would be 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of water, then I would cut that in half AT LEAST. Your 75 gallon tank does not hold 75 gallons of water in reality because the other 'stuff' inside (substrate, decor, fish, etc...) displace some of that water. So, even if you assumed there was 70 gallons of water, I would put 7 tablespoons or less of NaCl (sodium chloride/table salt).

The salt is benificial in the manner that it promotes 'slime' or 'stress' coat growth on your fish, but it does this by irritating the fish's scales or skin. There are other, less irritating ways to do this, even though they usually are based upon salt, but a different kind, that are in some water conditioners (dechlor chemicals).

I am not sure who RTR is, but I talked to a guy named Niel Monks on another forum recently about the use of salt in aquariums. I was like BJP and argued that salt was benificial to use often. Mr. Monks first disproved me and then pointed out a book he actually wrote, edited, and published on brackish tanks. Ironically enough, he also seems to be in a lot of magazines on aquaria that I read, but just noticed. His position was the same as Jay's mostly in that salt as we think of it, sodium chloride, has some benifits, but the 'cons' out weight the good. (I hope I am not understanding Jay here and I appologize for putting words in your mouth wrongly if I am)

My opinion right now is that salt is a decent natural aid for treating Ich, but other than that, it is not the really really really good idea that I first though. On the other hand, I wouldnt say it is really really really bad advice, but maybe just advice that is not based upon ALL the information.

It is tricky in this hobby to understand what should and should not be done all the time because it is easy to state an opinion or one experience as fact. I learned early on to use the 'rule of three' and that involves finding the exact same idea or peice of information three times from completely unrelated sources. however, in this situation, I dont think anyone is truly and completely wrong or right so it would be up to you to form your own opinion to some extent.