Can my freshwater aquarium handle some salt?

[JTFbrother]

Hey there guys I have a 29gallon FW tank with 2 mollies 3 platies 6guppies 2 kuhli loaches 1 red cherry shrimp and 2 endlers (so happy to get them ). I spotted some ich on one of the platties and a Molly about a week ago and raised the temp to 87 to try to take care of it but I still see a few spots. So I got enough salt from my LFS to put 1 tbs per 5 gallons. I just wanted to know if all of my animals can handle this amount of salinity in the tank. Oh I also have a bunch of malaysian trumpet snails and one small assassin snail. Please let me know asAp and also if you guys have any other tricks for ich please let me know. Thanks
-john

[mizzoutank]

someone may correct me on this. but scaleLESS fish can't handle salt being added-it burns them?

So not knowing all your fish-I can't really help on the salt question.

But my treatment worked well: (keep in mind I didnt have any scaleless fish)
1tbs/5gal + 1/3 recommended dose of kordons ich treatment and set the temp to be 86

I also did daily/every other day water changes of around 30-50% and dug my python deep into the gravel (as that is where the parasite will live)

[JTFbrother]

I do have the 2 Kuhli loaches which are (if I'm not mistaken) scaless. But I have had them in the tank with salt before. Also I have done the temp raise like I said before but I think it just might take longer than I expected. Also I read in an article that you're not supposed to treat the tank with a lower dose than recommended because it would just kill a weaker strain of ich leaving the stronger strain in your tank. I dont know if this is true or not but thanks for the info!

[Zander]

I have not heard anything about how scales effect the ability of fish to handle salt. I don't see how that would make much sense.

The directions on aquarium salt suggest adding 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons, I would suggest more like a third of that. They want you to use more than necessary so you have to buy the product more frequently than necessary. There is a trace amount of salt in any freshwater creek/lake/whatever, all this does is replicate that.

[JTFbrother]

Thanks Zander. I understand what you mean. I did talk to the owner of my LFS and he suggested 6tbs for my 29gallon to help get rid of the ich. Do you know if this amount will harm my shrimp or java moss?

[Zander]

I don't see it killing anything, but I'm of the opinion that it's significantly more than necessary. Others may have their own opinion though.

[Cliff]

Below is some information about adding salt to FW aquariums. As already stated, most scaleless fish can not handle too much salt at all

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aqua...ad.php?t=31554

[Ramsarecool]

Its better then Ick meds though. Those you REALLY want to stay away from. Maybe put the Loachs in their own tank until you get the ick taken care of.

[mizzoutank]

The dosing regiment for ICK is followed by many members here...Not because of the "false sales" that the company recommends to buy more product, because that is the amount that is normally needed to kill the free swimming ICK.

There are trace amounts of salt in natural freshwater environments...but remember you are adding salt to kill an infection-not replicate the trace amounts...that is another debate for another time.

Meds are used as a personal belief. Some say they do more harm than good, some swear by them, and some won't touch them
I fall in the middle and only dosed 1/3 of the recommended amount.

[JTFbrother]

Thanks for all the info guys