What salt?

[Andyroo]

Usually have plenty on-hand, but returning (properly) to the hobby after a bit of a hiatus.

Remind me please:
Just any non-iodized, or does it have to be sea-salt or does it have to be the specific aquarium/pond salt?

I've got a possible Ich introduction new cardinals in a tank with grow-out loaches, snails & gobies. Not sure it's Ich (nobody's itchy or breathing hard & fins upright) but I'm erring to caution ... without meds, yet.
Temperature is 31C+ and will bump a bit.

Yes, I know - quarantine wasn't an option.

 

[kno4te]

Any salt will work. Can be non-iodized or iodized salt. Doesn’t have to be sea salt.

 

[duanes]

I agree with Kno4te, as long as its NaCl, it is useable.
And also agree about iodized salt being being fine. There has being some talk about aquarium fish, not getting enough natural iodine in their diet lately.
When treating for ick, I use 3lbs per 100 gallons, not the teaspoon, or cup method, because I want at least a 3ppt salinity, and using it by weight allows for that salinity.
A tsp of rock salt, is not the same amount (by weight) as a tsp of fine grain salt

 

[Terraphyte Tank Guy]

Usually have plenty on-hand, but returning (properly) to the hobby after a bit of a hiatus.

Remind me please:
Just any non-iodized, or does it have to be sea-salt or does it have to be the specific aquarium/pond salt?

I've got a possible Ich introduction new cardinals in a tank with grow-out loaches, snails & gobies. Not sure it's Ich (nobody's itchy or breathing hard & fins upright) but I'm erring to caution ... without meds, yet.
Temperature is 31C+ and will bump a bit.

Yes, I know - quarantine wasn't an option.

Hello andy...

I'd use standard aquarium salt. A rounded teaspoon for every five gallons of replacement water will do. Do a good job of vacuuming the bottom material and up the water changes to half the tank's volume about every three days until you see improvement in the fish. Then, you can back off the water changes to half weekly, but I'd continue using the salt indefinitely.

TTG

 

[Andyroo]

I wrote on my way to the grocery store... I got a course-grain sea-salt, as it was the only one without caking agents (that wasn't stupid costly). It's a 15gal prep & grow-out tank, so 3 heaping (as it's course) spoons dissolved in a coffee cup of warm water, & added to tank as 1/3 of the cup every half-hour. Good?

Q2: at how many teaspoons would I be negatively impacting cards &/or clowns? IE: what's my + or - wiggle-room?

 

[duanes]

Now that you've added cards (cardinal tetras?) to your question, I would revise my answer.
Salt of any kind is not a great addition to a cardinal tetra tank (if locally bred maybe OK, but if wild, probably not).
Since you are treating for ick, you are between a rock and a hard place, and need to do something, but I am at a loss to advise.

 

[celebrist]

I use pickling salt mixed with Epsom salt usually 2 to 1 approximately

 

[Andyroo]

Good to know and no worries, Duanes. The clown loaches are supposed to be sensitive to the salt also, but IME quite tolerant of elevated temperature whereas the cardinal tetras are apparently sensitive to both. I've always (tried to) kept clowns and have always salted my water, at least until this year. These are almost certainly captive bred.

Actions so far: salted & added heater overnight. Glass is now notably warm to the touch, to beyond what the cheap 30C-max LED thermometers (only thing at the local shops) can show. Sicker cards are tending towards the surface (when no excitement), as they did last night, but otherwise nobody seems worse for ware - possibly/arguably more vigorous than last night. Filter outlets are angled to surface, so aeration & movement should be good.

Worry now is this heater's thermostat. There's a dial on the top from 70 to 90F, set to ~89 overnight and the water now (10AM) feels 32(+) to the touch (my day-job is related to coral & bleaching, so I have a good idea of what 32 feels like). So I've turned it down to the indicator light going out and I've turned it back up to it just going on (83 on the dial) and will hang around office until the light goes out suggesting the current temperature is where it's going to stay.

Far more "fingers crossed" than I'm happy with... lesson leaned to not accept/introduce fish at the end of a long/busy day and without formal QT, no matter how much I trust the source. I won't buy again this year.