aquarium salt

[tropicalcrazy]

First off, fish and plants in sig.

I just got ich out of my tank. This is the first time ive ever added salt. I added 5 and a half teaspoons Sunday. Ich is gone, yesterday did 35% wc. Should I add more salt and if so how much. Keep in mind I have loaches and plants. But on flipside, I have REALLY hard water.

 

[tropicalcrazy]

I do have to note, after adding salt, I noticed large increase in green hair algae. This good healthy food for my otos, pleco, and loaches, right?

 

[unwritten law]

I'd keep adding some salt and keeping the temp up for close to a month before you are certain the ich is gone.

 

[tropicalcrazy]

Do you recommend I add another 5 and a half teaspoons?

Could I be fine to just drop the salt in the HOB filter, so then it disolves in there, then spreads thruout the tank?

 

[littletankbigworld]

Yes. It's fine to place it in the back of the HOB.

 

[phin]

Do you recommend I add another 5 and a half teaspoons?

Could I be fine to just drop the salt in the HOB filter, so then it disolves in there, then spreads thruout the tank?

Salt doesn't evaporate and is only removed through water changes, so if you put 5.5 tsp in and then removed 35% of the water you should only put back 35% of the salt or 2 tsp. I keep 3 Tbsp (9 tsp) salt in my 18 gallon.

I see you have a 55 gallon tank - I don't think 5 or even 10 tsp is enough to cause much of an impact. The rule of thumb for keeping aq salt in fresh tanks is 1Tbsp/5gal.

 

[tropicalcrazy]

would you still use 1 tbsp per 5 gallon if you have loaches? to my understanding they are extremely sensitive to salt. i see you have some plants i do some im assuming not an issue with the plants i have. i do have extremely hard water and im going to go and have it tested today to see where its at. all other stats i know are fine. ph is neutral and all others are fine just hard water i have

 

[phin]

I haven't seen any negatives with my plants from the use of salt. Maybe they would grow more if I didn't use it, I don't know, but it sure isn't killing them. I have very hard water too, and adding salt increases the total dissolved solids, but I still have seen no ill effects. All I have are tetras, which come from the amazon and prefer soft water, but they don't seem distressed at all from the salt. I've heard loaches, among other species, don't tolerate salt well, but I wouldn't worry about putting a loach in my tank, in fact today I tried to get a free one off craigslist. I know my LFS adds salt to ALL their tanks (of course they start with RO water, not the hard water I start with).

I do know that I have had zero outbreaks of ich or any other disease since I began keeping salt in my tank.

Personally, I would recommend keeping salt in the tank all the time. I know others recommend using it only for medicating. Either way I think you are ok. Just remember that salt is only removed during water changes so be sure only to add in as much is taken out, whatever level you decide that to be.