Common Diseases of Flowerhorn

Mouth, Body and Tail fungus


This kind of diseases is very common to the flowerhorn community. The symptoms of this disease are:

This condition is caused by Saproglenia and other related bacteria.
Bad water quality only causes these kinds of bacteria to thrive. Bacterias are dealing with bad environment
Sudden changes in the water condition can also cause this condition in your fish.
If your fish has this condition, you will notice cotton like tufts at the mouth, body, fin and tail.
You may also notice your fish losing weight.


The only solution to cure this diseases are:

Add Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Aquarium Salt to your tank.
Adding Jungle Labs Fungus Eliminator will also help.
Be sure to treat the whole tank, but quarantine the most seriously ill fish.


We can prevent this things to happen by:


Change your water regularly.
Quarantine new fish for three to four weeks.
Avoid cross-tank contamination.

White Spot Disease of Flowerhorn

White Spot Disease

The cause of this condition is Ichthyophithirius multifilis (ICH ) , a ciliated protozoan . Bad water quality can increase the likelihood that your fish will be victim to this parasite.Low water temperatures (< 25°C) are ideal breeding grounds for ICH.The most common way Flower horns get ICH is when they are fed live or frozen food that has already been contaminated with the parasite.
The most prominent symptom of this condition are the pure white spots that will appear all over your fish. You may also notice the fins are clumped together, and they act a bit more lethargic than usual. Moreover, it’s common for them to lose interest in food when ICH infects.

The parasites resides under the skin of the fish, hence it is not affected by water treatment or direct treatment applied to the fish . Break the breeding cycle of Ich by washing the tank thoroughly to remove the cysts of the parasite. Keep in mind that this is a highly contagious condition, so your entire aquarium must be treated.

To cure white spots just place Kordon Ich inhibitor in your tank.Add aquarium salt at 3g/l of water every 3 days together with the medication.After 3rd day, tank must be washed thoroughly to eliminate the causative agent.

Caring your Discus Fish

Raising Discus Fish is not an easy work for the aquarium hobbyists. Discus fish is very sensitive and you should be very careful for choosing the compatible fish with discus fish. The single most difficult task Discus enthusiasts tackle is finding the right partner, most Discus fish like finding their own partner in the tank and moreover you may keep with other discus-friendly fishes. When you spend the money to start up this enjoyable hobby, it is no wonder you want to start breeding and raising Discus fish to cut down on the cost. Discus fish loves to live with a community form.

Those who breed discus as a hobby will be more than surprised to notice that the discus show signs of connection to the environment outside the tank. For instance breeding discus as a hobby implies spending lots of time around the tank, cleaning, feeding or simply watching the discus. They are said to recognize the owner in time and they can get as close to you as to eat out of your hand. When breeding discus as a hobby, some owners have noticed that the discus will watch you move around the room or even react to TV noise.

Once you understand these concepts and tactics for maintaining a proper discus fish environment in your tank, you will start enjoying this hobby more and more. You should know that raising Discus fish will take some time to learn but once you have gained the tactics, your fish will grow healthier and maintaining your discus will be so much easier.

Discus Fish Care

Adorning your aquarium with many attractive species of fishes can be a great way to deck up your living room. And when it comes to beautiful fishes, you simply cannot ignore the discus fish. If you are not aware, you may want to read on to find some useful discus fish care information.

Discus tropical fish are very popular with aquarium owners, however as any experienced owner will tell you, discus are not the easiest fish to keep. If you want to keep your discus fish healthy and happy, you need to learn as much as possible about their unique living conditions, feeding habits, and breeding behavior. Only with proper knowledge can you apply techniques which will turn you aquarium into a thriving ecosystem.
Discus fish are native to the calm warm waters of the Amazon River. Therefore, it is important to mimic their natural environment in order to satisfy their desires. Without the right environmental factors taken care of, Discus fish can become sick, aggressive, or even die for no apparent reason.

