CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

When you guys talk about using salt, ie. 1TBS per either 5 or 10 gal, are you just using it when you suspect illness?

When I got back into this hobby a few months ago, the fist lfs I did business with, a good one in my opinion, they suggested 1TBS per 5 gal right from the start and always when doing water changes.
As I recall we didnt use salt in the tanks years ago,so this was all new to me but he insisted that I should always maintain a 1-5 ratio.

Other lfs' also ones I consider good guys, recomend 1TBS per 10 gal at all times.

I'm currently splitting the difference at about 1 per 7 gal in both my community tank and two O tanks.

I had a young O develop HITH a few weeks ago and treated him in a utility tank with a ratio of 1TBS per 5 gal and raised the temp to about 82-83 degrees.... All turned out well and he's back in his tank now so I guess this is working for me, but I'd like to hear other opinions...

Thanks
Jim

I use 1 to 10 ratio in most of my tanks for disease prevention at all times.

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TONY
Australian and proud of it!!
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So Tony,
Youre saying that in the event of a problem you would just raise the temp and go with a 1-5 ratio????

Thanks for the reply.

Jim.

I dont currently maintain a salt level in my tank... I have live plants in with my oscars and I found that the salt burned them too much. before that I did maintain a 1-10 level. Some salt is good and if you are talking about fish that naturally live in a brackish envirioment 1-5 is not bad for them at all times... but I dont think oscars need that much salt... plus if you have an outbreak of something in the tank you have no where to go since you shouldnt add more salt then that to the tank. It is possible to accidentally double that (1-2.5 gallons) with no short term ill effects but I would do my best to lower that to 1-5 or 1-10 as fast as possible

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Adam

Come see my website!
Adam@cichlidfish.com
Got ?'s about HITH? Read this to learn more!

Yeah 1 to 5 for problems is what I use which is very rare due to the fact that most of my tanks have 1to 10 in them. Except my africans which are different kettlle of fish again.

Adam
What salt do use mate?
I use cooking salt ,with no anticaking agents, which doesant apear to affect my plants.

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TONY
Australian and proud of it!!
Duboisi.com Home of the Oscar Cichlid Fan Club



My Cichlidfish.com Home page

Cooking salt?????
Thats about a dollar less per pound then the stuff I'm using....
I cook with Iodized Sea Salt.
What kind of cooking salt do you use and do you use it in all but your African tank?. (I dont know much about it but I do know that Africans do requrie some kind of cichlid salt)
I'd love to know since I have three main tanks now a 95 and two 56's(thanks to Tony, Adam, Candice,... My contaminated tank has now sustained life for 2 weeks this Sunday.. Its healthy!.)and do weekly water changes.
I know we're not talking about a lot of money here but hey.... nickles and dimes add up fast.
I'd love some feedback on what's working for others....
Thanks
Jim

I use Instant Ocean Saltwater mix, same as I use in my reef tank... it seems to have ill effects on the plants and whenever I remove it from the water via water changes they always stop browning on the tips and look healthier... I will go get some kosher salt and give that a try and see if maybe it was just the type of salt I am using...

Jim, great to hear that tank is doing ok again... I figured it was something that could be over come pretty easily. What do you have in it right now?



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Adam

Come see my website!
Adam@cichlidfish.com
Got ?'s about HITH? Read this to learn more!

Thanks Adam,
I used the bleach as recommended. Ran it with the filters a little longer than recommended,,,about six hours and left the tank to soak for about 50 or so hours...
I rinsed it well..and ran it with just carbons and one of those Poly Pads.
I did however get very impatient...and some who do not know me may want to flame me but I was very observant...
after running for about 48 hours with just carbon and those pads, I rinsed out the media and added foam and put one of my small tiger O's in there.. I have two that were sharing a 10 gal utility tank. Believe me, I observed him very closely.. and at this point I really have become familar with the signs...
When I first set it back up I just had the tank, two filters, heater, thermomiter, and gravel. I ve since added the second O and a few plants, now I'm working on a cabinet that I was building a while ago, for my stand. (its now on a another cabinet that I was working on at the same time. so a lot of good is coming out of this, a second O tank and I'm finishing some old projects.)
I'm checking the water, mostly amonia levels and doing water changes about twice a week, until it cycles...but the fish are well,,, very well...
You guys helped me a lot.. Thank you! had it not been for this forum, I was going to shock the ever living hell out of that tank and probably would have ended up with five large pieces of glass and a frame.

