LFS Says Requires Salt?

[FordForever]

I get my fish from petsmart they have about 70 freshwater tanks but they claim all of their tanks have salt added because the fish are healthier. I know there have been discussions on this but my question is...I keep very strict control on the water quality in my tank will these 'requires salt' fish live in a no salt tank?

All the pretty fish there say 'reqires salt' and I want pretty fish!

[Rue]

Yes, Petsmart salts all their tanks. But they have one or two huge systems, not individual tanks. Salt promotes healing, kills parasites and argueably - helps with osmotic pressure issues. Freshwater fish will adapt to 'no salt'.

Having said that, one exception are mollies. They do best with added salt.

[cocoa_pleco]

they can live in a no-salt tank, almost no fish needs aquarium salt, mollies CAN live in a tank with sea salt, but its not a must

[Algenco]

they use salt to compensate somewhat for less than ideal water conditions. Salt helps to reduce the effects of nitrite poisoning

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

The other reason they add the salt is because their supplier raises their fish in salted water.

[cabrego]

I get my fish from petsmart they have about 70 freshwater tanks but they claim all of their tanks have salt added because the fish are healthier. I know there have been discussions on this but my question is...I keep very strict control on the water quality in my tank will these 'requires salt' fish live in a no salt tank?

All the pretty fish there say 'reqires salt' and I want pretty fish!


The fish you are talking about are most likely African Cichlids. Most of the labels will say require salt. While they will not die without it, adding salt will simulate their natural habitat which probably makes them happier all around.

[Angila]

i put aquarium salt by API in my tanks it cured my ich and my fish seem happier all together my tanks look better too! the salt states it's for fresh water fish. BUT if u have snails u will more than likely kill them putting it straight in the tank i always pull my filters out and let it dissolve in there. Whoops rambling again i hope this helps

[Fishguy2727]

Petmart does salt all their tanks. For them it is actually a good idea since it is safe to assume that all their fish are stressed from shipping, conditions in the store, etc. Under those conditions adding some salt to reduce known current stressful conditions is fine. However, no true freshwater fish needs salt all the time unless your tap is extremely soft and you have certain species that prefer harder water. In that case certain types of salt are needed to properly raise the hardness. In such cases other additives such as trace element supplements are also a good idea to look into.

African rift lake cichlids are from waters that do not have normal freshwater chemistry. Because of this it is a good idea to use cichlid lake salts and the proper buffers with those species.

Mollies are actually brackish and should therefore have some marine salt in their water. More domesticated varieties need less salt, but still tend to do better with some. Although it is not NEEDED, our goal should be THRIVE, not just LIVE.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

The mollies sold in stores today are not brackish. They are in fact completely adapted to full freshwater. Wild mollies are not true brackish either, they are simply adaptable. Because of their wide range of collection sights they have been dubbed as brackish. However they are collected in everything from rainwater ditches all the way to 10 miles out in the ocean. Being caught in the ocean no more makes them marine fish then collecting them in brackish water makes them brackish. Mollies simply like very clean (almost Discus quality) water conditions. Salt in a FW tank simply allows you to get away with lower water quality conditions then you should have.

[FordForever]

Thank you for all the replies. All of the really nice colorful freshwater fish in petsmart are tagged as requires salt. I keep my water very healthy for my fish at all times.

I think I may introduce small amounts of salt into my next few water changes and slowly build up to the reccomended amount. I already have the API freshwater salt so this may be better.

Should I go by the directions or do you guys have a better system for introducing the salt?

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

What kind of fish do you have in the tank? You don't really need it. If your fish are african cichlids then you should look for Cichlid Lake Salt, that will actually contain what you need. API Aquarium salt is a good disease cure but that is about all it is usefull for.

[FordForever]

I have two zebra danios, two neon tetras, a itty bitty catfish and an orange feathery tailed fish. All the fish I have right now were not labeled as requires salt at petsmart. I just think that all of the 'requires salt' fish are prettier and I want a few of them.

I would rather not buy one as a test because that is cruel if he really did need that salt to survive, ya know?

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

I used to work at Petsmart, and I know the one in my area only had 2 species that absolutely needed salt in their water, and none of them were the "prettier" fish. All those fish you are reffering to are likely the African Cichlids, and they do not require salt in their water. Not to be to harsh on PetSmart, but don't trust the tags on those tanks, 90% of them have at least 1 error and many of them have more than that.

[MandyL]

Don't buy one to test it... Just write down the name of the fish you like and then ask us what they need. You need to research if they will even go with the fish you have or the tank you have. Don't trust Petsmart to give you the info you need. I would not add salt with the ones you have.

[Algenco]

Don't buy one to test it... Just write down the name of the fish you like and then ask us what they need. You need to research if they will even go with the fish you have or the tank you have. Don't trust Petsmart to give you the info you need. I would not add salt with the ones you have.

