betta +salt

would a betta do well with 2 table spoons of sea salt in a ten gallon aquarium?

 

That sounds a bit salty to me. Why are you adding salt?

 

You really don't need to add the salt unless your treating an illness and that sounds like a little much to me also.
Carol

 

I'm trying to figure out how to keep everything in my aquarium happy. fiddler crabs need salt..and I don't have anywhere else I can keep him

 

The salt on a regular basis is not goting to make your betta very happy. The needs of your fiddler crab and betta are not compatable.
Carol

 

hmm is there any way a fiddler crab can deal without salty water? I don't have anywhere to keep him other than the tank

 

Actually, I'm not sure on this, but I think Bettas are fairly tolerant of salt. Let's wait to see if chickadee knows. Is there any way you could add a little less than that? Are there any other fish in the tank?

 

Let's wait for Chickadee, but I also think bettas could handle some salt, but I wouldn't think that 2 tablespoons would be without problems.

 

I just read in your sig that there's a RTS in there...the Betta may tolerate some salt but he will not. Although you will eventually have to get rid of/move him, the 10 gallon is too small and sooner or later he will start to bug the Betta.

 

I would not use salt in a Betta tank and especially not at those levels. I know there is a wide belief that salt helps all but Bettas do not do well with salt in their water. Believe me I fell into the trap and tried with my first Betta and he did not do well.

Rose

 

Rose, just one question, wasn't your fiirst Betta in a bowl?

 

Rose, just one question, wasn't your fiirst Betta in a bowl? 

Only the first 5 days I had him. Then I got the Eclipse Hex 5 that Noel is in now. Unfortunately, I did not know about the forum at the time and did not do a fishless cycle. But yes he was in a bowl for 5 days.

The salt incident came much later.

Rose

 

Sorry to be picky, but is it possible the salt hurt him because he was weakened from first being in a bowl and then going through a cycle? Or could it have been that you just added too much?
I don't want to doubt you, but I know that the lady onbetta talk uses salt in all her bowls, and I've never heard of it hurting a Betta. We'll just say I'm one of those science geeks who takes more than one piece of evidence to believe something... :

 

He was removed from the Bowl and the cycle process was in July. I used the salt on him in November and he had several good months in between. He may have been weakened by the cycle process but I really do not believe that is what caused the problem. He had a bad case of ich and I had been told to add salt to the water by the LFS and he reacted very badly. I have done a lot of Betta growing up since then.

Please DO question and ask and challenge everything you don't understand. It is what I expect. If I don't make myself clear or am wrong (which I like anyone else can be - please know that NO ONE is infallible) then I expect nothing less. The fish deserve nothing less.

Rose

 

I haven't updated my sig, I took out the shark a while ago. my dad brought home some a really gross 10gal. I have put the crab in a temp home till I can clean the tank. should take at least a week I figure since that's about how long it took to clean my current 10gal which was almost as gross. for now mr. crabs is in a ten gal (that I intend to sell anyway) with some stuff to climb on and alitte salt....btw what are some good sources of information about fiddler crabs?

 

oh ok that's good you've taken out the RTS.

Sorry Rose, but I'm still not totally convinced about the salt thing. You said the case of ich was really bad, so he could have just died of the disease, you just happened to add the salt at the point when he was going downhill. It's possible it was the salt though. Sorry to keep arguing about it.

 

Well to clarify just a little, this was not when he died. He went into fits and wouldn't quit chasing and hurling himself around until I took him out of the salt water and changed him back to his regular water. I had to end up just using the regular ich medication. It just must have hurt him or something. I was told at that time to use 1 tablespoon for 5 gallons which is what we are talking about here. I am not sure a lesser dose is something I would want to try on one of my little ones, but that is my experience. If someone else has had other luck then I would like to hear from them.

Rose

 

Oh ok...well anyway no sense for me to continue arguing... :

 

0morrokh off topic but.... I just noticed the writing under your name!!!!! There is no cure for MTS hahahaha (just thought it was cute )
ok going on about my business...

 

hahahahahaha
we are quite a group of people on this forum! ;D ;D

 

Yes you are exactly correct!!! that's why it's so much fun
Carol

 

yup. What do people do who don't have fish?

 

Have very DULL lives LOL

Butterfly, I love the little man traveling, but you don't have to hurry off ;D

Rose

 

Have very DULL lives LOL

How terrible that must be, leading a life like that with out a single fishy friend. :'(

 

I know I haven't been here that long but I truly love the people on this forum. So sincere and honest... the most important attributes I can think of.

 

I was told at that time to use 1 tablespoon for 5 gallons which is what we are talking about here. I am not sure a lesser dose is something I would want to try on one of my little ones, but that is my experience. If someone else has had other luck then I would like to hear from them.

Not to get us back on topic (hehe ;D) but I've heard 1 teaspoon for every 2.5 gallons so the extra teaspoon that you used, Rose, might have been what was irritating your betta? I don't know its just I have been reading a lot of sites of breeders and they all seem to think that, at least in the case of fungal infection and ick, that you can prevent almost without exception these diseases by adding salt. And my adding 1 teaspoon every 5 gallons you can prevent external parasites.

This is just some other information I thought people might want to know about that I have come across.

 

Yeah good point a Tbsp per 5 gallons is a lot. I think I've always heard a tsp per 5 gallons for ich. I think even a tsp per 2.5 gallons is a lot; after all, these fish are used to water with absolutely nothing in it besides dechlor.