Salt in Freshwater? Help need to figure this out...

[daveedka]

Any thoughts on adding salt to water during a fishless cycle? I imagine there is no reason to add in the absence of fish. On the other hand, it might be best to establish the tank under the conditions that you will ultimately be using.

In a freshwater tank, salt is only needed for short term treatment of a couple of problems. Fishless cycling should effectively eliminate one of these (nitrite poisoning) so therfore it wouldn't be logical to me to estabilish the bacteria in those conditions. No one hopes to get ICH in their tank, and if they do they only need to treat for a short time, at levels that have little or no effect on the biological filter in the tank.

 

[QCppg]

I always use aquarium salt (1 tbsp per 10 gallons or so). I used 2.5 times that concentration to treat Ich. I have many plants in my 55 Tropical, all are very healthy.

For reference sea water is approx. 1/2 cup per gallon.

 

[tricksterpup]

Ick? bacterial infections? Fungus? what are these? I have never experienced these items in one of my tanks? *knock on wood*

I have experienced these items but very rarely.. Rule one, keep your fish healthy.. Healthy fish do not get sick, do not over stock and do frequent water changes.
I believe doing frequent water changes is the main key here, if you have good water quality your fish will remain stress free and healthy and you will never experience these items. I do constant water changes on my tanks and have never had an illness break out.
I have had fish die on me, but it was due to poor water that I was adding to my tank.

jim

 

[daveedka]

Ick? bacterial infections? Fungus? what are these? I have never experienced these items in one of my tanks? *knock on wood*

Ich is one that almost everyone brings home inadvertantly at some point,It is also easily cured. Most ( I won't say all) other illensses are the result of a mistake or poor husbandry problem. I litterally kept fish for 12-15 years without ever getting a case of ICH, but then one day I brought home a new catfish and shortly thereafter my entire tank had white spots. Lesson learned, I use a q-tank now. the only exception is with a newly set-up tank that is stocked all at once. once it is estabilished, anything I add goes through a 3-4 week quarantine.


Either way, salt for purposes other than treatment of the above mentioned items Lowers the water quality by increasing the TDS level, and is a waste of money and energy in a freshwater tank. Some people do it, because they don't fully understand that it isn't needed, but their fish would be better off long term if they skipped it. The myth about needing salt is largely due to the fact that it is an effective band-aid that hides other problems, But a properly maintained tank doesn't need band-aids IME.
Dave