3 tspn per gallon...that major OVERDOSE as far as i know. one tablespoons for every 5 gallons is what i do, but if your fish are sensitive add maybe 1 tspn or 2 FOR 5 GALLONS.
Sick neon, and 40+ nitrate levels
- Thread starter ZeeSparrow
- Start date
Seaman
Shrimp gumbo, shrimp salad etc...
Ok dont use salt all the time.....theres no need. The way it works is it irritates the fish so it produces more slime coat....which is good to help problems, but can be a problem in itself if the fish is in good health. In this situation I would keep dosing one tablespoon per2-3 gallons. Remember to only add more salt when you are changing the water.....not when you are topping off the water.
I would definetely start treating that "fungus" if it looks like cotton and is raised above the skin. The sooner you start treating it the better.
Nitrates are the least harmful to fish, compared to ammonia and nitrites. (they do more long term harm) 40ppm is where i try and keep my planted tank (nitrAtes), so I would worry tooooo much about it...but it does sound like you could use some plants, or maybe a RO (reverse osmosis) system to remove the nitrates (and everything else) before adding the water to your tank.
If you do decide to go RO read up on it before anything, because it takes EVERYTHING out of the water, including some good minerals fish need...so those have to be added back into the water.
Good luck!!
I would definetely start treating that "fungus" if it looks like cotton and is raised above the skin. The sooner you start treating it the better.
Nitrates are the least harmful to fish, compared to ammonia and nitrites. (they do more long term harm) 40ppm is where i try and keep my planted tank (nitrAtes), so I would worry tooooo much about it...but it does sound like you could use some plants, or maybe a RO (reverse osmosis) system to remove the nitrates (and everything else) before adding the water to your tank.
If you do decide to go RO read up on it before anything, because it takes EVERYTHING out of the water, including some good minerals fish need...so those have to be added back into the water.
Good luck!!
Nitrate titers at 40 ppm are at the threshold for long-term damage, but not immediately injurious. Water changes should reduce that level and in the future keep the nitrate level below 20 ppm if at all possible, at about 10 ppm seems ideal.
Salt is a waste for NTD, it will have no effect. If it is NTD, sacrifice the fish immediately, or at least get it out to another tank. If it dies in the tank, the other fish are at risk even if they have not yet cotracted the disease.
Salt in a tank of neons is poor aquairium practice - you are increasing the TDS and osmolarity to no benefit on a fish from very low TDS water. It will not kill them outright, but it won't do them any good either. Salt as a tonic is one of the most pernicious myths in the hobby. Salt without a diagnosis of the condition is a shot in the dark, just as inappropriate as any other med without a diagnosis.
Salt is a waste for NTD, it will have no effect. If it is NTD, sacrifice the fish immediately, or at least get it out to another tank. If it dies in the tank, the other fish are at risk even if they have not yet cotracted the disease.
Salt in a tank of neons is poor aquairium practice - you are increasing the TDS and osmolarity to no benefit on a fish from very low TDS water. It will not kill them outright, but it won't do them any good either. Salt as a tonic is one of the most pernicious myths in the hobby. Salt without a diagnosis of the condition is a shot in the dark, just as inappropriate as any other med without a diagnosis.
Update:
No more salt added. Bought Mardel Maracyn Plus - added to tank yesterday after last water change of day. 50% water change this am, then test:
0 ammo
0 nitrite
40+ nitrate STILL... I think. Might be between 20-40... hard to tell for sure. Definitely at least 20. After THREE 50% water changes shouldn't this be less??
My sick little neon still is eating and swimming with the others. It doesn't look like things have changed, for better or worse. Doesn't NTD progress more rapidly than this?
I still suspect this is a fungus of sorts, but my husband says it doesn't look like this is ON the fish, rather IN him. Maybe I'm being too optimistic and hopeful.
Still - none of the others are showing any signs of this. And the little guy is acting same as always. I've done my research, and still cannot determine for SURE what is going on. My best uneducated guess is fungus, so that's what I'm treating the tank for....
How fast does NTD progress?
If it could still be that, would ADF's be okay with him, if I moved him to their tank? I don't want THEM to get sick.....
Suggestions? Anyone?
No more salt added. Bought Mardel Maracyn Plus - added to tank yesterday after last water change of day. 50% water change this am, then test:
0 ammo
0 nitrite
40+ nitrate STILL... I think. Might be between 20-40... hard to tell for sure. Definitely at least 20. After THREE 50% water changes shouldn't this be less??
My sick little neon still is eating and swimming with the others. It doesn't look like things have changed, for better or worse. Doesn't NTD progress more rapidly than this?
I still suspect this is a fungus of sorts, but my husband says it doesn't look like this is ON the fish, rather IN him. Maybe I'm being too optimistic and hopeful.
Still - none of the others are showing any signs of this. And the little guy is acting same as always. I've done my research, and still cannot determine for SURE what is going on. My best uneducated guess is fungus, so that's what I'm treating the tank for....
How fast does NTD progress?
If it could still be that, would ADF's be okay with him, if I moved him to their tank? I don't want THEM to get sick.....
Suggestions? Anyone?
Does your tap water have a high nitrate level? What does it test at? Seems strange that you can't drop the levels with water changes - unless the tap water is high, which is not uncommon.
Tap water tests at about 5 ppm for nitrates.
After another 50% water change tonight, test shows a bit higher than 10 now. Guess it was just really high to begin with. Would more live plants help keep nitrates down? I have two banana plants, a java fern, sword and water sprite in there now.
After another 50% water change tonight, test shows a bit higher than 10 now. Guess it was just really high to begin with. Would more live plants help keep nitrates down? I have two banana plants, a java fern, sword and water sprite in there now.
Plants will help, the faster growing plants especially. Healthy, fast-growing plants can use up a lot of nutrients. Even in a tank where this is the case you'll still need to do weekly water changes - there's no escaping it 
.
I'm glad to see you're getting lower test results - it's frustrating to change all that water without seeing any change! 10ppm is fine, you can probably ease off now, just keep the levels under 20ppm.
.I'm glad to see you're getting lower test results - it's frustrating to change all that water without seeing any change! 10ppm is fine, you can probably ease off now, just keep the levels under 20ppm.
If you can get it down to around 10ppm you are doing well. You can't really expect much better since your supply is 5ppm. As Blinky says, 10ppm is fine and the plants won't make a huge difference. Main thing is to set up a good system for the weekly water change to make it nice and easy. That way you won't feel so much like skipping it 