Environment factors are also extremely important when breeding Discus fish. Frequently, without proper care, Discus fish will lay eggs, and then simply eat them. However, there are usually very specific reasons for why your fish are unable to reproduce, and with the proper education you will be able to create the perfect environment to produce fry.
Caring for discus fish can be a challenge and a bit of an art form, but it is also very rewarding at the same time. Armed with the right information, you will be able to prepare and maintain an environment that your fish will thrive in. Discus fish are a beautiful and exotic species will make a great addition to your home aquarium.

The discus fish aquarium can be very rewarding and provides fun and satisfaction when the areas of discus fish care are properly planned. Discus fish will recognize and inter act with you. This sets them apart from the tropical fish that just swim, eat and hide. Discus can be observed watching movement on television and they will watch you cross the room. Discus fish are very aware of what goes on around them. Discus fish will quickly endear themselves to you. They will recognize you and eagerly rush to greet you and discus fish will eat out your hand. This personable behavior of discus fish is a main reason hobbyists become so infatuated with them. As you get to know these marvelous creatures and their ways, a full blown love affair will develop.

Flowerhorn Information

Flowerhorn cichlids are not a naturally occurring species of fish. Like humans have selectively bred different breeds of dogs, flowerhorns have been created deliberately by man. Prized flowerhorns with just the right colors and patterns can reach a hefty price.

Flowerhorns are a product of hybridizing and selective breeding of numerous types of South American fish from the cichlid family. They were developed in Malaysia during the late 1990s.

Flowerhorn cichlids grow 12 to 16 inches long depending on the type and have a characteristic knob on the front of their head. They are usually brightly colored in various patterns and sometimes have black markings that resemble Chinese characters on their sides.

Flowerhorn cichlids are not picky eaters and readily accept most fish foods. They like pellets as a staple diet supplemented with meaty foods like worms, crabs or shrimp.

Flowerhorn cichlids prefer a neutral pH around 7.0 and a steady temperature of about 82 degrees. Keep them in a large tank, about 4 feet long and 2 feet wide.

There are many critics of flowerhorn hybridization who claim that they are unnatural and may escape into the wild damaging the environment. Flowerhorn lovers defend the fish by pointing out that there are no examples of any ecological problems and that they are not genetically modified in a lab.

How to Care Flowerhorn

The Flowerhorn Cichlid is a carnivore with a large appetite and can be easily underfed. So be sure they are getting enough food. Food that will be exact to his diet. In some point if you overfeed your fish they can have negative effect to in your pet. This fish can eat all kinds of live, fresh, and frozen foods of high quality. Feed high quality cichlid pellets, krill, frozen bloodworms, earthworms, night crawlers, crickets, and carotene enhanced supplements. Feed 2 to 3 times a day. It helps with maintenance if you avoid foods that pollute the tank's water. Their looks can be altered by the type of foods they are fed as well. All fish benefit from vitamins and supplements added to their foods.
Like all larger South American Cichlids they need a lot of room. A minimum of 55 gallons for one will be needed, though a tank 4' long and 2' wide would be ideal. If you are keeping them with other large fish, 200 gallons or more may be required. They do fine with moderate water movement and good efficient filtration. They appreciate a gravel substrate and some rocks to hide behind, but will spend most of the time out in the open. It is a digger and plants don't fare so well as they will be shredded. Make sure rocks are well bedded on the actual glass bottom of the tank to prevent toppling. Be sure to have plenty of open space for swimming.
The Flowerhorn Cichlid is a rewarding specimen for the aquarist as it is very hardy and easy to keep as long as the aquarium is large enough. These fish eat a lot putting a heavy bio load in the aquarium, so do water changes of 20% biweekly or 25% weekly. They are subject to infections as well as other diseases that ail all freshwater fish. One common problem is Ich. Ich is easily treated with an elevated temperature of 86 ° F for a few days. Intestinal disease can be treated with metronidazol.
The Flowerhorn Cichlid will grow to a length of 12-16" (31 - 41 cm), depending on its ancestral breeding.The Flowerhorn Cichlid is not a community cichlid, it is territorial and aggressive. This fish is best kept alone. Even your hands are fair game and its bite can hurt. It can only be kept with other fish if the tank is very large, 200 gallons or more may be required. Keeping other fish out of its 'line of sight' will help to lower aggression, so decorate in a way that provides natural borders for its territory.
If breeding you may have to take steps to prevent a pair from killing each other. They are aggressive toward those of the same species. They will will not tolerate those of a different genus.

