steveangela1

I have to ask about the rift cichlids and mineral salts, that is what we have in our 55g and I haven't added anything but water conditioner to their tank, they have limestone (from here in tn), and crushed coral, and sand for a substrate.... Do they need the mineral salts?


Next the LIvebearers, the only time that I have put salt in my tanks w/ guppies is when we had brought home an infected fish w/ ich from a lfs so I have to agree that they do not need it either, after that I cleaned the tank out good to remove the ich completly and they have not had salt since...

Dino

SA1, with the water we have here in east Tennessee, it really is not needed.
Folks down in Atlanta, that get their water from a city, tend to have to add the mineral salts to get things back to the way the cichlids like them.

Since most fishkeepers I talk to in person are from that group, I included the line about mineral salts.

Butterfly

If I'm not mistaken(correct me if I am) mineral salts are not salt(sodium chloride) as we know it but minerals that need to be supplemented for some fish.
The term "salt" is misconstrued in several instances. For instance Epsom Salts (used for treating dropsy) is not salt but Magnesium Sulfate. It only looks like salt. Just my
Carol

Dino

Thanks mom.

Butterfly

COBettaCouple

The only time I'd use aquarium salt with freshwater fish is as for a medicinal use, but only conditions that required a dehydrating and irritating treatment.