Salt

[Jaseon]

What's everyone's experience with salt in the freshwater aquarium? Do you add salt as part of your water change regime or just as a treatment when needed.

If you don't use or think you don't need to could you explain why. The same goes with those who do use it. I have searched for a data to back up the claims that its good for the fish general health, but don't seem to find anything. I used to add salt myself to water changes, but don't want to fall into that trap out of habit until i know fully why im doing it so have stopped.

Cheers

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I have searched for a data to back up the claims that its good for the fish general health, but don't seem to find anything. I used to add salt myself to water changes, but don't want to fall into that trap out of habit until i know fully why im doing it so have stopped.

I'm not a salt (NaCl) user and I'm pretty sure there <"isn't any argument"> for using it in freshwater aquariums, unless you are keeping <"Alcolapia"> etc.

There is a good <"article by Joe Gargas"> "Water Chemistry: Osmoregulation, Ionic Imbalance & pH".

cheers Darrel

 

[hypnogogia]

I don't much see the point of adding salt to a freshwater fish aquarium. They wouldn't have it in nature, so why in the aquarium? Only place I see it is in the case of brackish water fish.

 

[John q]

At some point after we stopped burning witches at the stake and possibly before we realised Goldfish have longer memories than 3 seconds, adding salt to freshwater aquariums was fairly commonplace, we'll it was in my neck of the woods.

I can't remember how this nugget of info was passed on to me but the belief back then was adding a couple of teaspoons of salt when starting up a tank would be beneficial.

Back then most people did a fish In cycle, and whilst I didn't know this at the time there is a suggestion that sodium chloride helps elevate nitrite toxicity in fish, assuming there is an element of truth to this? It could possibly explain why the belief that salt addition is somehow a general tonic to freshwater fish, and thus the myth was spawned.

Thankfully for the witches and goldfish we evolve, and learn. I think we've also learned that there's no need to eleviate nitrite toxicity, "if" .... we don't add "fish" to a tank that's not cycled.

Personally I think the salt as a general "tonic" for fish is hogwash. Save it for your chips @Jaceree

 

[BdubB]

I've tried using it a few times. Never really seen a benefit...

 

[papa_c]

Only place I see it is...

I would also include 'on my chips' ! Sorry couldn't resist it! 🤣

 

[jaypeecee]

...there is a suggestion that sodium chloride helps elevate nitrite toxicity in fish, assuming there is an element of truth to this?

Hi @John q

It is the chloride ion that lowers the toxicity of nitrite. I seem to recall that the last time I had slightly elevated nitrite in one of my tanks, I used potassium chloride, not sodium chloride.

JPC

 

[John q]

A salt is a salt is a salt except when you pour potassium chloride on your chips. When I was young... roll back the violins... we didn't have access to potassium chloride. We used what was available, but I get your point.

 

[sparkyweasel]

or just as a treatment when needed.

I wouldn't add salt to the main tank as a treatment either. A short salt bath can be effective against some external parasites, but a therapeutic dose is stressful to most freshwater fish, and harmful in the longer term. Modern treatments are generally better, and allow you to dose the whole tank if it is infested.

 

[Jaseon]

Thanks for the replies.

After reading a lot of conflicting advice on the subject id thought id ask here to settle it, so yeah thats that.