Can you over salt your tank???My fish are itchy

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Thanks on the info, I understand what your saying on the weight of the water. Im going to read up on it some more. Well I can tell you that when I first bought my fish I bought them on impulse, rather than a well thought out plan. I didnt really know anything about the fish i bought I just asked if they were going to be colorful. Well, I bought 2 champs, 2 venistus, and 2 figure 8 puffers. The fish guy told me that, he wouldnt recommend to put the puffers with the cichlids because the puffers are fin nippers but as far as water conditions they are a perfect match.


I have learned alot about my fish since then and I have seperated my puffers.
 
Ive actually heard using conditioning salt in a FW tank keeps your fish healthier by causing their slimecoat to thicken because it is irritated.
 
thanks for the info. I'll research it some more myself. Its funny you brought up a puffer. When Ifirst bought my fish i didnt know what i was buying and I bought 2 champs, 2 venistus, and 2 figure 8 puffers. The fish guy told me he didnt recommend putting the puffer with the cichlids cause they are fin nippers but as far as water conditions they are a perfect match. I have learned alot about my fish since then. I have seperated my puffer not because the were nippy or aggressive, mine are super chill, but one of my champs kept on trying to eat him. One of my puffers died by a freak accident. He logged him/herself between the glass and a rock one night and I found him the next morning dead.
 
I thought my other post didnt post so i posted the last one just in case anyone is confused.

Thats what i thought but no im hearing other wise.
 
Africans do not need anything close to brackish conditions, but some salt in their water does benefit the slime coat. I only use salt in my african tanks a few times per year. Aquarium salt works just fine. Just follow the instructions on the packaging and you will be safe. They don't need salt all the time, only a few times a year to help the slime coat. It is the change in salt levels that causes the slime coat to thicken, so if you use salt all the time you are negating this benefit.
 
Hdeuce;2179158; said:
Ive actually heard using conditioning salt in a FW tank keeps your fish healthier by causing their slimecoat to thicken because it is irritated.
Click to expand...

That's not true but I'm not going to argue when someone disagrees-which they will. Because 'their grandparents did it for years and the fish didn't die'.
Read some sights with marine biologists on it, they know and they'll tell you it's not recommended. Here's a good sight also:
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/salt.shtml
A freshwater fish's slimecoat works just fine on its own. Why irritate it to make it 'thicker'? That's like scraping your hand on the ground all day long to make a callous.
 
Well in not sure what to think. Im going to do a 10% to 15% water change this weekend without adding any salt to see what happens. I have a teaspoon of salt for every 10g and when i do a water change i add salt by how many gallons i but in. I'll chill out on the salt this time.

Real, what I want is for my fish to stop itching. Even from yesterday i can see that more of my fish are getting itch. Maybe salt isnt the problem. I never had a problem with my salt before so why now. I thought that maybe it was the salt 'cause all my fish look happy - the itching, which gets worse daily. Thats my real problem.
 
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