Aquarium Salt - What purpose

Well, there are allot of applications invovled with adding salt to a FW tank. For the most part you don't have to. But if you have Mollies, then it is suggested to add salt. I personally put just a minor amount (4 tbsp in my 29g) it can help sick fish recover by adding elements to the water. And some parasites have a harder time in salt water.

Aquarium salt is used for many diffrent things. You can use it to make the tank brackish or just to make the fish happier. I have heard that adding salt will make color brighter on some fish. If you are planning to put salt in your tank with the pleco i wouldent, unless you want one unhappy pleco. The salt burns their skin and makes them very unhappy. Hoped this helped a little and if im wrong on anything please correct me.

First off Aquarium salt for FW tanks is the same as the table salt used to salt food except all the ingredients are list on the table salt and not always listed on aquarium salt. IMO salt should only be used for medicating purposes in a FW tank.

Aquarium salt has no purpose in terms of regular, everyday use.

Brackish tanks need marine salt.

Mollies born and raise FW don't need salt.

Salt has two main uses: treating Ich and attenuating nitrite toxicity.

For the latter you want to bring Cl levels in the tank to 0.1%, 1 tbsp. per gallon.

For the former a 0.3% level should be targeted - in 0.1% daily increments.

"Aquarium" salt, in particular, serves one purpose specifically - to separate you from your money. It has no functional difference from table salt, anyone who sais different is trying to sell you something (probably aquarium salt), and is either lying or ignorant.

Aquarium salt doesn't make a brackish tank, nor does it help mollies. Marine mix salt makes a brackish tank. Freshwater fish need freshwater, the only reason to add dissolved solids back in is if you use Distilled water which is free of any salts. Tapwater contains plenty and as long as you do weekly water changes then your fish are getting enough.

Aquarium salt or any source of NaCl is a great medication for freshwater fish. it can help fight off many parasites and bacteria and fungus (external) plus nitrite poisoning. But it should be used only when the fish need medicating and not always.

Neener, neener. Beat you to it!

1 minute, darn.

Aquarium salt should NOT be used to create brackish environments! Brackish fish require MARINE salt, not aquarium salt.

Salt should not be used in a freshwater aquarium unless you are treating for a specific disease/parasite or reducing the toxic effects of ammonia and nitrites. Long term use of salts in freshwater aquaria can shorten the lifespan of some fishes and lessen the effectiveness of the salts when treating for disease.

Mollies do not require a brackish environment unless they are wild-caught fish. "Domestic" mollies are far removed from their wild-caught cousins and descents and are bred and raised in freshwater environments. Again, salts are not needed.

As for aquarium salts versus table salts myth, we've been through it several times and table salt is fine:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62213&highlight=salt+myth

Roan

You BOTH bite boogies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bah!

Roan