Does softened water have a massive amount of salt in it? I know sounds dumb. Is it okay to add the recommended amount of aquarium salt to the tank? This is for a freshwater central american tank I am setting up. 125.
Water softener and aquarium salt
- Thread starter PooCooper
- Start date
Why is it you want to add salt? Just curious. It isn't neccessary in freshwater tanks and is generally only needed in treating certain parasitic infestations. If you're trying to harden the water, salt(sodium chloride) will do nothing, you'll need to add calcium and magnesium to the water to achieve that.
http://www.aaquaria.com/aquasource/salt.shtml
"Urban myth 3c is the idea that salt is tonic for fish when it is kept in the tanks at moderate levels (~ 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons). If your fish are the most commonly kept community fish of tetras, corys, angels and such, or even the Rasboras or most Anabantids, these are fish largely from soft acid low-TDS water. It has yet to be explained to me how the average USA tap water, which is at least moderately hard to hard, and alkaline, is going to be improved by increasing those very things in which our water differs most from the natural waters of these fish. Certainly many of these fish adapt well to our local water conditions, and I am one of the strongest supporters and advocates of adapting non-breeder fish to local conditions. This is far better for both fish and keeper than constantly battling sew-sawing water parameters. But the idea that the water is improved for these fish by adding still more TDS goes right by me- I just cannot grasp any meaning to this. "
"Urban myth 3c is the idea that salt is tonic for fish when it is kept in the tanks at moderate levels (~ 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons). If your fish are the most commonly kept community fish of tetras, corys, angels and such, or even the Rasboras or most Anabantids, these are fish largely from soft acid low-TDS water. It has yet to be explained to me how the average USA tap water, which is at least moderately hard to hard, and alkaline, is going to be improved by increasing those very things in which our water differs most from the natural waters of these fish. Certainly many of these fish adapt well to our local water conditions, and I am one of the strongest supporters and advocates of adapting non-breeder fish to local conditions. This is far better for both fish and keeper than constantly battling sew-sawing water parameters. But the idea that the water is improved for these fish by adding still more TDS goes right by me- I just cannot grasp any meaning to this. "
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I am very strongly with Slappy and slip - boosting TDS chronically as a stress-reducer/"disease preventative" without any valid data showing its function or efficacy is a bad joke, as well as a leading aquarium myth.