i have a 60 gallon fish tank, im gonna put 3+ goldfishes and a pellceo in there. how much salt do i need to put in there, to prevent nitrate poisoning... i heard that it does that, right?
A small amount to sea salt for aquariums is desired.
For a 60 gallon fresh water tank, use about 3/4 of a cup, DISSOLVED.
This won't hurt the fresh water fish.
Also use "Nov-aqua" as a water conditioner and a chlorinator.
READ "COLE'S" ANSWER, ABOVE!!!!!!!!!
(Finally, someone that has a clue.)
If you are putting a pleco in there (I assume that's what you mean and you had a typo?), no salt. Plecos are armored catfish, which means they have plates instead of scales, and because of this salt irritates their skin.
Nitrate is removed by partial water changes. As long as you don't have Nitrates in your tap (a few places do, but most do not) partial water changes will be far more effective at preventing Nitrate poisoning anyway. All of those fish have high bioloads, so change 50% of your water a week, and that should keep Nitrates down. Or you could do 2 30% water changes twice a week. This needs to be done to keep the tank clean anyway.
If you do have Nitrates in your tap and water changes won't work as well you could try getting some live plants. Goldfish will eat plants, but there are some that are so tough and distasteful that they will leave them alone. These include Cryptocoryne, Anubias, and Java Fern, all of which are hardy low-light plants that won't need much extra attention. Plants will also consume some other chemicals that are bad for fish in the water, and provide some dissolved oxygen as well.
Less effective than water changes or plants, but still some help are filter inserts that absorb Nitrates. These must be changed regularly so that they don't max-out and then start releasing Nitrates back into the water.
As stated prevously, you need to consider the species of fish before adding salt. Plecos are salt sensitive and any one suggesting adding salt to their tank have not done the research.
First off any one who tells you that you should not put salt in a freshwater aquarium either doesnt have a fish tank or doesnt realize that they probably killed their fish due to stress overload
Use 1 rounded tablespoon for every 5 gallons.(12 Tablespoons.) If there are and fish in the tank when you add the salt, make sure you dont add all the salt at once or you will kill your fish. With fish in the tank gradually add the salt over the course of a week. When every you do a water change add 1 tablespoon for every 5 gallons of water you add to the tank. Salt doe not prevent nitrate poisoning. The aquarium salt helps build the fishes tolerance to various stresses that they may experience. To prevent Nitrate poisoningthere are a few thingsto keep in mind.
1. dont overfeed your fish (feed them only whant they can eat in about 2 to 3 minutes.(a fishes
stomach is about the size of one of their eyes)
2. Add aquarium salt (not tablesalt. Tablesalt will kill your fish.)
3. Monitor your ammonia and nitirite levels. keeping these levels in check will keep your nitrate level
incheck.
4. Maybe invest in some live aquatic plants. Living plants will change ammonia into nitrite.
5 Add a iological supplement to the water . This will promote bacteria to grow on your water filter,
which is a good thing. The bacteria (which is not algea) will change the nitrites into nitrates.
6. Weekly wate changes.
If you have freshwater fish like goldfish - none. In fact it will shorten their lives.
But if you have brackish water fish, like guppies, you can add a small amount of salt, but then special aquarium,salt, the as on dose in the packet, and never table salt which has iodine.
Fresh water tanks do not need salt. Salt can help with certain problems that might arise if you don't do things correctly but healthy fish DO NOT need it. I have kept fish for twenty years and I keep them healthy and long lived by taking good care of them, stocking them properly, feeding them properly. Never, ever have I used salt.
none. U dont need to put any salt in your tank unless if they have a disease as fin rot or ick it does help but besides that u dont need to put any. And plecos dont belong with goldfish.