Bird Wrasse

Bird wrasse, Greenbird wrasse, Blackbird wrasse, Brownbird wrasse – many names but have one scientific name that is Paraluteres Prionurus. The different names do however have different meanings, so it can be good to clear this out once and for all. Bird wrasse is the name of the species. The name Greenbird wrasse refers to a male of the species Bird wrasse. The names Brownbird and Blackbird wrasse refer to females.

The Bird wrasse has a long narrow body with a long snout. The snout is not long in juveniles. The fish uses its snout is used to reach food in hard to reach places. Males are green. The green can be anything from olive to deep blue green. The females have this color on their posterior. The anterior is white whit brown spots. The snout on the females is orange. The Bird wrasse can not be said to be a sensitive and hard to keep species, but it isn't really a difficult species to care for either. It’s a good choice for aquarists that have kept marine fish for a while and feel comfortable caring for moderately sensitive fish. It is not suitable for beginners. The Bird wrasse can be kept as a singular fish or in pairs. If you want to keep a pair you should introduce the female before the male. The Bird wrasse is-semi aggressive towards other species and can be kept with most other suitably sized semi-aggressive fish species. Do not keep them with very aggressive fish such as triggers.

The bird wrasse originates from the Indo-Pacific. It can be found in almost the entire tropical Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean; frrom the east coast of Africa via Australia and Hawaii to islands off the coast of Florida, United States. They are also humors that this fish really originated in a small island in the Philippines. Its distribution goes as far south as Australia and as far north as Japan. It is most common in the island rich area between Japan and Australia. It is found in areas with prolific coral growth at a depth of 0 -100 ft / 0-30 m.

The maximum size of this fish for Males 14 in (11 in) / 35 cm (27.5 cm more common). Females 6 in / 15 cm. The water pH they want to live is 8.1 to 8.4 with the temperature of 72 to 78ºF (22-26°C).

These fish live singly or in pairs and are tireless swimmers. Only put them in large aquariums since they need plenty of room to swim!

Discus Fish Guide

Discus fish is disc shaped, exotic fish that is a native of the Amazon river. These fishes can be bred in aquariums, however, they are highly sensitive and need constant attention. Discus fish care requires the water conditions to be maintained very well for their survival. This article dwells on how to take care of Discus fish.

This breed of exotic fishes and is highly popularized as aquarium fish. Discus fish is a native of shallow streams and lakes running off the Amazon river and its tributaries. In the wild, these fishes dwell close to the shore, among the submerged tree roots. They feature a laterally compressed, disc-shaped body which gives the fish its name 'discus'. The sides of the fish comprises of lovely patterns in green, blue, red and brown.

Discus fish care requires diligence on the part of the pet owner. As a pet owner one will have to gather as much information about the fish and its unique living conditions as possible, so as to attain a thriving ecosystem. Understanding their feeding habits, breeding patterns and other needs will help to maintain them properly. One does not want these lively aquarium fish to perish due to lack of knowledge. Some simple discus fish care guidelines that need to be followed are:

Water Condition
Water Hardness
Water pH
Water Temperature
Water Changes
Chlorine and Chloramin
Food and Nutrition
Filtration

These were some basic discus fish care tips. Besides the above mentioned points, one should also note that the discus fishes are social creatures and need to be kept in groups. One should not introduce a lone discus into a tank filled with various other types of fishes. Lone discus fish will survive without their community, however, it will not be happy. After taking care of discus fish for a while, one can even try out breeding discus fish. Though discus fish care requires diligence, it is an overall rewarding experience. Happy Fishing!!!

