Adding Sea Salt to fresh water fish

**Drumachine09** · 04-27-2008, 07:05 PM

What fish are you keeping?

**xbox360blue** · 04-27-2008, 07:25 PM

None right now. Just wanted to turn my 10 gallon into a brackish tank. How much sea salt do I put in? I don't have any fish in it now.

**RainMan** · 04-27-2008, 07:59 PM

Brackish water is the mixture of ocean into freshwater... usually in an estuary of a stream. So you use marine salt.

I've never kept brackish water fish at full brackish levels before. But, iirc, you increase salt until you are up to a specific gravity of 1.005 - 1.010? That's probably closer to 5tbs. of marine salt to each gallon. I might be off on the specific gravity and salt concentrations without looking it up. But, I think it depends on what kind of fish you want and what type of environment you are trying to produce. You would be wise to ask the lfs what they keep there brackish water fish at... and maintain that level.

But, basically you are trying to achieve a mixture of ocean and freshwater... the more salt, the more you are reproducing the conditions of the ocean. Which i think has a specific gravity of 1.020 or 1.025 (again from memory).

**ILuvMyGoldBarb** · 04-27-2008, 08:00 PM

What are you wanting to keep in a 10gal tank that requires brackish water?

**RainMan** · 04-27-2008, 08:13 PM

LOL... good point ILMGB.

**xbox360blue** · 04-27-2008, 10:00 PM

Who are the Ifs? I'm starting to get a little scared. I have limited income just got a new job. And it's expensive enough to buy a $169.99 55 gallon fish tank kit from Wal-Mart. To spend $30 and up on salt water fish to make a mistake in the nitrates, salt, all that. May be when my kids are graduated and out of the house LOL. More money. But what are nitrates? Is there nitrates in freshwater tanks too? Do I need to measure the amount of nitrates in freshwater tanks as well? All I've done is add water conditioner. Now I see thiers an bacteria additive to add to freshwater and salt water. I think I'll stick to what I have the most experience and that's fresh water community fish tanks.

**RainMan** · 04-28-2008, 01:25 AM

lfs = local fish store. This can be an expensive hobby. It costs a lot more of you don't plan and have to start over. So... You should read our Free Aquarium Ebook. It's in the left navigation bar. Start with that... you need to get down the basics first and that is full of info.

Nitrates are the ending process of the biological filtration (nitrogen cycle). You will learn about that as you read the ebook. and yes... ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, ph, are some of the most important levels you need to keep track of in any fw and marine tank.

Take your time and read up before you make your decission. No need to rush into any decisions yet. There is a ton of information to absorb. You'll figure it out... and what you don't, that's what we're here for. :)

**domjd05** · 10-01-2008, 11:37 AM

Adding salt to a freshwater tank might enhance the slime coat on your fish, but your stressing your fish out to get the slime coat... so your making a fish sick, to ultimately make it better... or you can just leave it alone.

**cocoa_pleco** · 10-01-2008, 02:26 PM

threads from april

**Demjor19** · 10-01-2008, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by domjd05

Adding salt to a freshwater tank might enhance the slime coat on your fish, but your stressing your fish out to get the slime coat... so your making a fish sick, to ultimately make it better... or you can just leave it alone.

i know this is an old thread, but i disagree with what is being said. First off it depends on the species of fish you are adding the salt too. Secondly i have been using salt for years for various reasons and have had nothing but great results. There are way too many variables to just say salt is non-beneficial.