Exactly what I was going to saythumbs2:

[FordForever]

Ok, I am going to do that. I will keep my tank salt free and this weekend I will pick out a my favorite fish at petsmart and ask ya'll what you think. My tank is only 10 gallons and this catfish can get 2 inches so I may be nearing capacity. I want two more ok sized fish though and I will be happy. Thank you for the help!

[MandyL]

Glad to help! Try to find out what the name of your catfish is as well. Honestly you would do way better to get another danio and neon, they really need to be in schools to be happy. 2 more each would be good but you'd be getting overstocked real fast.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

If you only have a 10gal tank then before you consider buying any of the African Cichlids, you need a larger tank.

[FordForever]

Yes, I do not want to overstock, maybe I will get more of the schooling fish because my danios are bullying my tetras. My catfish is an emerald green cory catfish. I do not know what kind of fish this orange one is. I beleieve it is some kind of long tailed over sized tetra. He hides in the plants ALL the time I never see him.

I will upgrade to a larger tank when I find one but I would like to keep this tank I love my fish. I REALLY like the gourami's they are really cool.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

How big is the orange fish with the flowing tail? that description sounds like a fancy goldfish.

[FordForever]

No, its not a goldfish it is a skinny tall fish like an angelfish kind of but with a betta tail. But he is orange. It is about three times the 'body weight' of on of my danios.

[MandyL]

My first thought was a fancy guppy... Is he similar to this but orange?: [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

Here's your cory, right? [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
Unfortunately they need a school as well...

What I would do is add 2 more green cories, 1 more zebra danio, and 1 more neon tetra. You will be overstocked but just keep up with your water changes and it should be ok.

[FordForever]

Yes that is him! The cory catfish is the coolest guy ever he swims all over the tank! I love him so much. My orange fish is like a minature angelfish that is orange with a black spot above his gills.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

I actually wouldn't add the extra 2 cories right now. I have Brochis splendens and a group of 3 will not do well in a 10gal tank. These are the big guys in the family and really need more room than a 10gal will provide.

[FordForever]

The LFS frustrates me, they told me the cory did not need a school. If I knew that I would not have bought him, I can not fit a school of corries.

[cocoa_pleco]

Don't trust Petsmart to give you the info you need. I would not add salt with the ones you have.

exactly, dont trust them. when i was a beginner they told me a auratus could get along with a krib

[Fishguy2727]

Based on personal experience and the experience of numerous other people I have talked to, mollies do better in brackish. As stated, the highly domesticated breeds do not NEED it, and when it is used should not be as concentrated. But even they tend to do better with salt. They will live very well and even breed like crazy in high quality pure freshwater, but they still tend to do even better with a little marine salt.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

They "seem to do better" simply because the necessary work of properly keeping them is often not done. I agree that they will do better with the salt then they will under the care that most people give them simply because most people will not keep them right. If you have to use salt to keep your captive bred mollies healthy, then you are not doing the proper maintanace on their tank.

If you have access to the Tropical Fish Hobbyist issues from last year, read the Livebearers Unlimited section in the July-September issues. In it Ted Coletti, director of the American Livebearer Association, talks extensivly about Mollies and their proper care. Part 2 is subtitled "Proper Care and the Salt Myth." Very useful info in that series.

[Fishguy2727]

I never said salt was needed to keep them healthy. If you look back I actually said they can breed like crazy without it but that even in very well maintained tanks they do tend to do a little better with a little marine salt. The nice thing about a forum is that many people get to express what their experience and research has taught them so they can share it with others, even if they don't all match up well.

[FordForever]

Everyone has such different opinions about the salt. I really do keep a good eye on my water but I want my fish to be happy. They swim everywhere and they seem happy to me...

[Angila]

It's really just up to u i personally have little deaths in my tanks but by far i am no expert i don't see how you could go wrong either way if u fallow the directions on the box u should be fine. My fish didn't die before or after i added the salt take a look at my profile u will c the varitey of fish i have....and all 4 of my tanks have had no salt and salt in them. I really hope this helps sorry everyone seems to have diffrent oppinions about the salt. Defently though get a name of the new fish

[Fishguy2727]

Don't use salt in freshwater tanks except for treating an illness or with African rift lake cichlids.

Using salt all the time can do more harm long term than any short term improvement may hint at. The usual recommended dosing is actually much higher than any freshwater body. Lake Malawi is one of the saltiest of the rift lakes and the dose for it when using cichlid lake salt is one tablespoon per 40 gallons. Most salt doses recommended for freshwater tanks is about one tablespoon per 5 gallons. You are putting eight times as much as one of the saltiest bodies of freshwater in the world has naturally.