Salt With Cichlids

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Vermillon

Exodon
MFK Member
Nov 26, 2013
32
0
21
United Kingdom (From SA Originally =^.^= )
Hi All,

Today i started adding Tonic salt to my aquarium (Mix of 1 oscar, 2 lemon barbs, south american cichlids and some malawis) my reason for adding the salt was to aid in the removal of a fish fungus. But thats not what im here to discuss, my question is should i start using salt regularly in my tank ? I was thinking of getting seachem salt but cant justify it when API makes salt that is half the price. Should i buy API salt to use in my tank when ever i do a water change ? For those wondering im referring to this product.

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pPETS-3757080t300x300.jpg
 
Crazy mike

Crazy mike

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Sep 22, 2012
3,570
55
66
Vacaville,California
I use API salt whenever someone has a slight injury and a very small amount after a water change. I do recommend it from my personal experiences


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D

Daonni

Gambusia
MFK Member
Dec 5, 2012
331
1
18
59
nh
Fine for treatment at correct doses , but I wouldn't use it on a regular basis. I know some keepers do.

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A

abjr

Exodon
MFK Member
Apr 18, 2011
53
1
23
In my tank
Iv been using it for a while know regularly, after every water change I put one table spoon of salt per even 5 gal I replace

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P

Pomatomus

Piranha
MFK Member
Jul 7, 2009
1,691
162
81
Sarasota, FL
I personally think fish benefit from a small amount of salt no matter what, but the amount I use varies depending on what I want to use it for.

For example I'd probably do about 4-6ppt to combat ich (assuming the fish I'm treating can take it).

I'd do 1-4ppt to combat fungus and external bacterial infections.

I'd do <1ppt (sometimes a small fraction of a ppt) to aid in slime production, make osmotic balance easier, and to combat nitrite (a few ppm of chloride ions inhibits the uptake of nitrite into the fish's blood).

And I'd like to share an interesting experiment with you guys done by someone I used to know. He worked at....let's just say one of the country's biggest wholesalers. He took a number of species of freshwater fish and bagged them up for a period of time similar to if they were being shipped. He experimented with adding various amounts of salt to the bags with these varieties of fish. At the end of the experiment he measured the ammonia in each bag as a way to calculate stress. He found that across the board, the fish produced less ammonia in ~3ppt salt. Of course, bear in mind that this wasn't a perfect experiment, and the fish usually pick up a variety of pathogens while they're at the wholesaler (which may influence stress), but cool data nonetheless.
 
V

Vermillon

Exodon
MFK Member
Nov 26, 2013
32
0
21
United Kingdom (From SA Originally =^.^= )
Pomatomus said:
I personally think fish benefit from a small amount of salt no matter what, but the amount I use varies depending on what I want to use it for.

For example I'd probably do about 4-6ppt to combat ich (assuming the fish I'm treating can take it).

I'd do 1-4ppt to combat fungus and external bacterial infections.

I'd do <1ppt (sometimes a small fraction of a ppt) to aid in slime production, make osmotic balance easier, and to combat nitrite (a few ppm of chloride ions inhibits the uptake of nitrite into the fish's blood).

And I'd like to share an interesting experiment with you guys done by someone I used to know. He worked at....let's just say one of the country's biggest wholesalers. He took a number of species of freshwater fish and bagged them up for a period of time similar to if they were being shipped. He experimented with adding various amounts of salt to the bags with these varieties of fish. At the end of the experiment he measured the ammonia in each bag as a way to calculate stress. He found that across the board, the fish produced less ammonia in ~3ppt salt. Of course, bear in mind that this wasn't a perfect experiment, and the fish usually pick up a variety of pathogens while they're at the wholesaler (which may influence stress), but cool data nonetheless.
Click to expand...
Cool thanks for that bit of info :) Hopefully salt will also help in mending my oscars wound abit quicker as the bloody malawians (only 1 of them) has just started going for the wound, but the oscar holds him self just fine.
 
Cu455

Cu455

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Mar 8, 2011
1,089
94
66
US
I use the API salt in my freshwater tanks. I use about half the recommend dosage after a water change. I am not obsessive about it. If I don't have it in my house I don't use it. If I don't have a lot left I will just add a little. If I haven't used it in a while I will add a little more. This might not be the right thing to do but it has worked for me.

Remeber salt doesn't evaporate. Only add salt for the water you removed not the water that evaporated.
 
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