(see, I stole a little from everyone who had suggestions, and came up with a winning solution for me..) J/K....

Thanks Again! You guys are a 'Trusted Source' !

Jim.

I do have question concerning the cycling of the tank... because of the contamination problem only my 95gal is really cycled now, all others were broken down and cleaned..
Ive read that you can take some gravel from a cycled tank and kick start the cycle process..... well, I didnt want to mix gravel so I'm floating a net full of gravel from my 95.... will this help or does it have to be in with the tanks gravel....

Thanks,
Jim.

floating it will help for sure.. the closer you can get it to either your filter or to the gravel the better it will do... if you can actually rest the bag of gravel on the bottom that would be best... the bacteria will transfer faster through direct contact then by drifting to a spot in the water column though that is much prefered to nothing at all... No flames from here sounds like you nailed it down pretty good.

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Adam

Come see my website!
Adam@cichlidfish.com
Got ?'s about HITH? Read this to learn more!

Originally posted by Jimco1822:
Cooking salt?????
Thats about a dollar less per pound then the stuff I'm using....
I cook with Iodized Sea Salt.
What kind of cooking salt do you use and do you use it in all but your African tank?. (I dont know much about it but I do know that Africans do requrie some kind of cichlid salt).
I'd love to know since I have three main tanks now a 95 and two 56's(thanks to Tony, Adam, Candice,... My contaminated tank has now sustained life for 2 weeks this Sunday.. Its healthy!.)and do weekly water changes.
I know we're not talking about a lot of money here but hey.... nickles and dimes add up fast.
I'd love some feedback on what's working for others....
Thanks
Jim

I use just basic cooking salt which is sea salt with nothing else added. (Iodized salt is a no no.) Very cheap to buy in bulk.

I should have made myself clearer with the african tanks
I do use it in my malawi tanks but I play around with the dosage which is why the standard 1 to 5, 1 to 10 rules dont apply. This is because I use crushed coral to buffer the ph. There are other worthy opinions on this subject, but it works for me and the community are thriving,breeding etc.
Mind you these are malawi tanks and its completly different for a Tanganyikan setup of which the fish are more sensitive to water changes,ph changes etc. So with them using a salt mix made specially for them or mixing it up yourself accuratly is vital
I dont have a Tanganyikan setup yet as I dont think I know quite enough just yet on their care and because they are so expensive here. SO more reading for me yet, same with the saltwater stuff too.


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TONY
Australian and proud of it!!
Duboisi.com Home of the Oscar Cichlid Fan Club



My Cichlidfish.com Home page

I guess I could just as easily use one of the wife's nylons like a knee high.(for the cycled gravel)... that way I can just about bury it if I want..

No Iodized salt,,, Thanks Tony.

Thanks for the help...
Jim

[This message has been edited by Jimco1822 (edited 01-06-2002).]

Couple of quick Questions for Tony, What brand cooking salt do you use, Where do you get it and how much is it? I have looked around and cant find any without an anticaking agent,,,

Thanks,

Qserv

You can get it from Franklins or Woolies. Its usually sold in one kilo bags for around $1 to $2. Franklins and Woolies have their own homebrand stuff which is usually what I use. You got to store it once opened in an air tight container or it goes lumpy due to the fact there are no anticaking agents in it

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TONY
Australian and proud of it!!
Duboisi.com Home of the Oscar Cichlid Fan Club



My Cichlidfish.com Home page

Thanks for that Tony, i will drop in to woolies when i leave work and see if i have any luck.

Thanks again.

But does adding sea salt have any effect on the pleco's? I thought about dosing my tank from time to time but thought that I read here that salt can kill your pleco's

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Marty