2007-01-10 10:22:22 · 8 answers · asked by 76ers 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
In the wild, they live in a mildly salty enviornment, but if they are tank raised, chances are, they have been raised in freshwater.
Only have salt in their tank if they were raised with it
2007-01-10 10:46:13 · answer #1 · answered by Skittles 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes and no. Guppies and other live bearers love a salinity of .10 to .20. However, they are hardy and it is not a requirement. It is necessary for them to thrive...there is a difference between thriving and surviving. Salt add essential enzymes, softens the water making it easier for fish to "breath", and reduces stress and illness. It also is a great natural defense against ich and external parasites because it will thicken the slime coat on the fish, preventing disease and parasites from getting under the scales. It really is a necessity for healthy fish.
Aquarium salt will cost you less than $2.00 and is easy to use. Dissolve one tablespoon per 5 gallons and add it to your tank. Once the salt is there, it's there, evenly distributed through the tank. That means that you only salt the new water you use for a water change. If you remove 5 gallons of water and add 5 new gallons, you would add one tablespoon of salt, etc...
When water evaporates and you add new water, you do not need to salt the tank because you never took any salt out. The salt became more concentrated in the water because there was less water. Just like if you leave a cup of salt water out and let all the water evaporate, it will leave all the salt.
I sell fish for a living, and I keep my tanks salted. I recommend salt for the health of my pets, and I use salt with my fish. If the fish came from a fish farm, they used salt. If it came from petco or petsmart, they used salt. The level of salt you would be adding to your tank is not harmful, but if you would feel better, you can gradually increase the salinity. Buy a salinity test kit or have it tested at the petstore to monitor it. People who are not educated in fish care at petstores won't even know what you're talking about when you ask them about salt. Become educated yourself and then ask the people at the petstore what you should do. If they have no clue what you're talking about and say something like "guppies are freshwater, not saltwater" then go somewhere else.
2007-01-10 10:52:56 · answer #2 · answered by lemonnpuff 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No, guppies do not require salt to live. Guppies are a freshwater fish and will do fine with no salt at all in their tanks.
2007-01-10 11:07:41 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
No guppies don't really need much at all to survive.
2007-01-10 15:52:11 · answer #4 · answered by MJ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, guppies thrive in dechlorinated fresh water and their young are born live. They would be born tail first. It is a cool sight to behold. I guess all births are that way. Have a great day.
2007-01-10 10:41:24 · answer #5 · answered by firestarter 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
No, but in the natural environment, they are found in estuaries which contain brackish water. This is not necessary, and most pet stores get them from freshwater breeders.
2007-01-10 13:24:18 · answer #6 · answered by Amanda 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes 1 tbsp, / 5 gallon of water
2007-01-10 10:54:21 · answer #7 · answered by rhino_man420 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No you only need de chlorinatred freshwater.
2007-01-10 10:51:11 · answer #8 · answered by Paul H 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