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like when there in the ocean?

2007-01-21 03:14:51 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets Fish

4 answers

Many freshwater fish can tolerate about one tablespoon per 5 gallons (20 liters) and sometimes a little more. But as you increase the salt this changes the osmotic pressure and many Freshwater fish will dehydrate form this.

Freshwater fish absorb most of the water they need through their skin via osmosis (is the net movement of water through a selective permeable membrane from a region of low solute potential to a region of high solute potential), not through their gills. The gills are for respiration.
Saltwater fish actually drink the water the live in, as the salt in the water is constantly pulling H2O from their bodies in a reverse respiration, this is why some fish such as catfish are sensitive to salt in the water, but this is also why some fresh water fish are helped by SOME salt to generate a mucous slime coat on their skin which is necessary for disease prevention. Proper electrolytes, magnesium and other elements are important for slime coat generation.

I have an article about this in my Aquariums Answers site:
http://aquarium-answers.blogspot.com/

2007-01-21 04:04:28 · answer #1 · answered by Carl Strohmeyer 5 · 0 1

Fish in the ocean are accustom to a high salinity at times. However with the massive volume of water in the ocean, it is basically a self correcting body of water so fish do not get too much "salt" in them.

Some fish prefer a less salty water and will stay in those areas known to have a low salt or even a Brackish water. If for a reason the area they are in becomes too salty, they just migrate.

Fresh water fish placed into salt water, other than Mollies and guppies (Yes they can also live in salt water. I breed them in salt water as feeders for my fish) have no problem converting to the salt. A minnow or other fish will swim irratically. They do this because the salt water is "lighter" than fresh water. Their swim blatters cannot adjust to the lighter density of the water and fight to swim. They will live for anywhere 15 minutes to 2 or 3 hours depending on the fish.

Hope this helps.

2007-01-22 12:37:39 · answer #2 · answered by danielle Z 7 · 0 0

if your fish are fresh water fish and they are put into a saline environment (like sea water) they will explode...literally...salt makes them retain too much liquid, to the point that their skin bursts... don't try it!!

2007-01-21 11:20:13 · answer #3 · answered by Euge G 1 · 0 2

They marinate themselves and turn into "gefilte fish" a sort of jellied eel type of fish without the jelly!

2007-01-21 11:21:32 · answer #4 · answered by markos m 6 · 0 3

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