Adding Salt

[woodendude]

What are the advantages, portions and frequency of adding salt to a FW african cichlid tank?

[woodendude]

anybody?

[limmer]

Sometimes when they are starting to look beatup or a little rough I add pickling salt.
1 tsp 20 gal or 1 teasp 5 gal.
This seems to help bring them back.

[mcman]

i put a teaspoon in every 5g all the time, more if they are sick.

[FishBuddy]

For every 5 gallons of water, I put the following ingredients into my African tank:

- 1 tbsp of natural sea salt.
- 1 tbsp of epsom salt.
- 1 tsp of baking soda.

I've been doing this for about 2 years now (water change every week) and this proportion work wonders for me...  I am not afraid to say that I hardly have any deaths (knock on wood!).  Over the past 2 years, I only have 2 fish dying on me in a 72g tank hosting 40+ fish.  Also, I've never encountered a 'hole-in-the-head' disease nor bloat (common in Africans).

[woodendude]

FishBuddy.... not bad with only 2 deads, but may I ask why the baking soda? 
Also I assume you are doing water changes with a bucket or are you estimating the amout of water taken out.

[FishBuddy]

FishBuddy.... not bad with only 2 deads, but may I ask why the baking soda? 
Also I assume you are doing water changes with a bucket or are you estimating the amout of water taken out.

The baking soda suppose to bring up/buffer the KH; African loves hard water.  The epsom salt is to up/buffer the GH (Pegasus have once told me it helps to improve gill function as well).  The sea salt is to protect the fish from diseases.  BTW, I've ditched the so called 'African Buffer' which you could purchase from the stores and replace with this receipe.   

Each week, I've done a 50 to 60% water change.  I took the old water out using 5 gal buckets and refill with ordinary tap water using a garden hose.  At the same time, I added 1/3 teaspoon of Cloramx to remove the chlorine/chloramine.  BTW, my fish loves massive water changes :-)  and they reward me by breeding like mad a day or 2 afterwards :-)   

[woodendude]

The baking soda suppose to bring up/buffer the KH; African loves hard water.  The epsom salt is to up/buffer the GH (Pegasus have once told me it helps to improve gill function as well).  The sea salt is to protect the fish from diseases.  BTW, I've ditched the so called 'African Buffer' which you could purchase from the stores and replace with this receipe.   

Each week, I've done a 50 to 60% water change.  I took the old water out using 5 gal buckets and refill with ordinary tap water using a garden hose.  At the same time, I added 1/3 teaspoon of Cloramx to remove the chlorine/chloramine.  BTW, my fish loves massive water changes :-)  and they reward me by breeding like mad a day or 2 afterwards :-)   

Did my weekly water change an hour or so ago, but I think I'll be trying out you recipe for awhile starting next week.
Thanks for the response and advice.

[FishBuddy]

Did my weekly water change an hour or so ago, but I think I'll be trying out you recipe for awhile starting next week.
Thanks for the response and advice.

Best of luck woodendude   I am sure it'll work wonders for your tank as well.  I just did a massive 70% water change in my 72g.  Once again, every single species in the tank is performing their usual breeding behaviours afterwards

BTW, one last advice, 'fast' them once a week...  It'll do them more good than harm...  Today is fasting day for my Africans...

[woodendude]

Not sure if it would be connected to the added salt but a couple of my peacocks have really colored up nicely, but on the flipside my java moss has browned slightly.

[hamstercaster]

Some plants seem to have hard time with salt I gather. 

[lucky777]

I do the same as fish buddy.  Here is some more info.

http://www.cichlidforum.com/articles/buffer_recipe.php

[rnish]

I do the same as well but I titrate the baking soda as it makes the ph go up and I like to keep my tank at 7-7.2 as I have some other fish in it besides africans.  I estimate as I use a python to fill.  Glad to know others are doing massive water changes weekly.   I thought i was strange as the books say 25% max and my fish are happier healthier with weekly large water changes.  When I got into this I never knew I'd be doing so much maintenace lol
Jade