Multiple water changes and aquarium salt

[WarrendaFish]

when I do a normal weekly water change I add a rounded tablespoon of aquarium salt per every 5 gal of new water. But what if I do multiple changes within the week?
Normaly, I cut the salt in half depending on the number of days in between changes. Sometimes in third ( 1 rounded tablespoon for every 15 gal or new water)
Is this correct? My fish havent suffered any ill effects. I would just like to know what the proper doseage would be.
For instance, I am cycling a new tank (120 gal), and have been taking water from already stocked tanks. So I have been doing a couple extra changes a week (2-3 weekly, 30-50% changes). I have been following the salt doseage previously mentioned. Normaly, I change the water 50% once a week.

Questions? Comments? Advice?
Thank you for your responses.

 

[12 Volt Man]

if you have a 120g tank and you added one tablespoon per 5 gallons, you have 24 tablespoons of salt in the tank.

if you change 50%, you have removed 12 but have 12 left in the tank, so to get it back up to the prior to waterchange concentration, you need to fill up and then add 12 tablespoons back in.

however, I have to ask, why are you adding salt all the time? for most fish its really not necessary except as a treatment (for ich). some fish like Mollies will benefit from the addition of freshwater or marine salt, but otherwise, IMO, its a waste of your cash.

now, if you have a nitrite problem, or, as mentioned, ich, then salt is excellent.

but to add all the time, I think you could do without it and save some cash. adding that much salt all the time can add up in terms of price..

 

[WarrendaFish]

I only add the salt weekly when I do my weekly water changes. (as directed on the carton) If I needed to use more for disease treatment I would, but have never had to. It says right on the container to add 1 tablespoon per 5 gal every water change. So, again my question would be to multiple water changes in the same week.
If it's between saving money and the health of my aquarium I have to opt for the latter. It's pretty cheap.

 

[dmopar74]

its useless unless needed for the examples of treatment. the health of your fish will not be any better from using salt continuously, same thing with carbon.

also water softener salt is the same as aquarium salt but only costs $5 for a 40-50lb bag.

 

[ScoobyRacing03]

The box may tell you it's needed but it really isn't needed to have healthy fish.

 

[Lupin]

Warrenda, your fish can do well without salt added in their tank. A lot of us here keep several groups of FW fish and invertebrates and we do not add salt in our tanks even though the health issues happen only occasionally or rarely at all. Salt is no miracle product. It will not stop anything and the saying that salt prevents any disease, is pure gibberish. Even with your best efforts to keep the tank clean without adding salt, you cannot stop the health issues from coming in. Fish are similar to other living creatures. We get the health issue regardless of the circumstances.

 

[Toby_H]

As 12 Volt man was describing…

If you remove (for example) 30 gallons of water… you have removed 6 tablespoons of salt… to maintain the desired concentration you must add 6 tablespoons when you replace the 30 gallons…

If you do a 30 gal water change once a month, or three times a day you will still need to add 6 tablespoons with every 30 gallon water change to maintain the desired concentration…

If you remove 30 gallons of salted water and replace the 30 gallons of water with the standard salt dosage for 10 gallons… you will be lowering the overall concentration of salt in the full volume of water…

Although, I agree with all of the advice given thus far… maintaining a concentration of salt in a freshwater Cichlid aquarium is not necessary…

 

[FISHY FINGAZ]

im not sayin ittl make your fish healthier but doesnt it work as a preventative, because all tanks have ick right?? but it takes stress in the tank to spark an outbreak (from what i was told @ a LFS), and doesnt the salt help keep the fish from stressin (works as a tonic) kinda like weed duz for us?

 

[WarrendaFish]

Warrenda, your fish can do well without salt added in their tank. A lot of us here keep several groups of FW fish and invertebrates and we do not add salt in our tanks even though the health issues happen only occasionally or rarely at all. Salt is no miracle product. It will not stop anything and the saying that salt prevents any disease, is pure gibberish. Even with your best efforts to keep the tank clean without adding salt, you cannot stop the health issues from coming in. Fish are similar to other living creatures. We get the health issue regardless of the circumstances.

I appreciate the input. I'm not saying it prevents disease or is some miricale cure all of any sort. I just want to know if I'm adding too much or not.
For the first year I raised my Oscar (also my first fish) I did not use salt. It was recommended to me from another keeper to use salt, so I started. I havent had any problems or had any super success. Most lived, some died.
So, the general concensus is: Salt is not necessary in a freshwater tank, correct?

"Fish are similar to other living creatures. We get the health issue regardless of the circumstances"

Almost all living things need salt.

I am not trying to argue. I only need a simple answer to my Q:

If I do multiple water changes in a week do I need to add salt every time I change the water?

And again, I really do appreciate all the feedback. I am only 5 years in and consider myself a noobie at this spectacular hobby. But I am a fish head for life.
Thank you

 

[fishman61]

I stopped using salt 6 months ago and my fish are the same as when I was using salt. I do weekly 50% water changes