I have been reading about the use of salt to help prevent diseases and to keep livebearers healthier but the doses seem alarming - 1 tbs to every 4 gallons. I have never used salt before. What are your opinions on the use of it please?
Salt and livebearers
- Thread starter psilo
- Start date
Prophylactic use of salt is not necessary. It's one of the many myths infusing our hobby. Salt does have its use as part of an ich treatment and to offset nitrite poisoning.
Mark
Mark
So are you saying that it doesnt help prevent diseases or is just maintaining healthy levels in the tank enough?
In my imperfect understanding of the subject it doesn't help prevent diseases.
There is no healthy level of salt to maintain for freshwater fish. They don't need it added. Some of the molly crowd will disagree but from the info I've gathered at AC and other sites, adding aquarium salt is unnecessary for "maintenance".
Mark
There is no healthy level of salt to maintain for freshwater fish. They don't need it added. Some of the molly crowd will disagree but from the info I've gathered at AC and other sites, adding aquarium salt is unnecessary for "maintenance".
Mark
The salt dosage I have always seen is 1tbs per 5 gallons for what that is worth.
Salt is completely unecessary in a freshwater tank until AFTER disease shows up. It doesn't prevent disease, but it does ease stress and help gill function when disease is already there. Some will argue that it helps replenish electrolytes, but water changes do the same thing without adding the chlorides (I think that's the bad part of it). The basic question you have to ask yourself is, "Would a freshwater fish ever be found in water with such a high salt concentration naturally?" The answer is no, so don't use it unless you have disease. Salt is only preferable there because it is more natural than Melafix or the other medications out there that do nothing other than kill your beneficial bacteria.
On the subject of mollies (I couldn't resist), they are naturally brackish water fish (at least for breeding as far as I know). They will do well in fresh water. Most chains keep them in fresh water. But from what I know, mollies will have better color and be more active in many cases when they are kept in brackish water. It should also be mentioned that adding aquarium salt that they sell for freshwater treatments doesn't make your water brackish. You need Instant Ocean or something like that.
Salt is completely unecessary in a freshwater tank until AFTER disease shows up. It doesn't prevent disease, but it does ease stress and help gill function when disease is already there. Some will argue that it helps replenish electrolytes, but water changes do the same thing without adding the chlorides (I think that's the bad part of it). The basic question you have to ask yourself is, "Would a freshwater fish ever be found in water with such a high salt concentration naturally?" The answer is no, so don't use it unless you have disease. Salt is only preferable there because it is more natural than Melafix or the other medications out there that do nothing other than kill your beneficial bacteria.
On the subject of mollies (I couldn't resist), they are naturally brackish water fish (at least for breeding as far as I know). They will do well in fresh water. Most chains keep them in fresh water. But from what I know, mollies will have better color and be more active in many cases when they are kept in brackish water. It should also be mentioned that adding aquarium salt that they sell for freshwater treatments doesn't make your water brackish. You need Instant Ocean or something like that.
My personal experience with Black Mollies is that they were healthier, more active and happier fish when I added salt to the water. I added 1tbs per 5 gallons. However I did use the aquarium salt you buy at the LFS. That is my personal experience.
I made a new website that answers that and much more! It's got helpful information on breeding mollies, guppies, and platies! Please take a look and if you have any fish questions email us at: mgplivebaerers@yahoo.com ! The link for the site is: www.freewebs.com/mgplivebaerers ! All comments are welcome so email them to us! Thanks!
Keep working on that website. I like your info on mixing the different colors of mollies. Might add pictures and more information.
I think for livebearers like mollys and even guppies they can tolerate salt because their natural habitat sometimes encourages them to do so but it's not natural and the best thing to look at is breeders breed them in fresh water... >.>;
I've heard guppies can live in saltwater and not just brackish conditions teehee
i think thats kind of odd though
I've heard guppies can live in saltwater and not just brackish conditions teehee
i think thats kind of odd though