# Tank Salt Among Other Things



## Suess00 (Sep 5, 2008)

I know somethings about Tank salt but still have some questions about it. First off how important is tank salt?

Second I know once you add the salt it stays in there until you vacumm it back out so how many times per month or time frame should I add salt? 

In my 75 gallon tank I only added 6 tablespoons of salt just to have some in there, but I know too add more per the package. I just want to make sure it is good for my fish and really benefical for them.

Any good information on what I should add every month and what i should not add.

Also my water is still cloudy when I look through the the left side to the right side. My wife dont really notices it and says its alright but it bothers me because Im used to it being clear from every angle you look at it.

If you look through the front it looks as clear as it can be. I have some shrimp in the tank and I have some water treatment that makes water look extremely clear but I dont want to mess up the balance in my tank. Any suggestions on that?

I got a Dual Bio Wheel Marineland for a 120 gallon tank so i got enough filtration and good bacteria on the filters.

Any suggestions will be appreciated!!!


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Salt isn't essential. Some fish benefit, others don't. I think you platys and shrimp would like it, but not the pleco. I don't know about the rest. If you are going to use salt, pick a concentration, say 1 tsp / gallon and keep it there. add the same amount to water change water, but not to evaporation replacement. Always change the concentration slowly!

For cloudiness, I agree with Jones, that a good micro filtration used occasionally will clear it up. Magnum 350 and HOT magnums come with a media can for everyday use, and a micron-cartridge for "water polishing". These filters get loud in long-term continuous use, but it is nice to have a spare one around for gravel-washing and "water polishing" when you need them. Years ago, my LFS would rent you a Diatom XL filter for this purpose, like you'd rent a carpet cleaner. You could try a pouch of diatomateous earth in your existing filter and see if it makes a difference. The diatom skeletons catch fines pretty well, but they can raise hardness/pH.


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## Suess00 (Sep 5, 2008)

I dont have the money to buy an entire other filter system right now. Do you think I can buy that pouch from Petsmart or Petco? 

If the hardness raises up will that hurt my fish?

So the salt will hurt my Pleco, Loaches and Eel?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

> I dont have the money to buy an entire other filter system right now. Do you think I can buy that pouch from Petsmart or Petco?


possible, but not likely. You may have to buy diatomaceous earth and a fine bag to keep it in separately. The main problem with putting not regulation media in a filter is the chance the water will just flow around it and it won't do any good.



> If the hardness raises up will that hurt my fish?


Possible, but not likely. Its less likely to bother them them salt. Research your fish, do any come from "blackwater" environments?



> So the salt will hurt my Pleco, Loaches and Eel?


IDK, but I sugest you reseach this before adding any more salt


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Suess00 said:


> I know somethings about Tank salt but still have some questions about it. First off how important is tank salt?
> 
> Second I know once you add the salt it stays in there until you vacumm it back out so how many times per month or time frame should I add salt?
> 
> ...


Chris:

To answer the last question IMHO first do not add anything to that tank which you just absolutely do not have to.

With respect to salt you will get as many answers as there are fish keepers and this is kinda a hotly debated topic.

Many moons ago I added 1 tablespoon of salt per 20 gallons of water each month with the thought of the salt being lethal to bacteriological and perhaps some viral pathogens.

I now only add salt in the same concentration when one of my fish is "acting funny".

The salt is eventually removed via my daily 10% WC's.

When a fish has a surficial wound I also add salt as well as Melafix and start "cranking up the temperature".




Suess00 said:


> Also my water is still cloudy when I look through the the left side to the right side. My wife dont really notices it and says its alright but it bothers me because Im used to it being clear from every angle you look at it.


Did you go get you some micron media?

If you did not remember what em said about a month?




Suess00 said:


> I have some water treatment that makes water look extremely clear


That is a flocculation agent and as you noted who knows what it will do to the ecosystem of your tank.

Please deposit it in the nearest municipal solid waste receptacle.




Suess00 said:


> I got a Dual Bio Wheel Marineland for a 120 gallon tank so i got enough filtration and good bacteria on the filters.
> 
> Any suggestions will be appreciated!!!


Chris: You just goota be whoofing me here.

The largest Marineland filter manufactured is *400GPH*.