Beaked Leatherjacket

The Beaked Leatherjacket (Oxymonacanthus longirostris) is also commonly referred to as the ‘Harlequin filefish’ or ‘Harlequin Leatherjacket’ others known them as Harlequin Filefish or Longnose Filefish. This small leatherjacket/filefish species is known to occur in the warm tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region and has been recorded in east Africa, Samoa, Ryukyu Islands, New Caledonia, Tonga and the east coast of Australia to southern Queensland mos of them are found in Mindanao, Philippines espicially int he islands of Davao City. This species replaced by Oxymonacanthus halli in the Red Sea. The Beaked Leatherjacket has a long snout with a small upturned mouth. The body profile above and below the snout is concave. The body is green with small dark-edged yellow to orange spots. There is a dark spot on the caudal fin. It can be found living on coral reefs and in lagoons from depths of 1 to 30 metres. It is generally found in pairs and can be found hiding in amongst coral branches. It is known to feed exclusively on Acropora polyps with feeding taking place throughout the day becoming less towards the evening. The Beaked Leatherjacket (Oxymonacanthus longirostris) grows to a maximum length of approximately 9cm Male and Female.

Discus Fish Habitat

Having a discus fish you must need to know what is there true environment so that they can adopt and stay long in you. The natural discus habitat is shallow streams, creeks and small lakes running off the Amazon River and it's tributaries. The wild discus live among submerged tree roots, close to shore. Nature has provided the discus with black horizontal bars which are ideal for blending in with root systems. The natural discus habitat has warm, soft water in the acidic ph ranges. There are variations within these parameters, determined by location. Some areas have clear water, some white water and some have black water. The black water areas are due to tannins and organics in the water, primarily from leaves falling into the water. This gives rise to the numerous black water tonics found on the market. Most of these are peat based. Unless your are setting up a discus bio-tope with wild discus caught in black water areas, this additive in not necessary in providing proper discus fish care. The ideal water parameters for proper care of the discus aquarium is medium hardness, slightly acidic ph values with the temperature between 84 and 86 degrees.

In having this idea you can raise and make your discus fish happy.

HAPPY FISHING!

SETTING UP CYCLING DISCUS FISH TANK

A discuss fish is a lovable fish that can be keep as a pet in your home. In keeping this fish you need to know how to handle them carefully so that you can have a beautiful set of discuss fish in your hands. We will start for the common characteristics of a discus fish. Discus fish like to school with other discus in a group. This fish will form a "pecking order" with the most dominate fish leading the group or community. The dominate discus fish is usually the largest, the first to eat and the first to pair off. Obtain the largest size aquarium possible to allow ample room for the group of discus. Calculate the estimated weight of the aquarium at 8 pounds per gallon of water. To this add the weight of the aquarium itself, including any gravel or substrate to be used. The substrate or the equalizer stone for the acidity of the water will displace, but this gives you an idea of the weight of the aquarium. You need to know the weight so that your tank will have longer life. Obtain a suitable stand for the weight of the aquarium. Some aquarium manufacturers offer 20 year warranties or longer with a stipulation the tank sits on their brand of stand. When the aquarium is set up and all equipment is operating, it is not quite ready for the addition of discus fish. This is where patience is required.

Consideration should be given to the type of filter you wish to use in your discus aquarium. For an explanation of aquarium filter types and how to set them up for best results in the discus aquarium. Also you need to understand that pick a quality pump so that it can help circulate will the water and for the porpuse good cycle of the water.

We go to filtration of a discus tank. As a said earlier your aquarium filter must "cycle" or become "established" with nitrifying bacteria before it is ready for discus fish. This process is called nitrification. For information on nitrification in the discus aquarium filter:
Discus Fish Aquarium Nitrification

This is the process of establishing colonies of nitrifying bacteria in the aquarium filter. The nitrifying bacteria consume the fish wastes as a food source. These filter bacteria eat ammonia and nitrites. Many good products are on the market to speed up the nitrification process. If an aged filter or filter media is added to the new aquarium, fish may be introduced immediately. With an understanding of the nitrification process in the discus aquarium, a decision must be made on which method to employ to achieve nitrification in the discus aquarium filter. For an explanation of the different methods used to cycle the discus aquarium filter: Cycling The Discus Aquarium Filter.

