Salt content in freshwater tanks

[puffer_girl]

Bought something to check the salt content in my tanks because I've never really checked before.... Add salt in when I do partials based on how much I take out but was just curious to see if any of my tanks were at abnormal levels..... Have a couple questions:

1. For a normal freshwater tanks what should the salt content be?
2. At what level is it harmful?
3. For my Palembangensis Puffer is the freshwater amount good or would more salt be better?

As always, thanks for the help guys!!!! Your great!

 

[NoRtHbAyKeEpEr]

I take it the thing you bought was a hydrometer?

A normal freshwater has a specific gravity of 1.000.

For fresh water fish, I'd say any specific gravity over 1.003 maybe consider harmful.

Your puffer is consider freshwater, so I wouldn't go to extreme with adding salt. The best rule to stick with would be 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. Not enough to effect the spcific gravity but just enough to built a slim coat.

When you replace water, you just add enough salt for the replacement water, as mentioned.

 

[marshy]

A maintenance of 0.1% salt concentration is good.
Most FW fishes can handle up to 0.3%
I think Brackish water fishes is 0.5% and above.

 

[FormulatedFire]

my rule of thumb was about 1 tsp per gallon.......i've never really had fish get sick or anythign from it......and they seem to heal alot faster with the salt in the water.....i also keep all my tanks a 81 degrees and some people think i'm nuts for it but never had a fish die from disease