Water Changing - To Add Salt Or Not?

[rich_london]

Ive had my 200 litre tropical tank and 60 litre coldwater tank for years now, on the advice of my local fish shop ive been adding 1 rounded tablespoonful of "Doc Wellfish's" aquarium salt per 20 uk litres / 5 gall, and the recommended dosage of Tetra Aquasafe to each of my tanks.

Dont know why i thought of posting this, but is this the correct method of dosages? Do i need to add the salt at all? Also Ive been adding each of these to the water AFTER ive done the water change, i dont add them to the new water before its poured into the tank. To give you an idea of my water changes, I do 20% water change every 1.5 weeks. My fish are healthy and seem fien with this, but can i improve on anything at all, or are my methods ok?

 

[The-Wolf]

you should only use this product during a disease outbreak.
many fish can not tollerate salt at any level.

lesson 1; never trust your lfs untill the advice has been verified by someone not trying to sell you something.

 

[steelhealr]

I agree with The-Wolf. Don't laugh but I would ALWAYS cross check information here before proceeding UNLESS your lfs has had a deadon relationship with you. Aquarium salt is good when you start your tank up initially to help with the rough edges, but, as mentioned above, I would personally restrict it for use during illness. SH

 

[kev_kb]

That's great advice not to trust your LFS. In my experience they all have slightly different views, and a lot of the time give bad advice even when not trying to sell you something. A good LFS is rare, if you find one then support them!

 

[rich_london]

oh, thanks for the advice, i'll stop putting salt in the tanks.

Another quick question... what's the ideal temperature i should be keeping my tropical tank at, with the fish i have in there?

Ive got: Clown loaches, catfish, pleco's, gourami's, tiger barbs, silver shark, corys and an eel.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi rich_london

Temperature is one of those things that you would have been better off to have looked up before you bought your fish. Then you would have been sure to have bought ones that went well together.

Just for the corys alone, the range can be anywhere between the high 60s to the low 80s, depending on which ones of almost 300 species of corys you have. Which ones do you have?

BTW, with the fish you have, NEVER add salt to the water.

 

[Opcn]

What type of catfish? As a generall rule salt and catfish do not mix, especially not corys. What type of Eel aswell. and what exactly is a UK litre?

 

[SamUK]

yea i was jus thinkin i dont think the tanks big enough for some of the fish he listed.


cnt imagine the clowns appreciated the salt too much either.

 

[rich_london]

This is my eel

 

[Paul_MTS]

Oki dokey so you have yourself a tyre track eel which quite easily grow to aorund 3ft, within a year it could also be reaching around 14" with a 1 1/2" girth with a good diet.

Your clown loaches and silver sharks will eventually out grow your tank, if it's a skinny 4ft you may have a bit longer with them but it it's a 3ft you may find your self getting rid of them a bit sooner as silver sharks do need alot of swimming name.

 

[pokagon55]

http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/...?article_id=335 you could read this article, I got it from Wilder. It has the best info. on salt that I have read in a while.