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To prevent ich, how much salt should be added to the water? How often? What type of salt should be added?

To prevent Ich, you shouldn't add salt permanently to the tank. You should make sure that the fish are healthy, water conditions are good (what the nitrogen levels) and that any new additions are quarantined for at least a few days (ideally around 40 days) separately.

Salt to be used for medicinal purposes should be either "pure salt" (no iodine and anti-caking agents), natural sea-salt (again with no additives), Synthetic sea-salt (used for Marine tanks). But it should be used WHEN there is a problem, not as a permannet addition to the water. Dosage depends on what you're trying to do and what fish you have.

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Mats

To prevent ich, how much salt should be added to the water?

I agree with Matt that salt is a med, use it only when you need it or during QT. The proper dose to kill Ick is 7.6 grams per gallon. It is far better to weigh it out then measure by volume due the great differences in the size of the crystals. But if you use course aquarium salt it works out to about a 1/4 cup per 10 gallons.

How often?

Once, until you do a water change. Always premix the salt and new water, at the same concentration, before adding it to the tank. If you need to top off due to evaporation do not add salt to that water.


What type of salt should be added?

I use regular aquarium salt, although Kosher salt would also work. Just make sure you weigh it out. There is a lot more salt in a 1/4 cup of finer grained Kosher than course aquarium salt. I would stay away from salts for marine tanks. These products may sharply change your pH.

I always add salt to my QT tanks. My thinking is that if it can't be boiled or bleached, it gets salted. Even plants and inverts are isolated from fish for a month, but salt free. I believe you can have a truely Ick free tank if you never break QT. And no matter what stress the fish may suffer, if there is no Ick in the tank they can not catch it.

Don