aquarium salt and bettas

[John D. Goulden]

I'm reading conflicting information here - some say no aquarium salt for
bettas, other say they are OK with it. What is your position on this?

--
John Goulden

[IDzine01]

Bettas don't handle salt well and there is rarely a reason to use it.
It can irritate their slime coat and may affect their natural osmosis.
You may hear some people recommend it to treat parasites, but the
amount of salt needed to fend off parasites is way too high for a
betta. Additionally, it's been recommended for constipation but that
doesn't make sense to me. Salts, like Epsom, draw fluids out of the
body but aren't going to help when the fish is blocked up with solids.
They may be useful however, when dealing with Dropsy in that they could
help reduce bloating and make your betta more comfortable.

They are completely unnecessary as a preventative measure. Since
they're freshwater fish it's unlikely our adding salt is better then
what nature intended.

Aquarium salt may be useful in instances where nitrites have
unexpectedly risen in the tank but I still wouldn't use them. In a case
of nitrites, it's probably better to offer clean water or a nitrite
neutralizer rather then salt additives that are unnatural to your
betta's environment.=20

That's my 2=A2

[IDzine01]

Just to add...

I've been trying to get a good answer to the salt question for awhile
now. I'm beginning to believe that salt was used in freshwater tanks
because someone believed it helped without supportive evidence. It was
used so long that people stopped asking WHY ARE WE USING IT?

If someone could explain to me HOW salt is better then no salt, I would
consider changing my stance but in the mean-time, just because some old
guy has been using it in his tank for 30 years is not reason enough for
me. I need scientific back up.

A lot has changed over the years with aquaria and ESPECIALLY with betta
care. There have been many new standards falling into place regarding
these fish.

ok, now i'm done. ;)

[John D. Goulden]

OK, here's how I'm thinking about redistributing my fish...comments and
suggestions welcome. Currently no one has salt or a heater, the guppies /
swordtails and catfish share a tank, and the goldies are still in their
slimy 30 (I plan to work on that one tonight - just picked up a hood,
undergravel filter, and power head for it during my lunch break).

My male / female betta couple, in a divided 10 gallon - no salt, heated to
78F.
(always flirting with each other near the divider but have so far declined
to make baby bettas - may be a bit too cool for them without a heater)

Several swordtails and guppies - 20 gallon, salt, heated to 78F.
(have read just about everywhere that a heated tank with a pinch of salt is
best for live breeders)

Oklahoma flathead catfish - 10 gallon, no salt, no heater.
(started out as itty bitty things but are now getting to big for their
swordtail / guppy tankmates - I think the few fry still in there spend their
nights in utter terror when the cats come out to hunt)

Five big fat goldfish - 30 gallon, salt, no heater.
(survivors from a birthday party in which a bunch of goldfish were dumped
into an inflatable wading pool and were captured by four-year-old children
to be taken home. The survivors of that party have been living in a slimy
30-gallon aquarium that just sat outside - no pump, no aerator, not much
gravel, fed whenever someone thought of it - for eighteen months. I
inherited the goldfish with the aquarium and feel obligated to give them a
better (MUCH better) home until they expire naturally and free up that
aquarium for something else. What are good tank-mates for large goldfish?)

Yes, the birthday party was for my child, at my parents house.
No, we didn't know anything about fish or aquaria then - got our first a few
months ago.
I didn't even know there were survivors until recently when I spotted them
in the aquarium in the back yard.
Yes, we promise to never, never, NEVER do anything like that again.

--
John Goulden