Platy fish are freshwater tropical fish that originated from South America and Africa. They are among the most popular aquarium fish in North America because they are inexpensive, easy to care for and come in many different colors and patterns. If you’ve recently added a new member to your family in the form of a Platy fish, then you might be wondering if they need salt. Do Platy Fish Need Salt?
No, platies do not require some salt in their water, not nearly as much as saltwater fish would need. Platies are one of those breeds that can get by with minimal salt for their tank. However, it is always best to err on the side of caution and give them a bit more than what they require.
This blog post will guide you about using salt in your platy fish tank. Read till the end to know more about the ways you can use salt in the aquarium.
Do Platy Fish Need Salt?
No, it is not required to use aquarium salt with your platies. However, using some will ensure that they are getting enough of the mineral in their diet and preventing any unwanted issues in the future (like bloat).
If you decide to add a bit more salt, you will need to do so slowly and in small amounts. Aquarium salt or hypersalinity is not necessary for Platy fish unless you are trying to treat a disease.
Hypersalinity occurs when there is an overabundance of sodium in the water and can be caused by using table salt, baking soda, ammonia remover packets, high-quality sea salts, and other chemical additives that contain large concentrations of sodium.
Hypersalinity causes fish to suffer from many symptoms, including scales falling off, swelling of the eyes and body, bloating, lethargy, or paralysis.
Is Aquarium Salt Safe For Platy Fish?
Yes, it is safe to some extent for Platy fish.
Certain types of salt can be harmful to your Platy fish, and not all salts are safe for a freshwater tank with live plants, so make sure you know what type of salt you’re getting before adding it to the water.
(You may want to talk about how much aquarium salt is good/safe to use. (Example: “A little bit of aquarium salt can help maintain the balance and is safe for most fish, but overdosing it may be harmful.”))
(You may also want to talk about how much aquarium salt is safe for live plants – Example: “While some types of salts are not recommended with live plants.”)
How Does Salt Work For Platy Fish?
Aquarium salt works with platies because it is a natural mineral for them and can help make their water more balanced. This prevents any potential problems down the road and promotes healthy skin/scales less prone to disease.
Aquarium salt is a great way to replenish essential minerals and electrolytes in the water. For decades, fish keepers have used it as an easy, affordable way of providing saltwater conditions in freshwater tanks. How does it work?
The idea behind aquarium salt use is that many species of live plants cannot take up salt due to their lack of sodium.
Exposing the plants to a saltwater environment allows them to thrive and grow beautifully while taking up much-needed nutrients from your substrate (soil) or gravel. Salt also provides nutritional benefits for most live invertebrates in your tank and helps prevent fish diseases caused by electrolyte imbalances such as “dropsy.”
Whether you are using aquarium salt for fish or plants, we recommend adding it to your tank in small doses every few weeks rather than dumping a bunch of seawater into the water at once. Doing so will help prevent any rapid, drastic changes in water chemistry, which can be harmful to some species such as scale-less fish.
Types Of Salt That Your Platy Fish May Need
There are various types of salt that your platies may need depending on their needs.
Basic Aquarium Salt
Basic sea salt is typically recommended for freshwater aquariums as a reliable, affordable way to provide the beneficial minerals and electrolytes essential to fish health. In addition, you can use it in planted or unplanted tanks since it does not contain iodides which some plants cannot tolerate.
Epsom Salt
Epsom salts are a great source of magnesium to help prevent and treat various fish diseases such as dropsy, fin rot, anchor worms, mouth fungus, etc. It can also be used in freshwater aquariums for the same benefits without risking any adverse effects since it is not iodized, which will kill plants.
Non-iodized Rock Salt/Kosher Salt –
Non-iodized salts are used in saltwater aquariums because they do not contain harmful compounds that kill freshwater plants. These can also cure or prevent various fish diseases, such as fin rot and anchor worms.
How Do You Apply Aquarium Salt For Best Results?
If you are going to be using salt for your aquarium, you must know how much to use and when.
Salt Dip
A quick dip in a water container with aquarium salt can help prevent stress to fish treated for disease or parasites, injury, or any other sort of physical stress.
This treatment usually involves dipping the sick fish in a container full of water with aquarium salt dissolved in it. The idea behind this process is that the fish’s skin will absorb some of these minerals and nutrients, which will then be transferred to its system. This can help treat ich (ick), fin rot, mouth fungus, etc.
- Place your platy in the water for about two minutes (long enough for them to absorb some of the salt).
