To answer the common question: Do we need to put salt into our tank after water change?
Salt is present in 97.5% of all water found on earth, and only 2.5% are freshwater. And of the 2.5% of freshwater only 0.3% are found on the surface on Earth that made up of lakes and rivers. Millions of years throughout evolution, there evolved fishes that are adapted to freshwater.
Natural freshwater tropical swamp or stream water in the jungle are so pure condition with Nitrate reading's at 0ppm. TDS reading can be as low as 14ppm. For your information Malaysia's tap water TDS reading is around 50-70ppm. Meanwhile African lakes TDS reading can go from 400 - 2500ppm with a PH9 reading. Brackish water TDS reading around 10,000ppm and finally Seawater TDS reads at around 35,000ppm.
TDS = Total Dissolved Solid, PPM = Parts Per Million
When we set up an aquarium, the best thing we can offer our fishes is to replicate as close as we possibly can of their natural habitat and that includes the most important factor, water. You need to study and understand how fish respond to their specific salinity. Some fish can switch between seawater and freshwater, and some can't handle any changes in salinity.
Fish that can tolerate high salinity fluctuation are known as Euryhaline fish. Fish that cannot tolerate salinity fluctuations are known as stenohaline fish.
Fish needs a specific amount of ion and water to survive and they do this by osmoregulation. Saltwater fish absorb water in this process and excrete salt. Freshwater fish has a different set of osmoregulation. They determine their osmoregulation with tonicity that consist of hypotonic and hypertonic.
Seawater is hypotonic which translate to water flows out of the fish constantly. Freshwater is hypertonic that means water flows into the fish constantly. Fish has evolved perfectly to deal with this sort of environment. Therefore you will not find clown fish in the swamp and you certainly will not find Marulioides in the sea.
Each species has adapted to their habitat and it is wise for us to follow this strict rules as well. To answer the overdue question, Do I add salt into my tank after water change?
If you're keeping clown fish yes add 3.5% of marine salt and make sure the parameter stands at 3.5% or 1.025sg.
If you're keeping Marulioides hell no, infact for most freshwater fishes you do not add salt into your tank unless the fish comes from Malawi or Tanganyika cichlid or most African fish eg Bichir, Tigerfish and so on.
It is important to understand the origin of your fish so you may keep them to their natural conditions. In respond you will get top quality fish performance by maintaining the correct water parameter. Some smart alec do snapped me back with that they've been adding salt with every water change and their fish is still swimming till today. Well little bit of salt will not kill your fish but do understand your fish will be under stress when you upset their osmoregulation. Fish in stress will not perform their best.
p.s
Salt is important to fight of diseases like fungus and mild bacteria infections, dosage is 0.3% one shot diluted water. This in laymans term will be 1000liter = 3kgs of salt. Never dump solid salt in the main tank, diluting salt will burn your fishes.
Salt is present in 97.5% of all water found on earth, and only 2.5% are freshwater. And of the 2.5% of freshwater only 0.3% are found on the surface on Earth that made up of lakes and rivers. Millions of years throughout evolution, there evolved fishes that are adapted to freshwater.
Natural freshwater tropical swamp or stream water in the jungle are so pure condition with Nitrate reading's at 0ppm. TDS reading can be as low as 14ppm. For your information Malaysia's tap water TDS reading is around 50-70ppm. Meanwhile African lakes TDS reading can go from 400 - 2500ppm with a PH9 reading. Brackish water TDS reading around 10,000ppm and finally Seawater TDS reads at around 35,000ppm.
TDS taken at Trengganu peat swamp
TDS = Total Dissolved Solid, PPM = Parts Per Million
When we set up an aquarium, the best thing we can offer our fishes is to replicate as close as we possibly can of their natural habitat and that includes the most important factor, water. You need to study and understand how fish respond to their specific salinity. Some fish can switch between seawater and freshwater, and some can't handle any changes in salinity.
Fish that can tolerate high salinity fluctuation are known as Euryhaline fish. Fish that cannot tolerate salinity fluctuations are known as stenohaline fish.
Fish needs a specific amount of ion and water to survive and they do this by osmoregulation. Saltwater fish absorb water in this process and excrete salt. Freshwater fish has a different set of osmoregulation. They determine their osmoregulation with tonicity that consist of hypotonic and hypertonic.
Seawater is hypotonic which translate to water flows out of the fish constantly. Freshwater is hypertonic that means water flows into the fish constantly. Fish has evolved perfectly to deal with this sort of environment. Therefore you will not find clown fish in the swamp and you certainly will not find Marulioides in the sea.
Each species has adapted to their habitat and it is wise for us to follow this strict rules as well. To answer the overdue question, Do I add salt into my tank after water change?
If you're keeping clown fish yes add 3.5% of marine salt and make sure the parameter stands at 3.5% or 1.025sg.
If you're keeping Marulioides hell no, infact for most freshwater fishes you do not add salt into your tank unless the fish comes from Malawi or Tanganyika cichlid or most African fish eg Bichir, Tigerfish and so on.
It is important to understand the origin of your fish so you may keep them to their natural conditions. In respond you will get top quality fish performance by maintaining the correct water parameter. Some smart alec do snapped me back with that they've been adding salt with every water change and their fish is still swimming till today. Well little bit of salt will not kill your fish but do understand your fish will be under stress when you upset their osmoregulation. Fish in stress will not perform their best.
p.s
Salt is important to fight of diseases like fungus and mild bacteria infections, dosage is 0.3% one shot diluted water. This in laymans term will be 1000liter = 3kgs of salt. Never dump solid salt in the main tank, diluting salt will burn your fishes.
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