What is the deal with salt? Good, Bad?

S

Southwestern

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Jul 23, 2010
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Southwestern USA
I am trying to figure out if adding salt to a freshwater aquarium is good or bad? I keep hearing differently.

I don't mean for treating illness, I mean just adding in general.

Anyone have an opinion on this?

Thanks!
 
Southwestern said:
I am trying to figure out if adding salt to a freshwater aquarium is good or bad? I keep hearing differently.

I don't mean for treating illness, I mean just adding in general.

Anyone have an opinion on this?

Thanks!
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Hi!

I would use a little bit for the health of the fish. It is good for their gills and their fins and scales. If you have scaleless fish like cory cats, do not add too much. They can't tolerate high salt content. I add maybe a teaspoon per gallon I guess, I don't measure..... but that sounds right.... I don't follow the box instructions, I always feel like that is too much for my corys. But if you don't have corys, follow the instructions and you should be ok. Hope this helps!!

Maribeth:hi:
 
freshwater fish like fresh water. as in, no salt.

and if you do need to use salt for a parasite or disease, don't waste your money buying 'aquarium' salt, as plain ol' table salt will do.
 
Southwestern said:
I have loaches. No RO water though.
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Loaches are very susceptible to salt - I would never add salt to their tank. The only time I'd ever use salt is for brackish fish like mollies.
 
As BettaFishMommy said, freshwater fish like fresh water, not salty water. Salt is a decent treatment for many common fish ailments but is not for everyday use.
Penicillin is great for many people diseases but I don't take a daily dose of it to help me lead a healthier life. Instead I try to keep things clean and myself well fed. Much the same applies to fish. Keep their water clean and the fish well fed as a disease preventive.
 
agreed, stay away from salt unless treating for sickness. At a store where you get a whole bunch of bad stock it's smart to have salt in the water because it's only a temporary home for the fish and it helps treat and ward off ich. Just think of Petco's salt as a on going ich treatment. When you get home long term exposure to salt isn't good for the fish.
 
Most commonly kept species of fish and most plants are intolerent of salt.Will they live in it?Yes.Is it necessary,no.I agree with the former post that keeping the environment clean is the best preventative for disease and parasites.Save the salt for the brackish,or the few fish such as certain livebearers like mollies,guppies,etc.And as far as using table salt,its not really recommended since most of the brands contain anti-caking agents or other additives.Stick with salt labeled for aquarium use.Good luck...
 
I went through this same dilemma at one point. When I started an LFS employee told me to always keep salt in the tank. So I bought a box of aquarium salt from him. I followed the instructions and always added salt with water changes. Eventually I had fish die, including a pleco, and some of the advice I got (here) indicated I should stop using salt as a regular additive.

I've now got five tanks running without salt and all of the fish SEEM perfectly happy. So as far as anecdotal evidence, there you go. Unfortunately I find that you'll never get a consensus on this sort of thing. I think in nature there IS some tiny amount of salt in freshwater. For whatever that's worth.
 
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