- Drain the water and let your platy sit in a dry container for about an hour.
Salt Bath
Dip the fish in a container with salt water for about 20-30 minutes to help prevent many different diseases and parasites, heal injured fins, etc.
Another way that you may use salt is by putting your sick fish in a container with water containing aquarium salt. Doing so will help treat ich (ick), fin rot, anchor worm infections, and other diseases caused by electrolyte imbalances in the fish’s system.
- Fill up with natural saltwater (¼ cup of non-iodized salt) or aquarium salt. Keep in mind that too much will cause bloating, so use ¼ cup at most.
- Fill the tank with water and allow it to sit for about 15 or 20 minutes.
- Drain the saltwater out of your tank.
Acclimation
The process of acclimating your new fish is also a way to use salt for treatment purposes since it mimics natural conditions that occur when moving from one body of water to the next.
This is done by gradually adding small doses over time until you reach your target salt level. This is done by adding a small amount of salt to your tank, waiting fifteen minutes, and then testing the water with a hydrometer, or using an API Digital Freshwater Test Kit, which will tell you what exact levels are in your water (specific gravity).
Allow them time in full-strength saltwater (¼ cup) before adding them to their new environment. This will help prevent scales from becoming swollen.
Will Salt Affect the pH Of Your Tank?
In general, no. If you have too little or too much salt, the pH may be affected. However, this is typically not an issue unless there is a large difference in concentration levels (such as adding ½ teaspoon of aquarium salt to your tank when it already has ¼ cup).
How Does Aquarium Salt Work As A Medication?
Aquarium salt is used as a natural remedy for many fish diseases, such as fin rot.
If your platies are suffering from a disease or infection, adding salt to their water may help treat them. There are three ways to do this: a) dipping the fish in an aquarium with salt dissolved into it; b) putting the sick fish into a salt bath for 15 minutes; or c) adding aquarium salt to the water.
In each case, you will need to acclimate your fish by gradually increasing the salinity of their tank before using an increased concentration. Then, after they’ve adjusted, increase up until 100% if necessary. Then, if possible, keep them in this salinity for at least a week before going back to normal levels.
The use of salt as the medication is not without risk, such that you should check with your vet if there’s any other option available. The most common side effects of using the salt are: bloating and scale loss in ichthyosis fish. If the condition isn’t improving, the salt may actually be making things worse, and you should stop.
(You may want to talk about how much aquarium salt you should use while using it medicinally. For Example: “If you are using salt medicinally, add it to the water in only small amounts. For fin rot, for example, you can add a teaspoon at a time.”)
When Shouldn’t You Use Aquarium Salt For Your Platy Fish Tank?
Do not use salt if you have scale-less fish, plants, or bloating problems in your tank. The increased salt content may cause these issues to be amplified rather than solved, leading to more problems for you.
Avoid using salt if you have snails or other types of plants in your tank. It can be detrimental to their health and growth.
Avoid using salt if you have crayfish, shrimp, or plants in your water tank because it will affect the pH levels of the water, which could cause problems for them as well.
Many people have reported that plats are more sensitive to salt than other fish and should use it with caution or not at all.
Salt can cause your platies scales to become swollen and kind of “acne-like.” It can also cause the eyes of your platy to become cloudy.
If you have pregnant female platy, it is best not to use salt because they are more sensitive and could be harmed by its effects or pass on anything harmful to their fry when breeding.
Scaleless Fish
If you have scaleless fish in the tank, do not add salt as it can cause them to become irritated and inflamed with skin problems.
Salt can also cause your tank water’s pH levels to rise, which is not the best for scaleless fish.
Plants
You may not know this. Unfortunately, plenty of plants cannot tolerate salt. So, if you have any in your tank, it is best not to use it.
Bloating
There have been many reports from people who have had plats and noticed bloating after adding salt. This could be because they were over-dosing the water with salt or added it to a salt-sensitive tank.
If you have an aquarium with other types of fish, be cautious and add only a small amount at first and see how they react before adding more or continuing use.
How To Use Aquarium Salt To Treat Fish Diseases? Step By Step Process:
If you have a disease or illness that has developed in one of your Platy fish or the aquarium, you may want to use salt as a treatment. The first thing you need to do is contact your veterinarian and let them know what has happened to help prescribe medication for your fish or diagnose an illness if one already exists.
You will also need a thermometer and test kit for phosphates (to check for excess phosphates), a water conditioner, and an antibiotic solution.
