Does Anyone Still Use Aquarium Salt?
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WhistlingBadger
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Only if I'm keeping brackish species or treating a specific condition.
Interesting. I read about 20 years ago that it was especially good for scaled fish. I've been keeping Guppies, Platys and various species of Goldfish since then and have continued to use it. Times change and was just curious if it was still popular as a general, healthy tank supplement.
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The attitude nowadays is that salt should not be added to a freshwater tank except for treating certain conditions and then for a maximum of 4 weeks. Or to prevent nitrite poisoning during a fish-in cycle, but again that's only for a limited time.
Hard water fish such as platies and guppies need water with a fair amount of calcium and magnesium in the water rather than sodium - common salt is sodium chloride.
Hard water fish such as platies and guppies need water with a fair amount of calcium and magnesium in the water rather than sodium - common salt is sodium chloride.
Only short term for specific reasons or for brackish. It’s been shown to be harmful for most fish, like tetras and other soft water species
Agree with others here. Salt is debilitating to freshwater fish, my article details:
Aquarium salt is salt in a pricey box - I use bulk bought rock or marine salt. I just don't say that around my buddies who have pet stores, because they do well with those little boxes.
It has medicinal uses as it burns the fish a bit, and that makes the fish produce more defensive body slime. It sounds cruel, and it can be, but that slime can help a fish fight off skin infections after an injury. This morning, I moved a Cichlid wounded in a fight into a hospital tank, and added some salt.
It is always short term for me, and I don't like it for parasites like Ich or velvet because it is hard to remove. It lingers after use. My treated fish will go back to fresh, unsalted water and that tank will be thoroughly rinsed.
I have very soft water from a blackwater lake, and I do sometimes add salt if I am concerned about Oodinium, a softwater parasite. It does seem to keep that parasite down with minimal negative side effects.
I find it fascinating that many aquarists will use Sodium Chloride, a chemical, and say it isn't a chemical. For Ich, I use malachite green, a natural mineral derived salt, and people denounce it as a chemical. We are very inconsistent. We mix up the ideas of salt and salts quite often.
The old add salt technique was for overcrowded tanks with hardwater species.
It has medicinal uses as it burns the fish a bit, and that makes the fish produce more defensive body slime. It sounds cruel, and it can be, but that slime can help a fish fight off skin infections after an injury. This morning, I moved a Cichlid wounded in a fight into a hospital tank, and added some salt.
It is always short term for me, and I don't like it for parasites like Ich or velvet because it is hard to remove. It lingers after use. My treated fish will go back to fresh, unsalted water and that tank will be thoroughly rinsed.
I have very soft water from a blackwater lake, and I do sometimes add salt if I am concerned about Oodinium, a softwater parasite. It does seem to keep that parasite down with minimal negative side effects.
I find it fascinating that many aquarists will use Sodium Chloride, a chemical, and say it isn't a chemical. For Ich, I use malachite green, a natural mineral derived salt, and people denounce it as a chemical. We are very inconsistent. We mix up the ideas of salt and salts quite often.
The old add salt technique was for overcrowded tanks with hardwater species.
I’ve never used aquarium salt in 50 years. The myth that salt is beneficial for freshwater fish started a long time ago because it prevents / cures certain diseases, before the effects of salt on freshwater fish were known.
I have occasionally added salt, for brackish species, but that’s always marine salt.
I have occasionally added salt, for brackish species, but that’s always marine salt.
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Interesting. I've used the API product made from evaporated sea water for about 20 years, because when I started keeping Goldfish, Guppies and Platys, I read that it reduced stress, benefited the breathing process, replenishes salt lost from the natural elimination process and discouraged the growth of bad bacteria, but doesn't affect the good bacteria. Now, some sources discourage using it.
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It's not 'some sources' but almost all reputable sources.
Freshwater fish do not need salt. The fish you mention need hard fresh water not salt water.
Decades ago, back in the days when water changes were deemed harmful, salt was used routinely as it stops nitrite blocking the oxygen receptors in the blood. Nowadays we know that clean water, nitrite free clean water, is the better way to deal with nitrite in the tank. But that doesn't stop many websites still advocating the use of salt, particularly those websites which sell it as they want your money. There are probably websites out there which still advocate the use of leeches as a cure for all human ailments. While leeches do have their place, they are only used nowadays for very specific conditions; similarly salt should only be used in freshwater tanks for very specific conditions.
Freshwater fish do not need salt. The fish you mention need hard fresh water not salt water.
Decades ago, back in the days when water changes were deemed harmful, salt was used routinely as it stops nitrite blocking the oxygen receptors in the blood. Nowadays we know that clean water, nitrite free clean water, is the better way to deal with nitrite in the tank. But that doesn't stop many websites still advocating the use of salt, particularly those websites which sell it as they want your money. There are probably websites out there which still advocate the use of leeches as a cure for all human ailments. While leeches do have their place, they are only used nowadays for very specific conditions; similarly salt should only be used in freshwater tanks for very specific conditions.
Yeah, salt actually causes stress in freshwater fish that have no natural experience of it.
You can guarantee that all the fish myths are still going strong online. A lot of ‘wisdom’ is based on these myths.
You can guarantee that all the fish myths are still going strong online. A lot of ‘wisdom’ is based on these myths.
If you read my article I linked previously you will see that all this is false. We have learned much in the past few decades.
- Freshwater aquarium salt reduces stress.
- Aquarium salt helps goldfish recover faster from infections.
- Aquarium salt kills off parasites.
- Stimulates the breathing process.
- Freshwater aquarium salt prevents nitrite poisoning.
- Cheaper and safer than any medications.
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Salting on a regular basis seems to have been big before the 'water change era" we are in now. a lot of goldfish keepers still hold to it, but they have fish that poop like hippos. I'm always exxpecting it to make a comeback as advice because people are always looking to reduce water changes, and a lot of aquarists in agricultural regions have heavy nitrates in their tapwater. We live in a world where a lot of people need to move to urban areas to get clean water...
It won't be good advice, but a lot of the aquarium myths we have faith in are counter-productive. This one will come around again soon.
It won't be good advice, but a lot of the aquarium myths we have faith in are counter-productive. This one will come around again soon.
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