Water changes on the discus aquarium are an important aspect of proper discus fish care. Water changes must be done on a regular basis to ensure a healthy discus aquarium. Discus thrive in clean water conditions. For information on discus aquarium water changes. The best water you use for a water change will the an aged water. This water are stock for a day so that the acid that are in the water will be subside and you can assure that your water are less harmful than the water that came for your faucets.

To give time with your pet can result to a nicer and good development of your pet.

Discus Fish Tank

Adorning your aquarium with many attractive species of fishes can be a great way to deck up your living room. And when it comes to beautiful fishes, you simply cannot ignore the discus fish. If you are not aware, you may want to read on to find some useful discus fish care information.
The discus came to the fore as an aquarium fish in the 20’s and its popularity has grown by leaps and bounds since then. It is a South American Cichlid and can be found in three varieties which are common discus, heckel discus and the symphysodon tarzoo.

Discus needs lots of room to grow to its maximum size.  The bigger the tank setup the better.  Water conditions are harder to maintain in an overloaded fish tank.  This will lead to increase stress and stunting of fish.  Therefore, the minimum tank size recommended for discus is a 55 gallon tank.  As a rule most hobbyist follows, one adult discus will need about 10 gallon of water.  More fish could be kept, but more frequent water changes and cleaning of filters are needed.  For a beginner, we recommend 6-8 small discus for a 55 gallon tank.
Discus tank setups can be divided into two types, planted discus tank and bare bottom discus tank.  Each have its own advantages and disadvantages.
Bare bottom tanks are mostly preferred by breeders and some serious discus keeper, including ourselves.  These setups only have an air stone or power head for circulation and sponge filter for biological filtration.  The advantages to this setup are that its easy, and simple to clean/maintain; fish can be fed heavily, uneaten food will not be trap in gravel; fish will not shy away because they have nothing to hide; and relatively inexpensive to setup.  Disadvantages are that setup looks less presentable and plants cannot be kept.
As for planted tanks.  The advantages are more artistically pleasing to look at; ability to keep plants; and if setup correctly, more biological balance cycle.  The disadvantages are that its maintenance  are more difficult; heavy feeding cannot be done; and more skills are needed (i.e. CO2 injectors, lighting, etc); medications cannot be administer without affecting plants; and cost more to setup.  We do not recommend beginners to start out with planted discus tanks unless they have previously  kept planted tanks.
Tank mates for discus would be any fish that are not aggressive or over complete with discus for food.  An Amazon tank setting would be excellent for discus.  Fish that would be compatible are small tetras (neon, cardinals, glow lights, etc), German rams, corydoras, etc.  Angelfish are not good tank mates because they usually compete with discus.

Firefish Goby

The Firefish is one of the more popular fish in the marine hobby. It is a magnificent fish with brilliant coloration, a unique body shape, and unparalleled personality. Also known as the Firefish Goby or Fire Dartfish has a yellow head, white anterior, and pinkish to orange-red posterior. The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are highlighted in a dark color or black. In addition to its striking coloration, the Firefish Goby is also heralded as a sweet-tempered fish because it plays with the fish surrounds him and with its lots of personality. And, because of its small size, the Firefish Goby makes a great addition to the smaller reef system that makes them cute and admirable. The approcimate size of it is 1 ½ inches to 2 ½ inches.

To best recreate their wild habitat, the Firefish Goby requires a 10-gallon or larger system with moderate lighting conditions and a moderate current passing over the live rock "reef." Keep in mind that a stressed Firefish Goby will try to jump out of your aquarium. As such, house the Firefish Goby in aquarium systems with a lid. Hobbyists who use a halide system with an open top should construct a Plexiglas "edge" around the trim, at least 10" tall.

In the wild, the Firefish Goby is usually found in groups hovering over the reef, harvesting planktonic food that drifts by in the current. The docile, Firefish Goby is timid and in the wild, each will have a "bolt-hole" into which it quickly ducks when threatened. In the home aquarium, the Firefish Goby needs multiple safety zones amongst rocky crags or outcroppings into which it can dart if stressed. This member of the Gobiidae family is generally not aggressive towards other fish except those of its own species. However, a mated pair can live peacefully together.

