When researching on the internet, you get a wide variety of opinions regarding the use of salt in freshwater tanks – some are outright negative, some are glowingly positive, and the vast majority are in the range of indifference about the addition of salt to using salt for specific purposes, such as a tonic or an aid for some diseases (such as ich). In my opinion, I believe that the wide range of opinions regarding the use of salt with freshwater fish is do to the lack of any real hard evidence as to whether it really is detrimental or helpful, which is often the case for many fish keeping theories. And that is why we have had so many debates about this point on AC, complete with personal attacks that add nothing and belittle us all.
In the 37 years I have kept fish, I have used salt from time to time for various reasons. While I have never had any bad experiences using salt, I cannot unequivocally state one way or another whether its use was overly beneficial. In the end, I believe regular, substantial water changes will accomplish many of the goals in which people use salt in the first place. Most of our fish in the wild will never be in the same water twice – the rivers flow, and most lakes have at least some tidal movement or upwelling that circulates the waters, as well as the influx and outflow from rivers. Why should we let our aquariums stay full of “stale” water, filling with organic compounds, nitrates, etc. Keep the water moving. I personally believe this will prevent the lion’s share of the diseases we deal with and provide the “tonic” our fish need. After all, how many of us have spawnings immediately after water changes, or see marked improvement in eating, coloration, activity, etc. If I add anything extra, it is in the form of trace elements or water conditioners that make my water more similar to that which my fish originally came from.
Per the “Facts on File Dictionary of Marine Science”, 1988, brackish water is define as “water that contains too much salt to be drinkable…but not enough to be salt water. Its average salt content ranges between about .5 to 1.7%.” The average salt content of all the worlds oceans is 3.5%. So for the most part, brackish water is closer to fresh water than it is to salt water.
I enjoy the time I have spent on AC – the friendships, the information, the silliness at times (Smilie Wars!). I have gleaned a lot of great information, and I have seen a lot of silly nonsense. I believe we are all intelligent enough to sort it out on our own, and personal attacks or rigid attitudes don’t help. When I post, I only post about something I have DIRECTLY experienced or have been told IN PERSON by someone who is a REAL expert in the field, such as world renown breeders, authors, researchers, etc. If someone has already posted exactly what I was going to say, I don’t post. What’s the point? A high post count? It’s meaningless. Threads too often become flame wars because we take ourselves too seriously – kind of like in real life. Lets respect our differences of opinions, and try not to constantly point out the “flaws” in someone else’s ideas, tank stocking, spelling…what have you. That’s called intolerance…. and we can all see where that gets us in the “Real World”. Happy posting everyone!
