Different Salts.

[Mettle]

Alright.

So when setting up a brackish tank you're not supposed to use regular aquarium salt, but rather, salt meant for salt water tanks. A popular example being Instant Ocean.

However. How about when you're not necessarily doing brackish but you 'salt' your livebearers or goldfish. In this case can you also use something like Instant Ocean? And what would be the benefits/draw backs to this?

I seem to recall something about the salt water tank salt having 'more in it'. And if this is true, would it not be better for all types of salting? Or can it be damaging in this respect?

I'm just curious about this since the topic came up in convo with a friend today. (I know, I'm a huge geek. Haha. )

 

[nmonks]

I'm surprised how often this question comes up.

Whenever you add salt to any aquarium, whether it's for therapeutic reasons or to create a specific kind of brackish or marine environment, you should always use marine salt mix. Not tonic salt, not kitchen salt, not water softener salt, not rock salt but marine salt mix.

Aquarium tonic salt is a hangover from decades ago when people observed that in some cases, adding salt helped deal with certain types of diseases and situations. We now know much more about the biology of fish in aquaria, and from a scientific point of view, adding tonic salt is obsolete. While it may be better than nothing, using marine salt mix is far better, even for the humble sailfin molly. Once you start keeping more demanding fish like puffers, then marine salt mix is the only option.

As for adding salt to an aquarium containing goldfish, there's no good reason for this. Goldfish are "primary freshwater fish", meaning that they have little tolerance for salt and certainly no requirement for it. In some situations it is supposed to help with, for example, nitrite and ammonium poisoning, but surely getting a proper filter is a better solution?

Cheers,

Neale

 

[Pufferpunk]

Here's a great article on SALT

 

[penguinpimp1990]

pin nmonks words and get it over with, way too many questions about salt what type of salts to use