Salt quantities or no salt

[fish_4_all]

I have been reading that the best way to prevent Velvet on CPD is to add a little salt.

Is salt a good idea to help prevent velvet or is it not needed at all? If it is a good idea, how much?

[mummymonkey]

Not required. The best way to prevent disease is to quarantine new fish and maintain good water quality.

[atlantis_child]

At work we add salt when treating fish to help them breathe, since the medication is somewhat smothering.

Our method works pretty fast pn velvet and Ich, and with few deathes.

1 Turn off flow to tank (keep heating, we can’t at work beacuse a bunch of tanks are connected to the dump that heats them all)

2 Add full dose of med.s for tank gallonage (liquid is easier in my opinion)

3 Also add half a cup of aquarium or other salt without additives per 10 gallons(we use a brand of salt for melting ice. Very cheap.)

Next day:
1 Gravel syphon almost half the water out

2 Replace water with that of similar chemistry and temperature

3 Add the salt and med.s in full dose again, or half or a quarter dose for delicate species

4 Repeat as for as many days till it goes away (then 3 or 4 more)

* Velvet and Ich cysts can survive in the water and gravel for about 3 days without a host

I had a regular customer come in a few days ago wondering why after all the syptoms went away, they’d reappear in a day or 2. Welll…that’s why.

Some fish, like my platies appeciate a bit of salt in their water. Others, like catfish really do not.

Anyway, that’s my thing on salt… Geez I’ll become a fish geek. :roll:

– Atlantis

[altaaffe]

I’m with mummy on this one, I don’t add salt to any tank other than those that require it (Malawi mix) and have had no problems but water quality is paramount.

[fish_4_all]

That is good to know, thank you all. I am very good at keeping the water quality at it’s best and have managed to not lose a fish in almost 3 years other than jumpers.

Having Wisteria and likely getting some Water sprite will only help with water quality not to mention my other plants.

[maximumbob]

just to reiterate… no salt!

[chr15_8]

as said no salt.

Fish have evolved for many years with no salt. salt is for marine fish. Unless using certain salt to treat fish for certain illness not to prevent

Chris

[Crazedpuffer]

Aquarium salt is mainly only used for treating ich. If kept in the tank it starts to harm the fishes immune system.

[bushwhacker]

crazedpuffer salt wont hurt your fishes immune system but no its not needed for most fish… african cichlids on the other hand do need some specialized salts in the water

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