Salt question

[John7]

Hi, I am new to the forum and have a question that has probably been posted and answered before. I couldn't find it or maybe I couldn't use the Search right, so, here goes.

I recently acquired a 'breeding group' of 5 albino corys (3 males-2 females) at a club auction. I would like to keep them with a group of fancy guppies. The question is: Will the corys tolerate the high salt levels that the fancy guppies need to stay healthy? I have been advised that the guppies need 1/2 cup of salt for each 5 gallons of water.
John

[Silurus]

Don't think you need salt for the guppies.
See this post.

[medaka]

hi john

have to agree with silurus, you really don't need salt to keep guppies

i keep a number of strains of guppy's and with each type i have different types of cory's i do not use salt at all and they get along fine,, however,, when in some cases when i am conditioning my corys up for breeding i either remove the guppys or corys, this has more to the p.h.levels than
salt levels.
again though i must say that i have a friend that every couple of years or so goes to the states
and calls in at a guppy breeder he knows, he has told me in the past that the guppys there were
kept with salt added to the water, he said that this breeder kept his guppys in vats and that they didnt have any tank mates. but that was in florida.
so the basic question must be do your guppys require salt in their water to do well? have you tried
reducing the salt levels until you are using none

[John7]

Silurus,
I was talking to the supplier that I bought the Delta Cobra Green guppies from and was complaining that they were dying right and left. I was told that those guppies need salt in the ratio of 1/2 cup to each 5 gallons of water. I have since added salt to the tank and they stopped dying.

My question again is will the salt harm the corys? They don't seem to be in any trouble yet, but they don't seem as active as usual. The guppies look much livelierand the remaining males are chasing the females all over.

I have 17 tanks , so it won't be a problem moving the corys, but I would like to leave them with the guppies if possible.
John

[John7]

Medaka,
That is where I got the guppies, out of Florida. Maybe that is why they told me to use salt. I will try your suggestion and try to slowly stop using the salt with them. But I still need to know, for now, if the salt will harm the corys.
John

[medaka]

hi john hehe

we must have been typing at the same time,,
funny,,,
my friend a couple of years ago brought some cobra greens back with him from florida
that died on him, he gave me two pair (they died on me) it was then he told me he thought it was down to him not adding salt, due to seeing salt added at source
keep your eyes on the corys though, i do know however that certain singapore fisheries add a lot of salt to their stock (mainly livebearers ) but,, i have seen evidence in bronze cory stock from the same source of salt,