Salt And Plants

[LaurieLou]

Ok, I have a question...Hubby and I had a very successful livebearer tank with lots of plants. We were told to put a little aquarium salt in because the mollies like that. So, in the beginning we did. After awhile, we would forget to add any with water changes and while the plants looked slightly bad in the beginning, they certainly perked up and I am thinking the no salt issue contributed to that. Now, we have moved and started a new tank, angels, swordtails, live plants. The woman at Petsmart, where we bought the Flourite, said we HAVE to put salt in the aquarium if we put in swordtails. I protested and she protested back. So, now I am wondering...who's right??? No, really, is aquarium salt in small amounts bad for your planted tanks or not?

 

[three-fingers]

'Aquarium salt', if it's the tonic salt you buy rather than the salt meant for marine aquariums, doest make any difference for the fish in the tank even in high quantities.
It's marine salt you want.
Even then, mollies are the only fish that need it (but they do good in freshwater if you have very good quality water with a high pH) - the rest are FRESHWATER fish that just require a high pH.
If its not marine salt you were using, then it wont be making any difference to to the fish or the plants.
If its marine salt your using, then it could make a difference to the plants, but defiantly not in the small quantities you would be using - the salt wont even be making a differance for the fish.

The woman at petsmart is totally 100% wrong, as people at petsmart usually tend to be....
You can stop using your aquarium salt, as buying it is a waste of money .

For more info on the addition of salt for these fish, visit the common livebearers board and ask about 'aquarium salt .

 

[JamesC]

Generally speaking sodium salts (ie, common table salt) and plants do not go together well. Some plants are more tolerant than others but It'd be something I'd never do or recommend. Potassium salts are a lot less harmful. Ask anyone who uses a domestic ion exchange water softner if their plants grow well. These work by exchanging Ca and Mg ions with sodium ions.

James

 

[ICEEGRL]

There is a list at the top of here with plants that can go brackish (salt added). It is marine salt mollies need. They do much better with it. Guppies, plattys, and some other livebearers like to have it, but it is not mandatory by any means.
Read the info at the top. There are lists of plants that will take salt and ones that won't. Personally I wouldn't add salt for anything except the mollies, and never aquarium salt.