What are the benefits and effects of adding aquarium salt to my fresh water tropical fish tank?

Hi there Here's my 2 cents. Unless they are brackish water fish, I don't recommend the use of salt unless it's for treatment. First, that's an extra thing to care about.

This gives room to error. Especially for something unnecessary. And if you really do it, use a hydrometer, no guessing.

After months of guessing, the salt will go wild. And because you're changing the water's parameter, you have to be sure that you're consistent, else it'll stress your fish. Secondly, for the purpose of treatment, it's the sudden difference in salinity that gives the benefit of using salt.

Using salt continuously on regular days will render your salt useless to your fish. I have multiple freshwater tanks at home for years, and they have never touched salt. You can see 2 of them here (check out the last 10 seconds should do): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YITfzpzdy... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wuoc7QS-... You can check my other saltwater tanks there as well.

Therefore, for me to see somebody add salt to their freshwater tank on every partial change, just kinda makes me feel sad hehe. Trust, they really don't need it, unless they are brackish water fish like mollies. (Or saltwater fish) Save the hassle and the potential of stressing your fish.

Keep the salt for treatment. And also, if you don't know yet, scaleless fish can't tolerate salt! Like Oto's, loaches, sharks etc, don't use salt at all for those.

Good luck! :).

Salt was added in the olden days when people did not know any better ... not to say there can not be some benefits using salt if there are problems in the tank ... but adding salt just because to a freshwater tank is not the best idea ... they are freshwater fish, they are not salt water fish ... and to continually add it, you are just going to kill your fish ... whatever salt you have added, none has evaporated and never will and to add more with every water change, seriously is not a good idea ... not only that, the times you could use salt for illness or whatever, you can not now because your tank water already has salt ... a quality dechlorinator with slime coat is all you need ... in my opinion you have already added too much salt ...

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