Michigan Cichlid Association

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: mark.pank on March 05, 2013, 06:17:01 PM

Title: effects of rift salt
Post by: mark.pank on March 05, 2013, 06:17:01 PM
Does rift salt effect live aquatic plants? And if so are there alternitives to rift salt?
Title: Re: effects of rift salt
Post by: Michael Zebrowski on March 05, 2013, 09:27:34 PM
I rarely use salt additives to my tanks, but when I do, I use kosher salt.  Inexpensive, readily available, and effective.

At 1 tablespoon to 10 gallons, there is no effect on plants.

Title: Re: effects of rift salt
Post by: GrizzlysDad on March 05, 2013, 09:39:16 PM
Any type of salt is usually bad for freshwater plants. Even my water softener salt limits my ability to grow plants well.
Some plants will be more durable to salt.
Title: Re: effects of rift salt
Post by: four_by_ken on March 06, 2013, 08:51:08 AM
I hate salt.

Damn stuff has wreaked havoc on my tanks.  (at least I think that is what I have narrowed it down to)

I am trying to minimize the use of it as much as possible.

Sorry I didnt really help to answer your question.   ;)

Title: Re: effects of rift salt
Post by: Maize-N-Blue-D on March 06, 2013, 09:46:41 AM
Interesting,  everything I have read and have been told by several LFS,  you are supposed to add a nominal amount of salt to your cichlid tanks.  It is supposed to help cut down on diseases, parasites and help heal tatered fish...

I add roughly a handful of Kosher salt to my tank every time I do a WC on my 55 tank ...
Title: Re: effects of rift salt
Post by: linuxrulesusa on March 06, 2013, 09:50:01 AM
Interesting,  everything I have read and have been told by several LFS,  you are supposed to add a nominal amount of salt to your cichlid tanks.  It is supposed to help cut down on diseases, parasites and help heal tatered fish...

I add roughly a handful of Kosher salt to my tank every time I do a WC on my 55 tank ...

For what it's worth I've never added salt in the year or so during which I've kept 50+ different species of fish, and have not had any issues with disease/parasites/healing, other than which I caused myself by not quarantining suspect new fish, etc.  Which is not to say it won't help, just that it's not perhaps as 100% necessary as they're saying.  Also most of my experience is with fish other than African cichilds, so they may need it more.  I don't know.
Title: Re: effects of rift salt
Post by: four_by_ken on March 06, 2013, 02:34:29 PM
Interesting,  everything I have read and have been told by several LFS,  you are supposed to add a nominal amount of salt to your cichlid tanks.  It is supposed to help cut down on diseases, parasites and help heal tatered fish...

I add roughly a handful of Kosher salt to my tank every time I do a WC on my 55 tank ...


Little bits, I think it is good.

But, using it to drastically raise hardness (like a LFS told me to do) it is NOT good.

Title: Re: effects of rift salt
Post by: Michael Zebrowski on March 06, 2013, 05:52:43 PM
Any type of salt is usually bad for freshwater plants. Even my water softener salt limits my ability to grow plants well.
Some plants will be more durable to salt.
I defer to Tony (GrizzlysDad) as more expert than I on this matter.  The only plants I keep are watersprite, lava moss, and java fern.  They tolerate a bit of kosher salt as I described above.  Note: I don't always use salt, just as a preventative or treatment as needed.