TANGANYIKAN CICHLID SALT OR NO SALT

[KCD518]

should you use salt in tanganyikan tank? If so how much & reason why! Thats
what I would like to know. NEED HELP on this one

[Fred Hamilton]

This is an often-debated point. Lake Tanganyika contains a lot of dissolved
"salt." I put "salt" in quotes because this is "salt" as a generic chemical
term... I'm not referring to sodium chloride (table salt). There is almost
no sodium chloride in Lake Tanganyika. The salts in Lake Tanganyika are
primarily of two types: carbonate salts (like blackboard chalk, calcium
carbonate) and sulfates (like epsom salts, magnesium sulfate). The
concentration of these salts is actually fairly high in Lake Tanganyika,
especially carbonates.

Because Tanganyikan cichlids are physiologically accustomed to these salts
in their environment, there's just a general supposition that they will do
better in captivity if salt is added to their water. It's also been
proposed that the presence of salt makes it a little bit easier for these
animals to regulate certain body processes (such as fluid balance) -- and
this makes sense from a physiological point of view. Salt often works
wonders for sick or injured fish in treating "bloat" or swim bladder
disease.

However, I haven't heard many people specifically claim that the addition of
salt as a routine practice actually produces a measureable benefit in
African cichlids, whether measured in color, longevity, spawning frequency
etc. Just the same, I do add salt to my Tanganyikan tanks (I use epsom
salts) with every water change, on the "can't hurt, might help" theory (also
it's very inexpensive to do so).

KCD518 <kcd...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19991112225031...@ng-fk1.aol.com...

[Lisa Brinkman]

KCD518 wrote:

> should you use salt in tanganyikan tank? If so how much & reason why! Thats
> what I would like to know. NEED HELP on this one

I've never used salts in any of my African tanks including my Tanganyikan tanks
and they all do just fine and breed like crazy. I guess it's a matter of
whether or not you feel it's necessary. What is your local water like? That
may be a clue if you need the salts or not. I do know I have high pH and hard
water and is the reason I do not add anything to it. I know it's not like
typical Tanganyikan water but if it works I'm not changing it now :)

Lisa

[C J]

Salt isn't neccesary, unless you just like throwing away money. Other people
will say different, but you have to figure what works for you.

-**** Posted from RemarQ, http://www.remarq.com/?a ****-
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