To Salt or not to Salt?

Abilor

Abilor

Certified Pisceal HydroTechnician
Nov 19, 2005
80
0
0
47
Troy, NY
I was wondering if someone could suggest pros and cons of adding a pinch of salt to my 29G freshwater. See tank description in sig. I'm considering getting an atyl (fan) shrimp, and I read that they need traces of iodine, as well as other benefits of salt to the rest of my fish. What kinds? What are the guidelines? Some advice appreciated.

Abilor
 
take it from an ol salty dog, when it doubt, salt it out.
 
When in doubt, don't do anything hasty. The salt question comes up a lot. The general opinion is that salt = healthy tank = big archaic myth. While salt is great for some parasitic treatments, the plain fact is that freshwater tanks do not need any salt added. I mean, why should they?

As for iodine, that is also a matter for debate. My personal experince is that in moderate doses it is beneficial to shrimp and can help with molting.
 
Between RTR's article on salt and the SkepticalAquarist's entry on salt you should be able to work out the pro's and con's.

The short version: useful cure for ich, a pinch can help with nitrites, not necessary under normal conditions. As far as the shrimp goes: how much salt would you need to add to get an appropriate amount of iodine? Why not just get some iodine?

I'd use salt in a few very limited situations that I've managed to avoid to date.
 
The amount of Iodine in salt is so small that I can't believe adding a pinch of salt would make a difference. I wouldn't add any. As others have said, if you need Iodine, add iodine.
 
Looks like I've opened a can of worms, and fell for some more tricks. The Naive-o-meter has been off the chart lately. Anyway, I have some "magic" salt I bought earlier, though adding 6 tablespoons as the package recommends seems patently insane. I think I will add one (1) teaspoon as per the nitrite argument, and forget about, i.e. not replace it with every water change. Thanks for th elinks and info!
 
argg give um the salt.
 
I read

The salt is good for keeping ICH away. But my freshwater aquarium is an old marine tank and has the lowest reading on my salt-o-meter. All my fish are great. A pinch now and then wouldn't hurt and might help but it is a freshwater tank. I would buy fish products instead for treating my tank, but if you are "poor" salt should be the way to go.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom