I had a question about aquarium salt. I use it in my oscar and red devil tank. I was just curious if you should use it in all tanks.
Question about aquarium salt?
- Thread starter jmann
- Start date
It is much debated about using salt in a freshwater tank. People here will give you many different opinions.
I have read in a few places about it. The sites I have read from say that it combats stress and promotes healing.
I see no reason to use it with Oscars.
Problem is you don't know what's in it - sure, NaCl, but what else? If they won't tell, I won't use it.
Problem is you don't know what's in it - sure, NaCl, but what else? If they won't tell, I won't use it.
If you use salt you should use aquarium salt or plain salt (NOT iodized). Using iodized salt in your tank can poison your fish.
Personally, I like to throw some in whenever the fish seem stressed or when I throw some newbies in. It makes sense to me that most fish like at least SOME salts in their water... the well water where I live doesn't have much in the way of ions in it so I add every once in awhile.
I think I remember hearing that fish do better when they have a certain balance of electrolytes in the water (a different balance for different fish)...
Personally, I like to throw some in whenever the fish seem stressed or when I throw some newbies in. It makes sense to me that most fish like at least SOME salts in their water... the well water where I live doesn't have much in the way of ions in it so I add every once in awhile.
I think I remember hearing that fish do better when they have a certain balance of electrolytes in the water (a different balance for different fish)...
Using iodized salt will only cause a problem if you put in enough salt to pickle the fish.
Iodine is needed by fish just as it is by humans. The amount in table salt is trivial. You can safely use table salt. As long as it's NaCl, you're okay. There may be other additives in some salts that aren't great, but iodine isn't one of them.
And, yes, I use table salt for my fish, when needed for medicating or treating high nitrite levels. Heck, many moons ago I used to use 4 tsp/gallon table salt with my molly tank--big, beautiful fish. Healthy as the proverbial horse. And, they never had goiters.
Let's not encourage myth. If you 'hear' something, always investigate it to verify if there's logic/facts at work, or just an oft cited statement.
Iodine is needed by fish just as it is by humans. The amount in table salt is trivial. You can safely use table salt. As long as it's NaCl, you're okay. There may be other additives in some salts that aren't great, but iodine isn't one of them.
And, yes, I use table salt for my fish, when needed for medicating or treating high nitrite levels. Heck, many moons ago I used to use 4 tsp/gallon table salt with my molly tank--big, beautiful fish. Healthy as the proverbial horse. And, they never had goiters.
Let's not encourage myth. If you 'hear' something, always investigate it to verify if there's logic/facts at work, or just an oft cited statement.
Well, my LFS have always advocated salt in the tank. So thats what I did when I started. now, after more research and several years of experience, I have decided I don't need it - so I no longer use salt.
there are definitely two schools of thought on this - but quite frankly, I don't notice any difference with or without - so I leave it out now
there are definitely two schools of thought on this - but quite frankly, I don't notice any difference with or without - so I leave it out now
In concert with Oriongirl's common sense answer, I offer the following link to RTR's excellent article on salt and its use.
http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/salt.html
Salt is NOT necessary for most freshwater fish. Whether it is tolerated well or not is another question...
Jim
http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/salt.html
Salt is NOT necessary for most freshwater fish. Whether it is tolerated well or not is another question...
Jim
There are many sites that say only NON-iodized salt should be used. In fact I would have to say OrionGirl is in the minority, saying that iodized salt is GOOD for fish.
