Who knows how to use aquarium salt?

Question

I know this has been asked alot, but I hope someone can clarify this for me.
I'm going to try to add 2 tablespoon per 10 gallon. I know salt doesn't evaporate, so when I do partial water changes, how do I know the correct amount of salt to add for the salt loss? (Use a hydrometer? I'm going to mix the salt with de-chlorinated water before adding it into the tank, but how slowly am I supposed to add the salted water? (Drops, spoonfuls, cupfuls?) And finally, is adding salt to my tank a huge maintenance? School and work and the alike. Thanks!

Answer 1

A tablespoon per gallon might be too much salt for sensitive fish like tetras, or scaleless fish. And at a tablespoon per 5 gallons, the amount probably won't even register on a hydrometer.

You could use a 5 gallon bucket to mix the salt and water and use a lid to cover it (these are availble most anywhere that sells paint). Take out what you need each time to refill the tank, then cover the bucket again until the next time.

If you don't want that large of a volume, figure how much salt you'll need per gallon:

1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
you'll probably be doing 25% water changes (2.5 gallons)

so if you need 6 teaspoons per 10 gallons, you'd need 25% (1/4) of 6 or 1.5 teaspoons for each water change

Mix the salt in some of the replacement water before adding it to the tank - it can irritate a fish if it comes directly into contact with the salt.

Answer 2

I wouldn't add anything more than 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. Adding a tablespoon per gallon is too much for certain fish. What I do is get an empty bottle of water that you will keep for yout aquarium only. Fill it up with water from your aquarium, put the amount of tablespoons you need, put the cam on and shake it till it disolves. Then add it to your water. Of course you don't want to put too much salt in the bottle at a time as it wont disolve to easy. As for evaporation, here's what you do. When you do your water changes (shouldn't be more than 20%), if water has evaporated, still take out as much water as you would as if the water hasn't evaporated. Example, if you have a 50 gal tank, remove 10 gallons, and when you add 10 gallons of clean water you add 2 tablespoons since you use 1 per 5 gallons. Then just add how ever much water you need to top of your tank. I hope this made some sence to you.

Answer 3

Add only 1 Tablespoon per gallon (1 gallon) for freshwater fish. Salt water tanks are completely different, I have NO experience with those.

When you do water changes do them by the gallon. Measure the water that goes out, and add more salt (and declorinator) as it goes in.

I use a 5 gallon bucket for my 30 gallon tank. I figure I can only lift 4 gallons so I measure accordingly.

As long as it's room temp (instead of chemicals, I leave the water out for 2 days for the chlorine to evaporate out, so it's usually near the right temp) you can just pour what ever you've taken out slowly back in.

***NOTE***
It doesn't have to be perfect to the last drop. I've been off by like 1/2 gallon, and it was fine.

Answer 4

Wait, is this for a freshwater tank? Aquarium salt is most useful against diseases if the salt level in an aquarium experiences a noticeable change. You don't want to add salt unless there's something wrong with your fish, because you'll get them used to higher salinity, and then when something is wrong, good ol' salt won't work.