Salt in a freshwater tank? and a bonus mollie question...?

Question

I have a freshwater tank with neons, danios, one gourami, one male mollie and a dwarf frog. Can I add salt to the water?
Also can I add another mollie? Do they get along well together? Should I try and get a male or female?

Answer 1

many people are adivising aquarium salt in a freshwater tank. it reduces the amounts of parasites and bacteria in your tank. the amount seems to vary between 1 tablespoon for every 5 gallons and 1 tablespoon for every 10 gallons. greater amounts are often used to cure parasites and bacteria problems.

another molly wouldn't be that much of a problem. it would increase your amount of poop so you would have to clean a little more often. one male molly and one female molly can make 40 mollies in a very short time. you might want to just get another male and not deal with it.

Answer 2

Adding some salt to a freshwater tank is common practice and has been advocated by most fish keepers and experts for many years. It is certainly very good for your fishes health for many reasons. You should add about 1 tablespoon of plain salt (be sure it's noniodized!!) per 10 gallons of water. When you change water, be sure to add back only enough for the water you changed. If you took out 5 gallons only add 1/2 tablespoon, enough for 5 gallons. It's not an exact science, so a little extra won't hurt, but if you get too much every time it will build up in the tank.

Any aquarium book written in the last 50 years will tell you to add the salt and any worthwhile website will as well. Those that say don't do it are quite simply uninformed.

Adding another molly would be fine if you have a large enough tank and depening on just how many neons etc you already have.

Answer 3

You can use aquarium salt, not normal salt but it is only used really in a tropical tank if your fish are ailing and has to be used really carefully, With the fish you have I would not recommend using salt, It is used in the treatment of fish TB and swim bladder etc... Your fish all seem to be quite good community fish, Is your frog an African Clawed Frog or a dwarf frog, If is is an Albino dwarf frog then it is a clawed frog and they grow quite big and eat your fish, If it is a dwarf frog then it is fine, You can add another Mollie providing your tank is not going to over stocked, If you are quite new to this then I would suggest keeping what you have for now, Just a tip as well Neon's do not always have a long life span, they are prone to internal bacterias, but are beautiful fish, another thing with these fish (neon) because they are so small they may be dinner for the bigger fish, Hope this helps,

Answer 4

In the proper amount, aquarium salt (can be purchased at any fish store or in the aquarium section at wal-mart) is healthy for an aquarium. In fact, amny fish prefer to have some salt in the water. The key is to only add a small amount. the box tells you the proper ratio. It does help reduce the likelihood of outbreaks of ich or other parasites.

For what it's worth, ALL naturally occuring bodies of water have some salt in them. It is a naturally occuring mineral. Even freshwater has some salt in it, but not much, which is why we call it fresh. Most of this salt has been removed from tap and bottled water, which is why it's a good idea to add some salt to your tank. Make sure that you use salt that is approved for freshwater aquarium use...not reef salt or table salt.

Answer 5

I need to know what size the tank is.
If it's 10 gallons, then, no. Your tank is full.
Any bigger, and you need to get another Molly and another Gourami. Neither of those fishies like living alone.
Get a female Molly. Less chance of fighting.
Salt is a good idea. Follow the directions on the aquarium salt package.

Answer 6

Mollies don't need salt in their water, although they can tolerate a lot of salt. Salt will be bad for the angelfish, tetras, and catfish (probably, depending on the species of catfish), so I wouldn't use it. "Freshwater aquarium salt" is pretty much a con. It's just plain rock salt with a different label and a much higher price tag. Freshwater fish do not need salt in their water. That's why we call them "freshwater fish."

Answer 7

Hi there. The mollies can acclimate to salt water but the others cannot and will die. Mollies get along great together. You can have 2 opposite sex mollies for fry or the same sex. The choice is yours. If you decide to have babies be sure to separate them out to keep from getting eaten. Have fun and a great year.

Answer 8

You can add another mollie but i heard that the black ones can be more aggresive. It doesnt matter if its a male or female if u get the oppiste sex there might always b a chance of babie so be ready. Im not sure about the salt thou i have special fish salt that i can put in my bettas tank to prevent ick and fungi ect. u might want to call petsmart or petco and ask.

Answer 9

It's recommended to add aquarium salt, but that isn't the same as salt water salt. It helps de-stress the fish and keep them from getting sick. Whether you can add another fish depends on the size of your tank.

Answer 10

Its best to not put salt in a freshwater tank (although some people will say its OK it can be very dodgy if you donr know what you are doing).
The additional molly...depends how big the tank is!