# How often do I add salt?



## fishyfan (Aug 10, 2006)

I've been adding salt to my aquarium, I know the livebearers love it! Initially it says 1 TBS for every 5 gallons, so I started with that and adding 1 every week. Aside from a salt test, is there a safe way of knowing if I'm keeping the level up?


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## girlofgod (Aug 22, 2006)

i have been told several different things concerning salt as well...ive been told 1 tsp per 10 gal, and then 1 tsp per 5 gallons, and THEN 1 tsp per GALLON, and THHEEENNN i was told up to 3 tsp per galloN! and i was like...WHOAAAA...thats alot of salt...but i wouldnt think that once you've added it you would need to add anymore until a water change, right? especially with some of the water evaporating...it seems that the salinity would pretty much stay the same. anyways....i dont know...hopefully someone will enlighten us...

bri


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Fishyfan, you are adding salt unnecessarily.:roll:
Salt is used only for emergencies.
Pls stop using salt unless necessary.

Don't even try to move your fish from a high salt content water to the one without it as this can result to osmotic shock. Osmotic shock is characterized by burst fins. Try to stop using salt. To reduce its level, carry out large water changes.


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## girlofgod (Aug 22, 2006)

no salt? tropicals dont like salt in their water? everyone that i have talked to said that they put a little salt in their water ...especially for livebearers....oh well

bri


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

It's best not to let your fish get adjusted to the salinity. It's used only for emergencies like ich outbreak.
It's totally unnecessary to add salts.


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## Tracy (Aug 4, 2006)

I also thought that salt was just for emergencies, i.e. fish diseases like ich, but I work in a pet store and the entire system there has salt added to it. Apparently some of the fish require it (so the labels say). Hmm, so much contradictory information, what is a person to do? Should we (at home) be using perhaps half of the recommended amount? The boxes of aquarium salt say that it is like a water conditioner and helps the gill function etc. of the fish. I'm not sure what to do now, but I trust you, Blue, as you seem very learned about fish keeping  As for the person that keeps adding it, if you are using it, just add it with water changes, because even as the water evaporates, the salt does not. Perhaps we all need to tone down our use of salt. I'm just not sure if I should stop using it all together. Anyone??


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## fishyfan (Aug 10, 2006)

Hmm the place where I got all my fish said they put salt in all their tanks as well...so I certainly didn't want to take them from salty water to water with no salt. Now I'm a bit confused...They're all doing really well though, active and happy!


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

blue_gourami45 said:


> Apparently some of the fish require it (so the labels say).


As far as I know, only brackish water fish will require salts.
I'd use salts only for emergencies.



fishyfan said:


> Hmm the place where I got all my fish said they put salt in all their tanks as well...so I certainly didn't want to take them from salty water to water with no salt. Now I'm a bit confused...They're all doing really well though, active and happy!


They are probably using it for emergencies. I wouldn't use the salt until necessary. We don't want our FW tanks to turn into marine, do we?
Don't rely too much on what the lfs do. Your fish will obviously live without salts.


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## joeshmoe (Aug 2, 2006)

people you need salt for molly and guppys but there is no need the killed many of my fish. pls stop the salt for your fishes sake.


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