Salt

[jhf18]

Hi

I have got some sick fishys at the minute because my tank is still cycling (i know, i didnt read up properly first, i wont make that mistake again) but i am sure i have read somewhere that adding a tablespoon of salt to the water will help the fish. is this true?

Do i need to buy a special type of salt or can i use normal table salt?

Thank james

 

[loachman]

Hi

I have got some sick fishys at the minute because my tank is still cycling (i know, i didnt read up properly first, i wont make that mistake again) but i am sure i have read somewhere that adding a tablespoon of salt to the water will help the fish. is this true?

Do i need to buy a special type of salt or can i use normal table salt?

Thank james

what type of fish do you have?

 

[jhf18]

I have got one very poorly tiger barb and one thats ok aswell as two rosy barbs, so all in all 2 tiger barbs and 2 rosy barbs.

 

[jhf18]

any comments anyone?

 

[three-fingers]

Basically, no. I'll try to find a detailed post about it .

 

[three-fingers]

This is as good as I can find right now:

No. They were originally sold to make "old" (high nitrate) water less toxic to aquarium fish. Nowadays their main job is to con inexperienced aquarists out of their money.

For treating fish with saltwater dips, just use non-iodised cooking salt. For brackish water, using marine mix.

Just Say NO To Tonic Salt!

Cheers, Neale

Tonic salts are for medical treatments arent they?

And Neale knows what he's talking about .

Basically, you are just wasting your salt .

 

[stargirly1208]

Hi

I have got some sick fishys at the minute because my tank is still cycling (i know, i didnt read up properly first, i wont make that mistake again) but i am sure i have read somewhere that adding a tablespoon of salt to the water will help the fish. is this true?

Do i need to buy a special type of salt or can i use normal table salt?

Thank james

definitely don't use table salt. anywhere that sells fish supplies usually says tropical fish salt for just freshwater fish. i have added some to my tanks on occasion especially for mollies because they're prone to illness. a tablespoon is good. just make sure you don't have any loaches in there because the salt burns their scaleless bodies. other than that go for it!

 

[jhf18]

Cool thank you for your research, i really appreciate it. Fortunatley my fish have picked up now and are swimming around quite happily, apart from i think one of the tiger barbs is bullying the other but i think that will be ok cause when my tank is cycled i will get some more and then they should be fine.

Thank you

James

 

[andywg]

definitely don't use table salt. anywhere that sells fish supplies usually says tropical fish salt for just freshwater fish. i have added some to my tanks on occasion especially for mollies because they're prone to illness. a tablespoon is good. just make sure you don't have any loaches in there because the salt burns their scaleless bodies. other than that go for it!

"tropical fish salt salt for freshwater fish" is somewhat of an oxymoron. Freshwater means there is an absence of salt in the water. If you get table salt that is pure sodium chloride (does not contain anti caking agents and such) then it is going to be exactly the same as the salt sold in the lfs (just nowhere near as expensive).

My understanding is that Mollies need salt in their water because they are brackish fish. That means they will do better with marine salt in their water as it will better recreate their natural environment.

Finally, salt in the water will not burn scaleless fish unless it is not dissolved (in which case it will burn any life in the tank). Consider a Moray eel. It has no scales, yet lives in the sea. Salt is bad in water for fish with a low tolerance for salt due to their osmoregulatory system. If the fish has not evolved to deal with salt in the water then it will not fare well in such water.

 

[mcdanielnc89]

Aquarium salt will do.. more less if any fish is stressed u can add the salt to it and it ilwl help them, just be sure not to add too much.

 

[andywg]

Aquarium salt will do.. more less if any fish is stressed u can add the salt to it and it ilwl help them, just be sure not to add too much.

It is perhaps worth noting that some fish are very bad at tolerating any level of salt in their water. Some species of Cory seem to have a poor survival reate even with comparatively little salt in the water.

Blanket statements such as the one above are a relic from when keeping fish was far less well understood from a scientific standpoint.

 

[mcdanielnc89]

all sotres that have fish ut aquarium salt in there tanks over here. no matter what kind they are.. and they survive jsut fine.

 

[andywg]

all sotres that have fish ut aquarium salt in there tanks over here. no matter what kind they are.. and they survive jsut fine.

That doesn't mean that the fish should have salt in their water.

*Sigh* I can't help but feel I am wasting my typing here... but, int he interests of helping others, think about what you want the salt to actually do. Read up, and read what many experienced fishkeepers do, not just shops who want to sell you more carbon and "aquarium salt".

 

[mcdanielnc89]

you may be waisting ur time but i do not buy my sailt fom stores ehere. i buy it offline. much cheaper therefore has nothing to do with that. plus. if u take a fish straight form the aquarium salt they DIE. i know i've tried it.

 

[paul_219]

Dont add salt in your tank if none of your fish is sick. Salt may kill the fish if they are tropical fish.