Have You Added Salt For Minnows, Tetras, Balloon Mollies?

[My3KidsDad]

I have been reading that a few tablespoons of salt would be beneficial for certain fresh water fish. Have you done this? and how did it turn out?

[jvision]

Salt is more of a remedy for certain pathogens and injuries in FW tanks. Mollies do come from brackish areas in nature, but the Balloon Mollies are so far removed from the wild that they probably thrive in totally fresh water.

Also, too much salt can harm plants. Hardy plants like Java fern, Anubias and Valisneria can live in up to brackish water.

If you want to add salt, find out how much you need and just add it - at least that's what I do. I usually try to add it where the most flow is, so the salt dissolves faster.

[My3KidsDad]

Salt is more of a remedy for certain pathogens and injuries in FW tanks. Mollies do come from brackish areas in nature, but the Balloon Mollies are so far removed from the wild that they probably thrive in totally fresh water.

Also, too much salt can harm plants. Hardy plants like Java fern, Anubias and Valisneria can live in up to brackish water.

If you want to add salt, find out how much you need and just add it - at least that's what I do. I usually try to add it where the most flow is, so the salt dissolves faster.

Thanks Jason. I need to know whether all the fish will benefit first. More reading to do.

[jvision]

If your fish have ich (white spots) then they will all need the salt. If you're just adding salt for sh*ts and giggles, then your tetras and minnows may not like it so much.

[krazy_Karma]

When I first got into fish I didnt add the salt, and many of my fish died off, once I started adding the salt they did amazing, started reproducing like crazy, and yes my first fish were guppies, mollies, platties and goldfish. I add just a bit less than what the box calls for in the size of tank you have type thing. I do this for ALL my fish.

[Fergy]

Salt is more of a remedy for certain pathogens and injuries in FW tanks. Mollies do come from brackish areas in nature, but the Balloon Mollies are so far removed from the wild that they probably thrive in totally fresh water.

Also, too much salt can harm plants. Hardy plants like Java fern, Anubias and Valisneria can live in up to brackish water.

If you want to add salt, find out how much you need and just add it - at least that's what I do. I usually try to add it where the most flow is, so the salt dissolves faster.

Isn't there a difference between the salt you add for treatment, and the salt to make the tank brackish though?

I thought I had read somewhere that you must use SW salt, just in far less quantities, to make a tank brackish as opposed to just aquarium salt.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, I could be way out to lunch here.

[Gazoo]

Salt is more of a remedy for certain pathogens and injuries in FW tanks. Mollies do come from brackish areas in nature, but the Balloon Mollies are so far removed from the wild that they probably thrive in totally fresh water.

Also, too much salt can harm plants. Hardy plants like Java fern, Anubias and Valisneria can live in up to brackish water.

If you want to add salt, find out how much you need and just add it - at least that's what I do. I usually try to add it where the most flow is, so the salt dissolves faster.

Isn't there a difference between the salt you add for treatment, and the salt to make the tank brackish though?

I thought I had read somewhere that you must use SW salt, just in far less quantities, to make a tank brackish as opposed to just aquarium salt.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, I could be way out to lunch here.

You can use Kosher pickling salt, but do not use table salt, which is iodized. Basically the idea is that Freshwater pathogens can not live in a salty environment. Many of these will be affected if the concentrations of NaCl are above their threshold of tollerance.

There is an article on salt within this page.... http://www.thekrib.com/Chemistry/

All the Best

Edited December 30, 2009 by Gazoo

[jvision]

Salt is more of a remedy for certain pathogens and injuries in FW tanks. Mollies do come from brackish areas in nature, but the Balloon Mollies are so far removed from the wild that they probably thrive in totally fresh water.

Also, too much salt can harm plants. Hardy plants like Java fern, Anubias and Valisneria can live in up to brackish water.

If you want to add salt, find out how much you need and just add it - at least that's what I do. I usually try to add it where the most flow is, so the salt dissolves faster.

Isn't there a difference between the salt you add for treatment, and the salt to make the tank brackish though?

I thought I had read somewhere that you must use SW salt, just in far less quantities, to make a tank brackish as opposed to just aquarium salt.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, I could be way out to lunch here.

You can use Marine salt to treat FW, but it's a lot more expensive than Aquarium or Sea/Kosher salt. And, it is best to use Marine salt for brackish conditions; but, Sea salt is just OK.

[My3KidsDad]

Thanks for the info. I will be adding a couple of tablespoons of salt to the tank for the tetras, mollies and white cloud minnows.

[Vallisneria]

Thanks for the info. I will be adding a couple of tablespoons of salt to the tank for the tetras, mollies and white cloud minnows.

I wouldn't add salt to the tank unless you are treating for a disease(ich) as its not necessary. Mollies do better with it but tetras and minnows don't needs salt on a regular basis and might not like it.

[Fergy]

So aquarium/sea/kosher salt WILL make a tank brackish in the right amounts? But it's better to use marine?

Sorry, just want to clarify for sure

[krazy_Karma]

I use salt in my Guppy, tetra, white cloud tank I add a small amount of salt with every water change, mine are in a 30 gal tank and I might add a tablespoon of salt every time, just enough to say I added salt, and they all seem to do really well with this....Ive had the tetras and white cloud for about a year now and the guppies almost as long they are extremely prolefic....LOL

[darkangel]

I used to use salt in my tanks until I figured out that unless you were treating for a disease it was not nessesary.

I kept guppies, mollies, and swords in my planted tank for over 3 years without the addition of salt, and they bred constantly. I had more live food than the fish could eat. I have since switched out the tank and have wild rams, cardinals, and cories in it now.

[krazy_Karma]

Perhaps this would then come down to the water available to you, as my fish did poorly and were dropping like flies until I started adding salt.

[jvision]

So aquarium/sea/kosher salt WILL make a tank brackish in the right amounts? But it's better to use marine?

Sorry, just want to clarify for sure

That is correct. If you were doing Fish Only, you could probably get away with using kosher/sea salt for SW as well. AFIK, it's the inverst that require all of the extra minerals in marine salt.

BTW, by marine salt I mean artificial sea salt - stuff that has been engineered specifically for SW aquariums.