You were going by the Manufacturer's rating of 80 Gallon tank which is a joke and if you request I can explain. (BTW: next weekend I will hear the Aggie band fire up the War Hymn and tears will come to my eyes.)

For your 75G tank you need at least twice as much filtration as you have.

TR


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

quick googling shows low amounts of salt are ok for loaches, but nowhere near the 1 tsp / gallon most often recommended ( I think thats a good level for goldfish). Some plecos are reportedly very sensitive to salt, while others do fine. Heres a whole board for loaches http://forums.loaches.com/


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## Suess00 (Sep 5, 2008)

Thanks for the information I will try to go back to Austin or call them to see what the LFS has over there plus I will check some local ones.

Let me read of what the filter I have for my tank right now, I just found the empty box in the garage I have a:
- Marineland Power Filter Emperor
- Dual Bio Wheels
- Complete 3 Stage Filtration 
- Filters 400 gallons per hour

The box says it is good for up to a 90 gallon tank. I have a two more filters that I am not using right now:

1. A MarineLand Dual Bio Wheel Power Filter Penguin 350 which filters 350 gallons per hour.

2. A Topfin 60 gallon Dual Filter system which came with a 55 gallon tank which is not being used or even set up right now.

Would you recommend me placing another filter onto my 75 gallon tank so that I would have two?

Also what would you recommed for my 55 gallon that I want to start up?

Im a little confused I thought the Emperor would be enough


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

The dual bio-wheels, dual-cartridges are cool, but in my book they still count as one filter. If Your cat knocks the power cord out, your fish are SOL. By all means add a second filter. The 10X flow recommendation is for a heavily stocked, cichlid tank and yours is kind of lightly stocked comparatively. But if you add another big filter to the 75 for a few weeks, you can cycle your new 55 almost instantly by moving a filter over. 

From that list I'd put the Penguin on first, then move it to the 55 and put the topfin on. Depending on your stocking. If you are going to stock the 55 more heavily, you might put the Emperor on it.

When I can, I put two filters on each tank.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Suess00 said:


> Im a little confused I thought the Emperor would be enough


Very understandable until you have worked your way through many HOB and cannister manuals.

*One*
IMHO the flow of these creatures is rated by the manufacturers with no media installed (as well as a few other but less significant parameters). I actually found this assertion in a cannister manual.

Hence with used media in the filter the actual flow is probably like 50% to 70% of the manufacturer's rated flow.


*Two*
Different manufacturers use different scaling factors ie. two manufacturers may have 300GPH pumps and one will rate the filter for 50 gallons whereas the other will rate the filter for 60 gallons (as obviously his filtration equipment is more efficient).


*Three*
I have limited experience with HOB's and em can help you better with the details here but hopefully you now understand the words in my previous post ie.
400 GPH rated flow X
60% efficiency =
240 GPH actual flow /
75 Gallons =
3X hourly turnover
and 6x is probably a more appropriate value for your tank.

TR


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## Lupin (Aug 1, 2006)

emc7 said:


> quick googling shows low amounts of salt are ok for loaches, but nowhere near the 1 tsp / gallon most often recommended ( I think thats a good level for goldfish). Some plecos are reportedly very sensitive to salt, while others do fine. Heres a whole board for loaches http://forums.loaches.com/


I used a tablespoon per 5g dose of table salt when I treated my loaches and catfish for ich. No ill effects have been observed per the use of table salt last time my tank had an ich outbreak which surprisingly never struck my yoyo loaches (_Botia almorhae_) although all the same, I treated them with salt for 14 days.


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

I always put salt in tanks, regardless of what kind of fish I put in there. Some of the "experts" claim that it is irritating to certain fish. I don't believe that for a second. Salt helps to restore electrolyte balances among other things and it prevents ich, etc. Lots of benefits.

"Aquarium" or, "Tank," salt is Kosher Salt for more money, sold at the pet store instead of the supermarket, FYI. No difference whatsoever.


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## trashion (Aug 24, 2007)

COM-Why don't you believe that? Many soft-water fish are raised in areas with no salt at all in their water, thus they could easily be irritated by the presence of it.

Also, most plants (except for the toughies like java fern/anubias/etc) hate salt.


