SALT................How much?

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4D3

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 21, 2013
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Australia
Hi,

My tank is about 320l, and it houses CA/SA cichlids, I usually have my freshwater tanks with about 80g of salt per 100l water which i thought was reasonable.

After talking to my friend who owns an aquarium, he told me that i should be having about 2g per liter of water, that works to 200g per 100l.

After reading on the internet this morning, i have found a variety of sites saying anything from 2.5g to 5g per liter of tank water.....5g PER LITRE...thats 500g per 100l.


Which one is the correct amount?
 
Drstrangelove

Drstrangelove

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Oct 21, 2012
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For comps, sea water varies around 35 grams per liter.

All fish (including cichlids) have different tolerances for salt. The tolerance itself also varies depending on conditions in the tank, the age of the specimen and how long it took to reach that level of salt content.

No one can say what the the "correct" amount is without knowing the species and other factors (for example, those listed above plus more.)


Most freshwater fish are fine without salt. Salt harms some species (perhaps many) over the long term, harms plants and is not really "useful" except with injured fish or fish that might have parasites. If I felt I just had to use it----it would be at very low levels, for example, 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons. (That's roughly 1 gram per 7 liters.)

1 tablespoon per 5 gallons is roughly 0.8 grams per liter, which sounds like about where you are now.


5g per liter is brackish water to me.
 
duanes

duanes

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I agree with Drstrangelove, I only add salt when treating for a disease.
That said, if your tap water is devoid of any mineral content, that might change my opinion, or if your cichlids normally come from brackish water.
You say SA and CA cichlids, but there are many different water conditions in such large expanses. There are soft water cichlids from the Amazon, and hard water cichlids from west of the Andes or many Central American and Mexican rivers and lakes, even brackish cichlids that live in cenotes near the Caribbean.
 
4

4D3

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 21, 2013
911
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Australia
Drstrangelove said:
For comps, sea water varies around 35 grams per liter.

All fish (including cichlids) have different tolerances for salt. The tolerance itself also varies depending on conditions in the tank, the age of the specimen and how long it took to reach that level of salt content.

No one can say what the the "correct" amount is without knowing the species and other factors (for example, those listed above plus more.)


Most freshwater fish are fine without salt. Salt harms some species (perhaps many) over the long term, harms plants and is not really "useful" except with injured fish or fish that might have parasites. If I felt I just had to use it----it would be at very low levels, for example, 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons. (That's roughly 1 gram per 7 liters.)

1 tablespoon per 5 gallons is roughly 0.8 grams per liter, which sounds like about where you are now.


5g per liter is brackish water to me.
Click to expand...
yes that sounds like what im using.

should i stop all together? I do have seachem American Cichlid salt that adds the trace elements to the water without actually adding any rock salt so its just the tap water with the american cichlid salts.

then if i do get a sick fish i can add the rock salts then?

I was also told that having salted water helps injury heal faster - is this true or myth?

thanks
 
C

Chaz88

Gambusia
MFK Member
Feb 21, 2010
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Iowa
This is one of those aquarium things that seams to change every few years. At one time almost everyone said if you were not using salt with freshwater fish you were doing it wrong. It now looks like it is swinging the other way again. There are valid reasons for and against using it. Just based on my experience, I use salt at 1 tablespoon per 5g most of the time. It might be unnecessary but at the same time I can not remember the last time I had to medicate. Not since I started using salt many years ago. I would not do it with fish that are known to have problems with salt.

I might try to go without, at some point, and see how it goes. After running carbon in my filters since I started keeping fish, also one of those things that was a must at one time, I recently stopped. I do not want to change more than one thing at a time so the salt will keep going in for now.
 
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4D3

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 21, 2013
911
14
18
Australia
Redearsunfish said:
I haven't used salt in my freshwater tanks for many many years now. I don't see the need for it.
Click to expand...
So I should run with no sadly that way when/if I get something mastery in my tank I can use sadly to treat?

Sent from my SM-G900F using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 
C

Chaz88

Gambusia
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Feb 21, 2010
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Iowa
I think you need to research using or not using constant low level salt on your own and come to your own conclusion. There are pros and cons on both sides of it and I doubt you will get a solid consensus from a forum post, at this point in time.
 
4

4D3

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 21, 2013
911
14
18
Australia
Chaz88 said:
I think you need to research using or not using constant low level salt on your own and come to your own conclusion. There are pros and cons on both sides of it and I doubt you will get a solid consensus from a forum post, at this point in time.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately I have been researching....some say 1g per litre and others are saying 2.5-5g per litre.

I wanting to know which lol

Sent from my SM-G900F using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 
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