I was just wondering what you guys and girls think of using Aquarium Salt for water changes. I have been using aquarium salt for years now and it works very well. Who uses this product and how many times do you use it?
Thoughts on the use of Aquarium Salt for freshwater
- Thread starter DaxD
- Start date
I strongly disagree with aquarium salt, the only time i feel its nessesary is in well saltwater tanks and malawi and lake cichild tanks. THe fact we have FRESHWATER tank should convince most people not to add SALT to FRESH water tanks. I just wanted to share my opinion i know many people use aquarium salt and they might have benifits but one more thing you gotta worry about as well. ALso there finding disadvantages now for aquarium salt.
It's great for most livebearers and for other hardwater and brackish fish. The trick is figuring out which fish will benefit from it and which won't.
Since most of my tanks contain doradids now, I rarely use it at all anymore. I do use small amounts of marine salt for my livebearers.
Since most of my tanks contain doradids now, I rarely use it at all anymore. I do use small amounts of marine salt for my livebearers.
DaxD;4374958; said:
It works very well at what? What does it do "well" for your fish? Fresh water fish do not need salt in their water. 100million years of evolution took care of that need a LONG time ago.
Salt is a great medication and can cure most external parasites quickly, but it does no more good for your fresh water fish thank taking 2 aspirin a day does for you.
Sodium chloride is aquarium salt. Adding sodium chloride will not make your water harder or "help your live bearers". Water hardness is a measure of all the dissolved solids and yes you are indeed adding a few, however, water harness is almost entirely a measure of the amount of calcium and magnesium dissolved in your water. I am sorry but sodium chloride will not elevate levels of other elements in your water.
Mollies are a brackish water fish. They do best in brackish water made with marine salt mix. Saltwater is made with marine mix, not with sodium chloride. Saltwater does indeed have calcium and magnesium in it. Brine made with sodium chloride does not. Guppies do quite well in brackish water as well, but platties are a fresh water fish and need to be raised in fresh water.
Why would you add brine to a fresh water tank?
You are talking about different types of salt as aquarium salt and sea salt mix and even the African cichlid salts that are sold in some stores are all for different applications.Matt E.;4374974; said:
I'll only add it for treatment of disease, etc. not as a regular addition to the water. As for rift lake cichlids, standard aquarium salt isn't necessarily the salt that should be added
i only use salt for external parasites, but even then i NEVER use "aquarium" salt. why pay $4 for a tiny box of salt when you can go to home depot and buy 40lbs for the same price? and yes it is the EXACT same thing.