Adding salt to FW tanks as part of routine

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Cksnffr

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Aug 5, 2013
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I was reading this page today, and item 6 caught my eye:

You should use Aquarium Salt in all freshwater tanks. No, you are not creating a saltwater tank or even a brackish environment by adding in aquarium salt.... Ask any 'successful' retired fish grower or pet store owner if they use/used aquarium salt in their systems and the answer will always be, “yes”. The techniques may be different, but they all use it.
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The article goes on to explain that certain species, including cory cats, "don't want to be exposed to very much salt at all." (It doesn't say zero salt--just "not much at all.")

I get the basic science behind what they're talking about, but the whole idea is still news to me. Did I just miss the memo? If so, how much salt might one want to add to a tank with cory cats?
 
Ask any 'successful' retired fish grower or pet store owner if they use/used aquarium salt in their systems and the answer will always be, “yes”. The techniques may be different, but they all use it
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There are many successful hobbyists and breeders who do NOT use salt in any capacity for FW tanks, possibly only opting for it if there is an ich outbreak.
 
None.

The need for salt in a freshwater setup is utter bunk, as is the myth that you can't use table salt. Yes, it can be used as a medication. But it is not needed in a tank that is healthy.

Keep in mind that methods for keeping fish change--and a lot of what you are told you MUST do is based on old information. So, yes, a lot of people will say it's mandatory. A lot will still insist that marine tanks are nearly impossible to keep, that a fish only grow to the size of its tank, all tanks much have a plecostomus, and that water changes aren't necessary. Some will tell you that spelling out "plecostomus" instead of "pleco" is bad luck and means yours will die soon.
 
I have been using it but haven't been using it recently after i ha a debate with some people about its benefits and downsides.


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Salt as a treatment? Sure. As a preventative? I'm not a fan. Stress is a big killer. Salt stresses freshwater fish. One of the ways they respond is by creating a thicker slime coat (which is possibly an underappreciated benefit of using salt to deal with ich) but I can't imagine the extra stress is a good idea all day every day. If you look on that article, they also talk about doing 25% water changes every 2-3 weeks. I don't do as large of a water change on my 55 as people often recommend, only about 30-35%, but I try to do that weekly, sometimes going as long as 2 weeks, but usually weekly. I can't imagine their nitrate levels.
 
Cksnffr said:
I was reading this page today, and item 6 caught my eye:



The article goes on to explain that certain species, including cory cats, "don't want to be exposed to very much salt at all." (It doesn't say zero salt--just "not much at all.")

I get the basic science behind what they're talking about, but the whole idea is still news to me. Did I just miss the memo? If so, how much salt might one want to add to a tank with cory cats?
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This has been discussed here and at other sites ad nauseum. The following link is my favorite article on the subject by one of my favorite aquarists. http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/The_Salt_of_the_Earth

Mark
 
jpappy789 said:
Let's just say that site has less than favorable reviews as it is.
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Good to know. Should I not consider getting fish there? I have a really nice LFS, but I can imagine situations where I might want to get a fish or two online.
 
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