When To Avoid Salt?

Live Plants: If You Have Live Plants In Your Aquarium, Avoid Using Too Much Salt. Plants Can Be Damaged With A Relatively Low Dosage Of Salt, Which Is One Reason It’s Best To Treat Sick Fish In An Adjunct Hospital Tank Rather Than Your Regular Aquarium.

Scaleless Fish: Scaleless Fish Species Do Not Have The Added Barrier That Scales Provide, So They Cannot Tolerate Much Salt. The Corydoras Catfish Are Particularly Sensitive To Salt; As Are Tetras. Salt Use In Aquariums With These Species Should Be No More Than 1 Level Teaspoon Per Gallon Of Water (= 0.1% Salinity).

Type, Quantity, And Duration Of Salt

Non-Iodized Rock Salts Are Excellent Choices, As They Are Pure Sodium Chloride With Nothing Else Added. The Quantity Of Salt Added To The Water Will Depend On How And What It Is Used For.
A “Dip Treatment” Is A Short Exposure To Medication That Is Useful For The Eradication Of Parasites. The High Concentration Of Salt In The Water Will Cause The Parasites To Come Off The Skin Of The Fish. For Dips, Freshwater Fish Can Be Placed In An Aerated Container Of Salted Water With Up To Three Percent Salinity (10 Level Tablespoons, Or 5 Ounces, Per Gallon Of Water) For 5 Minutes, And Up To 30 Minutes, Or Until They Lay On The Bottom Or Roll On Their Side.
“Bath Treatments” Essentially Mean That You Are Treating The Entire Quarantine Tank; Baths Are Useful For The Treatment Of Stress, Nitrite Poisoning, And Some Parasites. Salt Concentrations For A Bath Are Lower, At One-Half Percent Or Less, (1 To 5 Teaspoonsful Per Gallon Of Water = 0.1 – 0.5% Salinity) And Are Maintained For Up To Three Weeks./p>

Performing A Dip

When Treating External Parasites, A Dip Is The Method Of Choice. Place Five To Ten Level Tablespoons Of Salt In A Clean Bucket, Then Slowly Add One Gallon Of Water From The Aquarium, While Swirling The Bucket To Dissolve The Salt. This Will Make A Solution Of 1.5 To 3.0% Salinity. Once The Salt Is Completely Dissolved, Place The Fish In This Bucket For Five To 30 Minutes. Observe The Fish Closely For The Entire Duration Of The Dip; If Any Signs Of Distress Are Observed, Immediately Return The Fish To The Original Aquarium. Use An Aquarium Air Pump With An Air Stone In The Water To Keep It Oxygenated During The Dip.

Note: “DO NOT USE TABLE SALT OR IODIZED TABLE SALT IN YOUR AQUARIUM”.