This is just a small sample of sites that recommend non-iodized salt:
http://www.petsmart.com/articles/article_104.shtml#salinity
http://www.****************/information/aquarium_salt.htm#top2
http://www.aquadesign.co.uk/article on using salt to help sick fish.htm
http://www.vetcentric.com/magazine/magazineArticle.cfm?ARTICLEID=1353
http://freshaquarium.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.bestfish.com/fwsalt.html
http://www.fish-disease.com/Treatment.htm
http://www.****************/information/recommended_treatment.htm
http://www.plantconnection.com/GardenInfo/WATERSickFish.cfm
http://www.bestfish.com/tips/041599.html
http://www.easyfishkeeping.com/coldwaterfish/sickfish.htm
http://www.koivet.com/html/coolstuff/letters_details.php?letter_id=10
http://www.texaskoi.com/Articles/goldfish_floating_problems.htm
http://www.elmersaquarium.com/c105maintenancechart.htm
http://www.nativefish.org/Articles/BasicAquariumCare.htm
http://www.elmersaquarium.com/h125salt.htm
http://www.aquariumsite.com/fish/black_molly.php
http://www.koivet.com/html/coolstuff/letters_details.php?letter_id=25
http://www.santafefish.com/acclimat.html http://www.njscuba.net/biology/aqua_water.html http://www.bio.utexas.edu/courses/bio354l/Projects/2000/ginger_hsieh/
Note: Cories are particularly sensitive to salt, whereas livebearers (including mollies) like extra salt.
OrionGirl - I have been a fishkeeper a long time myself. I am not a newbie, and I have many other aquarist friends. You are the first person I talked to who has suggested that iodized salt is NOT bad for fish. If anything, I would have to say that iodized salt not being bad for fish as a general rule would have to be the "hearsay". Whether or not aquarium salt in general helps fish is debatable; however, when aquarium salt is recommended, many more sources recommend non-iodized salt rather than iodized salt. Just because you got lucky does not mean it is safe.
I would never do anything that even has the possibility of putting my fishes' lives in jeopardy. Therefore I NEVER use iodized salt - and none of my fish have had goiter. Until it is scientifically proven and commonly accepted that iodized salt does not harm fish, I am going to continue using non-iodized salt in my own tanks, as well as recommending that others only use non-iodized salt in theirs.
This is just a small sample of sites that recommend non-iodized salt:
http://www.petsmart.com/articles/article_104.shtml#salinity
http://www.****************/information/aquarium_salt.htm#top2
http://www.aquadesign.co.uk/article on using salt to help sick fish.htm
http://www.vetcentric.com/magazine/magazineArticle.cfm?ARTICLEID=1353
http://freshaquarium.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.bestfish.com/fwsalt.html
http://www.fish-disease.com/Treatment.htm
http://www.****************/information/recommended_treatment.htm
http://www.plantconnection.com/GardenInfo/WATERSickFish.cfm
http://www.bestfish.com/tips/041599.html
http://www.easyfishkeeping.com/coldwaterfish/sickfish.htm
http://www.koivet.com/html/coolstuff/letters_details.php?letter_id=10
http://www.texaskoi.com/Articles/goldfish_floating_problems.htm
http://www.elmersaquarium.com/c105maintenancechart.htm
http://www.nativefish.org/Articles/BasicAquariumCare.htm
http://www.elmersaquarium.com/h125salt.htm
http://www.aquariumsite.com/fish/black_molly.php
http://www.koivet.com/html/coolstuff/letters_details.php?letter_id=25
http://www.santafefish.com/acclimat.html http://www.njscuba.net/biology/aqua_water.html http://www.bio.utexas.edu/courses/bio354l/Projects/2000/ginger_hsieh/
Note: Cories are particularly sensitive to salt, whereas livebearers (including mollies) like extra salt.
OrionGirl - I have been a fishkeeper a long time myself. I am not a newbie, and I have many other aquarist friends. You are the first person I talked to who has suggested that iodized salt is NOT bad for fish. If anything, I would have to say that iodized salt not being bad for fish as a general rule would have to be the "hearsay". Whether or not aquarium salt in general helps fish is debatable; however, when aquarium salt is recommended, many more sources recommend non-iodized salt rather than iodized salt. Just because you got lucky does not mean it is safe.
I would never do anything that even has the possibility of putting my fishes' lives in jeopardy. Therefore I NEVER use iodized salt - and none of my fish have had goiter. Until it is scientifically proven and commonly accepted that iodized salt does not harm fish, I am going to continue using non-iodized salt in my own tanks, as well as recommending that others only use non-iodized salt in theirs.
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