Hi everyone, this is a reply to ranchu man's comment about adding rock salt when doing a water change in my bare bottom. The thread I am replying to was in "Goldfish photos" but I thought I would start a new thead as I am interested in knowing more. I have never added salt to my tanks unless I'm treating my fish. In a Bare Bottom, what is the purpose of adding salt and what does it do? How do I calculate the amount I have to add?

Anyone who knows about this topic can post info. I am very keen to learn more about it

I don't know why bare bottom tanks require salt more than regular gravel tanks but I do use salt myself in all my tanks.

Rock salt (evaporated sea water) is also available as Doc Well's Aquarium Salt, I always add salt to .1% just as a general tonic.

I thought you only had to put salt in if your fish were sick. I have the following tanks:

52 gallon - 4 GF
40gallon - 4 GF
13gallon - 2 GF (upgrading soon to 30 gallon )

How much salt would I need to add for each tank in teaspoons. Sorry, I'm hopeless when working things out like this.

With Dr Well's Aquarium Salt it's a half teaspoon per gallon so ...

26 tspns for the 52g
20 tspns for the 40g
6 tspns for the 13g

Don't add it all at once, it would take ages anyway to dissolve the stuff. Try adding it over 4 days or just start adding it with new water changes, 1/2 teaspoon per gallon.

btw Doc Well's is inexpensive, only about $6 for a pint sized container.

Unless you fish is ill, there is really no need to add salt
to your tank. By having a constant salt % in your tank,
most of the parasites that could be killed off by salt
develop an immunity to salt.


I'm not sure the reasoning behind adding salt to a bare
bottom tank? If someone has the info, please inform us.

I would not bother adding salt, unless there is a reason too.

There are those that salt and those that don't salt. It's a personal choice and .1% is unlikely to have any effect on parasites either way. I just do it for a tonic, it perks my fish up but each to their own.

Thanks for all your replies