Along with algae and zooplankton growing in the aquarium, the diet of the Firefish Goby should consist of finely chopped small crustaceans, vitamin-enriched brine fish (live or frozen), mysis shrimp, and prepared foods.

Threadfin Shad

Dorosoma is Greek for "lance body", referring to the lance-like shape of young shad. The word petenense refers to Lake Peten in the Yucatan, the species type locality. Threadfin shad are usually easily distinguished from gizzard shad by the fact that the upper jaw does not project beyond the lower jaw. The anal fin usually has 20-25 rays, as opposed to 29-35 rays found in gizzard shad. The upper surface is silver-blue and grades to nearly white on the sides and belly. All fins have yellow tint except the dorsal. In this species, unlike gizzard shad, the chin and floor of the mouth is speckled with black pigment. Adults are considerably smaller than gizzard shad adults, rarely exceeding 6 inches in length.

Threadfin shad are most commonly found in large rivers and reservoirs, like gizzard shad and any shad family. That they feel free to swim and love the water.
Threadfin shad are more likely to be found in waters with a noticeable current and are usually in the upper five feet of water. They are quite temperature sensitive, with die-offs reported at temperatures below 45°F. Spawning begins in the spring when water temperatures reach approximately 70°F, and may continue into the summer. During spawning, one or more females are accompanied by several males.

This Fish naturally occur in waters west of the Appalachian Mountains, north to Kentucky, west to East Texas, south to the Rio Grande drainage, and east to Florida. The species has been widely introduced in California and Arizona, as well as Appalachian and southern Atlantic states. Threadfin shad are common in all East Texas streams and have been introduced as forage fish in many reservoirs statewide.

This fish is often used as a bait fish. Threadfin shad almost never bite on a hook. Because of there shinny color they can attract more fish and also they are easy to be catch and some how they can be a bait for more large fish at the river banks.

Flowerhorn Gender

How to determine the Gender of your flowerhorn. The following are some points that can be use to specify the gender of your fh.

Dorsal black spot flowerhorns are hybrids,therefore this method will not be 100%accurate.this method is usally use on pure bred cichlid. However the rest of the method we are going to talk about here will not apply to fries under 3 in therefore this one is included.

90%of fry with out dorsal spots,will be males.
60% of fry with dorsal spot will be females.

Body structure male flowerhorn often have more angular and muscular lines ,while females often have a rounder,smoother body line.

Dorsal spine method. Look at the first 6 dorsal spines of your fh, males often have rounded and thick spines, while females have a more flatened and thiner look to the first 6 dorsal spines.

Pelvic fin and pelvic spine method. Female flowerhorn need to use their pelvic fin as a fan to fan the eggs while breeding,therefore when you touch the pelvic fin and pelvic spine of your fh,if it is soft,and the spine is not as hard that will make you bleed,your fish is highly possible to be a female.

Chest line(chin line) method. If you view your fish from the side,behind the gill jucture and before the pelvic fin,right under the petoral fin,this is the chest of your fish,if your fish have a bulkier chest,the it is more possible to be male,females often have a smaller,and smoother chest(unlike human)...lol

Anal venting method. Hold your fish upsidedown,look at the anal vent,males have a V shape and females have a U shape.
now look from the side,males should have their tube pointed toward the back ,while females have straight tubes.

Salt can Cure Fish Stress and Sickness

Fish stress is relieved and the organism can fight off diseases easier which aides in the recovery. The concentration should be 4 teaspoons per Gallon and the duration of the bath about 30 minutes. This bath will also stimulate the protective slime coat, which will further enhance the fish's' ability to cope with the disease. Do not forget that a heavy concentration can make them loose their equilibrium and they simply "roll over". At this point the fish has to be moved to clear water very quickly.


Salt does not evaporate, it can only be removed by water changes and plants will not survive higher concentrations. The reason is similar to what we can observe with fish that cannot survive higher salt concentrations. Freshwater naturally moves from an environment with a low salt concentration, to one with a higher salt concentration (the water). As a consequence the diversity of plants and animals decrease. This is because they cannot keep the water and salt content of their bodies at the right concentrations for them to survive this environment. The lethal point for plants is reached at about 1000 mg/l of salt. One teaspoon of salt equals approx. 5500 mg.