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## Lupin (Aug 1, 2006)

I agree, Trashion. Do the Amazon basin, local ditches where bettas reside and Mekong river of Chao Phraya have salts?


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

I also disagree with a constant tonic of salts in the water. It makes adding salt for disease extremely less effective since the pathogens already are salt tolerant. Also salt with some very soft water fish can kill them... but thats just my 20 years of experience.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

COM said:


> I always put salt in tanks, regardless of what kind of fish I put in there. Some of the "experts" claim that it is irritating to certain fish. I don't believe that for a second. Salt helps to restore electrolyte balances among other things and it prevents ich, etc. Lots of benefits.
> 
> "Aquarium" or, "Tank," salt is Kosher Salt for more money, sold at the pet store instead of the supermarket, FYI. No difference whatsoever.


COM:

The problem I have with your post, but my assertion is very qualitative, is that salt, like MelaFix and PimaFix, is a curative. If no significant condition exists to cure any such minor conditions which may be present (but in remission) become immune to the curative.

In addition to inducing salt as I described above I also induce a salt concentration of 1 Tablespoon / 20 Gallons every six months or so as I believe the reduction or elimination or reduction of bacteriological as well as possibly viral pathogens may be effected.




trashion said:


> Also, most plants (except for the toughies like java fern/anubias/etc) hate salt.


Julie:

I believe this assertion to be an Internet myth as I have not observed degradation of *Madagascar Lace* as well as other plant species in the presence of 1 Tablespoon Salt/10 Gallons Tank Water maintained for 10 days.

TR


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## trashion (Aug 24, 2007)

jones-I asserted that as a matter of personal experience. I too added salt, and my plants were terribly wilty. When I stopped using salt in my tank, the plants stopped looking so withered. I attribute this to freshwater plant cells not being able to properly function when submersed in salty water.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Julie:

What was the salt concentration?

TR


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## trashion (Aug 24, 2007)

Oh, I'd say around 1 tablespoon/5 gallons. That could have something to do with it, as your concentration was less.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

trashion said:


> Oh, I'd say around 1 tablespoon/5 gallons. That could have something to do with it, as your concentration was less.


I appreciate the response Julie and this is probably it.

I have read various posts indicating that 1 tablespoon/1 gallon was appropriate for ich eradication and this is probably where the "salt is bad for plants" came from.

TR


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Ummm 1tablespoon to 1 gallon? I am by no means a saltwater tank person, nor do I know a ton about the use of salt but I have to say this is an awful lot. Isn't that even more than in a brackish tank? Like I said this might be my ignorance, just seems a bit much to me. 

I have used salt as a curative (once to treat ich) at the rate of 1 tablespoon/ 5 gallons. I am not sure if it helped as the ich spread fairly fast so I moved on to an ich curative to stomp out further invasion.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Obs:

I absolutely agree that is insane but purview the literature.

Many folks actually do this!

As best as remember I have had to deal with ich three times and I have never had to get above 1 Tablespoon / 10 Gallons in order to effect eradication.

TR


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Well at least I am not the only one questioning the sanity of such decisions.


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## Lupin (Aug 1, 2006)

Obsidian said:


> I have used salt as a curative (once to treat ich) at the rate of 1 tablespoon/ 5 gallons. I am not sure if it helped as the ich spread fairly fast so I moved on to an ich curative to stomp out further invasion.


If you increased the temperature, certainly, the ich will spread fast due to fast lifecycle but the salt will eventually destroy them.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I have read of rates for ich as high as 1 tablespoon per gallon, which is IMO very high, but fine for most cichlids as long as it goes up slowly. 1 tsp/gallon is "normal" recommendation from the aquarium salt box, and is IMO appropriate for goldfish and mollies if you are starting with soft water. I prefer "cichlids salts" which makes sense since I have mostly cichlids. If you run hard water through your water softener, you end up with salt in it already, so it makes no sense to add more salt to water that starts out hard. You can certainly harm or kill softwater fish by raising the salt concentration suddenly. I'm sure the same is true of some plants, where as others are salt-tolerant. I have heard of salt-tolerant ich and it makes sense that disease coming out of stores is resistant to what they typically use.

I don't advocate anything I haven't tried, so I won't tell you what the "right" amount is. Just be consistant, don't let salt levels fluxuate and make changes slowly and deliberately.


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