Salt

[SoCalMom]

I know that some people do and some don't

My first poll...humor me lol

 

[zoekin8yg]

I dont as a matter of course, I do use betta spa (IAL extract) and on the bottle is says to not use salt and IAL together, so I am guessing it might have a little salt in it? I sometimes add a little if needed

 

[stang1]

I don't use salt with any of my Bettas, never have done.

 

[liz2]

I do, but only if they are under the weather and then only a tiny bit.

 

[faithless1294]

every two weeks i try and put some in after water changes but i forget alot

o and i dont do water changes every two weeks i do them every 4 days and the tanks are all filtered...

 

[Danno]

Probably is just "do this for good luck" kind of a think, but since freshwater aquarium salt is in large chunks, I add one cystal each day and by the end of the week I do a 50% water change in my cycled tanks and of course, 100% in non-cycled tanks. In the cycled tanks I do 90% water change at the end of the month.

 

[fuman_chica]

I do with every water change.

 

[K.J.]

For conditioning and healing; yes
normally no.

 

[Dibari]

Yep. Small amounts keeps the ickies away.
More when they're ill.

 

[three-fingers]

I never put 'aquarium salt' in my tank, it's a waste of time and money IMO.
Can anyone who adds it here can explain why adding it would be of any benefit?

Probably is just "do this for good luck" kind of a think, but since freshwater aquarium salt is in large chunks, I add one crystal each day and by the end of the week I do a 50% water change in my cycled tanks and of course, 100% in non-cycled tanks. In the cycled tanks I do 90% water change at the end of the month.

That's dangerous you know, you could give your betta salt burns . Your supposed to dissolve it in water before adding it . Although adding it in the first place is of no benefit at all.
This subject comes up a lot and it usually goes like this .

I don't know why, but the two really good topics where there was a big discussion about aquarium salt seem to have disappeared .
Basically, they all end up with the OP saying something along the lines of 'well I think it helps because lots of people do it'.

Adding tiny amounts of Sodium chloride (aquarium salt) to an aquarium has no affect on the fish, and I have yet to see anyone even give a reason why it would.

 

[mommyof2bettas]

I sometimes add just a little salt, but I don't usually... unless my fish have fin rot or ich or something.

 

[K.J.]

I've heard it was a natural tonic.

 

[three-fingers]

Sodium chloride is natural, but 'tonic' is a very loose word so aquarium salt companies do tend to throw it round a lot .
It's no different from adding tiny amounts of cyanide and calling it a 'natural tonic', because cyanide is just as natural as Sodium chloride, and in small enough doses it will do no harm.

Though technically there is a chance adding aquarium salt even in the tiny recommended doses could do some harm over the long term, nobody has really studied it because nobody in a position to do so has ever needed to - big fish farms and big commercial fish breeders know it's useless, so they don't use it and therefore have no reason to study possible negative effects.

And also, even the small doses of Sodium chloride the boxes tell us to add cant be considered natural, because the environments most of our aquarium fish (especially bettas) naturally come from contain much less Sodium chloride, in fact most peoples tap water contains more Sodium chloride than in these fishes environments.

There is the exception of fish that naturally come from slightly/fully saline water, or extremely hard water - but for these fish you don't want to be adding just Sodium chloride, you want to be adding marine aquarium salt - which is just around 70% odd Sodium chloride.

 

[poopsydrew]

I wish nmonks would show up and educate all of us on why it is unneccesary. I read an amazing thread by him and there is no refuting it, unnecessary unless fish is sick.

 

[Dibari]

I have several tailbiters, and salt is a natural stress reducer for bettas. It soothes aching open sores and I think, makes them more comfortable.
If I don't add salt, my bettas just rip and rip at their tails..
Salt for me is a necessity, but for others, it may not be so. It's not a universal thing. I think it's up for preference..
But I know salt, warm water, and darkness, cured the Ich on my bettas when I first got them. I can't sing it's praises enough.