Points to be REMEMBER:

Salt does interfere with the osmotic regulation of fish and plants. It should be left alone; nature regulated that part itself, by creating freshwater, brackish and saltwater fish.
The low beneficial amount of salt, mentioned above will not have any benefits in addition to water conditioners and/or stress coats already used for water treatments.
It is good to know about the benefits of salt and the understanding of the mechanisms involved. It comes in handy, should the nitrites get out of control or as possible treatment for parasites (salt bath). A first aid kid, for sure.
Parasite prevention? Yes - in theory. But it is not justified. The long-term use of salt in the aquarium will have more negative aspects then benefits. Use of salt as a first aid tool should be determined on an individual basis, as there are no real guidelines on how to use it safely and effectively.

And last, disease prevention and cure. This is largely if not mainly based on enhancing the slime coat or regulatory osmotic control, but again stress protecting additives and water conditioners have the same effect.

Salt for your Frshwater Aquarium

Another salt related claim is the prevention of nitrite poisoning, which is also a theoretical true statement. This is one common problem we hobbyist encounter. We need a safety and clean water for our fish.

Let's assume your tank is brand new and cycling, or the beneficial bacteria are adjusting to a change in tank inhabitants, or worst case, you killed some bacteria colonies using antibiotics to nuke the small algae glancing at you. But you can't kill all of them by using salt you can slowly kill the bacteria.

Salt can be used to prevent nitrite poisoning, if the chloride ions are 30 times the concentration of nitrite ions. Salt is very helpful and have a big advantage for your fish.

Nitrite reaches a toxic level at about 0.1 ppm, which would require about 3 ppm of chloride ions. Depending on the salt (sodium chloride) used, it might translate to about 5 ppm (given that common salt has a chloride concentration of 60%) to ease possible nitrite poisoning. This in mind, one teaspoon of salt would be sufficient to provide this effect for a 300 Gallon tank.

As a brief summary, 1 teaspoon per 300 Gallons will do as described above. Table salt does contain iodine and anti caking additives (to prevent the salt from clumping together). Iodine is essential for certain plants and animals, and definitely of no concern, considering the low amount of salt and the low concentration of iodine added to the salt. Iodine at this concentration should be rather beneficial instead.

FreshWater Aquariums + Salt

Do you know that salt is best for fish in a Fresh Aquariums? Some hobbyists religiously use salt in fresh-water set-ups. The claim is a noticeable health improvement of certain fish.

There can be many benefits that can be get in salt this include the ease of stress, reducing osmotic pressure, inhibition of nitrite uptake, promoting the slime coat, and helping in healing wounds. The salt recommended should be free of additives such as iodine.

It is claimed to be safe and should be used as a preventive measure against various parasitic infestations - it is also said to cure various diseases.

One of the expert friend recommended quantity ranges from 1 tablespoon per Gallons to 1 tablespoon per 5 Gallons.

At first view the claims do not sound bad.

Salt (sodium chloride/ table salt) does in fact have a direct connection to osmotic pressure. To explain this, picture a fish in an aquarium. The internal density of fish is greater then that of the water (fish contain salt in form of sodium and chloride ions transported by the blood). Incoming water tries to dilute their bodies to equal both sides, the inside of the fish and the water outside.

Freshwater fish therefore have to constantly eliminate the water - mainly through respiration and urine. Osmotic pressure can be best described as the water trying to dilute the fish's body until both sides are equal. The same applies to saltwater species, but in this case the roles are reversed. Saltwater fish have to "drink" water in order to survive from there daily life.

Osmoregulatory stress can occur during the transport of the fish, but is taken care of by stress protecting additives right from the beginning. Other than that, osmotic pressure is essentially non-existent and needn't be of concern.

So I conclude that osmotic pressure issue, should salt be considered, for whatever reason, one teaspoon would be sufficient to treat about 500 Gallons of water.