| The practice of adding salt to a freshwater | | | | proper level of salt in its blood. |
| aquarium is one that has been around for quite | | | | In addition to this use, salt may be added to treat |
| some time. There are several reasons why | | | | common ailments of freshwater aquarium fish, |
| sodium chloride (aka table salt or aquarium salt) | | | | including ecoparasites, ich, and Costia. To kill these |
| would be added to a freshwater tank, including | | | | ailments, you'd need to add about 1 1/2 cups of |
| stress reduction, medication, and to create a | | | | salt for every 10 gallons of aquarium water. If |
| natural environment for fish normally found in | | | | you have an aquarium hydrometer, which |
| brackish water. Before you add salt to your | | | | measures the salt content, it should read between |
| freshwater aquarium for any reason, be sure to | | | | 1.005 and 1.009, or 7 to 19 parts per million. This |
| understand the reasons for doing so and any | | | | salt level must be maintained for several weeks. |
| possible side effects. | | | | Not all species can tolerate this much salt. |
| Many popular aquarium fish species come from | | | | Whenever treating freshwater fish with salt, you |
| brackish areas, such as rivers feeding into an | | | | must monitor the fish closely for signs of stress, |
| ocean. In these cases, adding salt to the aquarium | | | | and return the fish to a fully freshwater |
| serves to replicate their natural habitat by creating | | | | environment if necessary. |
| a water quality that is between the typical | | | | A short-term dip in lightly salted water is often |
| freshwater and saltwater tank options. Known as | | | | recommended as a treatment for fish that have |
| "brackish," attaining the optimum salt content for | | | | been exposed to water with a high level of |
| these types of fish requires knowledge of your | | | | nitrites. Add about four teaspoons of salt to a |
| fish species' natural environment, as the salt | | | | gallon of water, and place your fish in the bucket |
| requirements can vary widely even among | | | | for about half an hour, observing them closely for |
| brackish fish. | | | | signs of distress during this time. |
| Many species of fish are not brackish, but still | | | | When should you avoid adding salt to an |
| benefit from a small quantity of salt in their water. | | | | aquarium? If your tank is planted with live plants, |
| Salt can reduce stress in goldfish, African Cichlids, | | | | avoid salt, because plants are easily damaged by |
| and most live-bearers such as Mollys, Platys, | | | | relatively low salt levels. Scaleless fish are very |
| Guppies, and Swordtails. When using salt to | | | | sensitive to salt, as are some other fish species, |
| reduce stress, the recommended dose is one to | | | | including Tetras. |
| two tablespoons for ten gallons of water. This use | | | | If you do decide to add salt to your aquarium, |
| of salt in a freshwater aquarium is especially | | | | avoid using ordinary table salt, which contains |
| common with fish that have lost a lot of scales. A | | | | additives such as iodine and calcium silicate. |
| teaspoon per 10 gallons of water will support the | | | | Aquarium salt has no such additives, making it |
| healing of scales by helping the fish maintain the | | | | safer for your fish. |