I Was Told To Add Salt?

[eagerinsight]

My local fish expert recommended that I add 1 tablespoon of salt to my 10 gallon tank to help my new platies. I am using a cycled tank, for the past week all six of my platies have their fins tucked back. I'm told this is due to stress and salt might help. Is this true?

 

[helterskelter]

salt will help yes but you not fixing whats causing the problem, have you tested you water? what size in the tank? how long has the tank been running?
Do you do regular water changes?

 

[Colin_T]

clamped fins in livebearers can be external parasites like costia or poor water quality. The salt will help with the parasites but if the water isn't up to scratch it won't make any difference.

 

[eagerinsight]

pH 7, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0; 10 gallon tank cycled for 6 months. I usually do 2 partial (25%) water changes a week.

 

[Colin_T]

water seems fine so I would say disease. I normally use 1 heaped tablespoon of rock salt, swimming pool salt or sea salt per 20litres of tank water. However, if you have corydoras catfish in the tank don't put this much in because they don't like salt. They will tolerate small amounts but not my dose rate.

Leave the salt in the tank for 2 weeks, don't do any water changes during this time. Then if the fish look fine and normal start doing 10% daily water changes to dilute the salt levels.