You can administer salt in various ways: dissolve into the aquarium, place directly on your fish’s gills, or apply to their skin as a dip (or bath).
The first step is for you to check the tank temperature with your thermometer. The temperature of the salt solution must be between 77-86 degrees Fahrenheit.
A dip is accomplished by taking a container and filling it with warm water, then adding one tablespoon full of aquarium salt per gallon. Wait five minutes before putting your Platy fish in for three to four seconds at most, then place them back into their tank if they are not already there.
Steps For A Bath:
Fill your container with warm water, pour the salt in and let it dissolve over time (you should be able to see all of the salt disappear).
Add some aquarium conditioner at this point so that when you take your fish out, they don’t dry out or develop an infection. You will want to dip your fish in the water for about three minutes and then return them into their tank.
If they are too big, you may want to place them on a plate or other container so that you can soak them instead of dip them.
Steps For An Application:
Clean off any scales from the area where you will apply salt with an antibiotic solution, then take a cotton swab and dip it in saltwater.
Gently apply the saturated swab to that skin area for about fifteen minutes (do not let your fish swallow any of this).
Steps For A Medication:
Take an antibiotic pill or capsule and break it into quarters – place one quarter on their gills and wait for it to dissolve.
Steps For A Cure:
Take a water conditioner and mix one drop with every gallon of aquarium water. This should help restore the pH level so that your Platy fish can live comfortably in their environment again.
Can You Use Your Regular Salt Or Marine Salt For Your Platy Fish?
Well, if you’re looking for a good substitute, then your best bet would be regular table salt. But, once again, the rule is that it has to contain 100% sodium chloride.
If this isn’t available or if you want to use marine salt instead of aquarium sea salt, then what can happen is that your fish won’t have enough electrolytes, and this can lead to salt toxicity.
Plus, you must understand the difference between table salt and marine salt. While both are sodium chloride (NaCl), they have different concentrations, which is why one will be more potent than the other, depending on what type of fish you’re trying to care for.
Aquarium Salt – 18%
Marine Salt – 39%
Table Salt – 100%
It’s important to get the right salt because your fish will have difficulty adjusting if you’re using something different from what they need. In addition, this can lead to stress which is never good for any aquarium inhabitants.
Can You Use Salt On Quarantined Platy Fish?
Yes, you can use salt on quarantined Platy fish. In fact, aquarium salt is often the best treatment for certain diseases in both freshwater and marine environments alike. Quarantine tanks work to keep healthy fish from coming into contact with sick or diseased ones by putting them in a separate container that keeps out light and other disturbances while still providing a safe, comfortable environment.
When it comes to salt in the quarantine tank, there are two different ways you can use it – either as an immersion or bath treatment. The difference between these methods is simply how much of the fish’s body will contact the aquarium salt solution.
If you use both methods too much or without an in-between step, it can cause severe damage to the skin of your Platy. However, this is not a concern if you are using salt as an antibiotic for any diseases that might be present on or in your fish.
You need to take proper training and instructions from a qualified professional for Salt treatments. And you should only use it when necessary – overuse can lead to ich and other diseases, which are a major problem in saltwater tanks and freshwater.
What Diseases Can Aquarium Salt Treat In Platy Fish?
Aquarium salt can treat diseases in your platy fish and is not as harsh on the environment as other treatments.
Aquarium salt can help with many diseases in fish. One of the most common uses for aquarium salt is to cure or prevent fin rot, and tail rot infections are often found on platyfish living in a tank.
When combined with other treatments, such as Methylene Blue and an antibiotic (such as Maracyn II), salt can be a great way to help your fish recover and avoid the infection from returning.
Salt is also used for treating ich, which causes inflammation on external body parts of freshwater fish.
Salt baths are often given in conjunction with other treatments like Pimafix or Maracyn II when dealing with severe Ich infestations.
You can also use salt to treat a variety of external parasites like anchor worms and dropsy.
Aquarium salt will not affect the pH levels in your tank, so there is no need to worry about using it. It’s safe for platyfish too!
Conclusion
Aquarium salt is safe for platyfish and can be an effective treatment option. The best way to use it is by treating your fish with non-iodized rock salt, Epsom salt, or kosher salt bath in conjunction with other treatments such as Methylene Blue and antibiotics like Maracyn II.
If you have any questions about salt and its use as a treatment for fish, please don’t hesitate to contact your veterinarian.