If you want to use aquarium salt to help a sick fish, use a salt bath instead. You mix the aquarium salt and tank water in a smaller container, and then leave the fish in there for a short period of time. The salt in the bath needs to be more concentrated then what you’d add to a tank as a “tonic”.

The only freshwater fish I salt are usually coming out of the oven or off the grill.

I advocate the use of salt in freshwater aquariums for several reasons.

1. Osmotic pressure. It provides a chemical very important to osmotic regulation that is otherwise difficult for the fish to obtain.

2. It is used in almost every commercial breeding facility in the US, certainly all of the large breeders and my educated guess would be over 95% of all commercial breeders add salt. So what are the odds your fish are used to salt in the water? Further, salt at levels around 0.1 - 0.5% solution are found in the majority of waters where these fishes evolved and are collected ( the one’s that are collected instead of commercially raised) so you can say you are adding what is found in there “native” environment, even if that’s a breeders ponds.

3. Disease control. Even at levels as low as 0.25% solution salt will kill or inhibit several parasites and fungi. In addition salt will promote the growth of a significant slime coat on the fish adding further protection from parasites, protozoans and fungii.

4. Salt will in no way damage or inhibit your bacteria cycle at these levels. Period. It will not harm any of your equipment at these low levels however at high concentrations can cause minor etching in acrylic, but that’s at levels above what you would typical see even for disease treatment.

The only Con to salt use that I know of is with plants. Some few are rather sensitive to salt and can’t take even this low level, but those are fairly few. Most plants have no problem with a 0.25% salt content and most will tolorate a 1% solution with no ill effects.

Many, many benefits scientifically proven and only one proven con, sounds like a winner to me.

MM

The easiest fish to breed in Freshwater are the group known as “Livebearers”, they include guppies, mollies, and platys.

I would be very resistant to use things from outside inside your tank. You have to assume there is harmful bacteria or parasites on it, and it could lead to disaster.

The only thing that really keeps your aquarium clean is YOU. There are “Algae eaters” that supposedly work to eat the algae in your tank, but they won’t remove nitrate. (You need to with periodic water changes.)

I would start off slow with adding fish. Slower is better.

Yes salt can help with certain health issues, but healthy fish don’t have health issues. Yes salt will stimulate the growth of the slime coating, but healthy fish can produce this on their own without a problem.

My motto is Keep it Simple. One less thing added to your water is one less thing to manage and one less thing to possibly contribute to problems. All fish really need, as many people can attest, is dechlorinated water and proper care.