Guppies are a quite popular type of fish. They belong to a group that it’s called the livebearers. Now, there are lots of things that explain their popularity such as their beauty and resistance. Still, they can contract parasites, which is obviously terrible for any fish’s health. A great solution that many people do is to put salt in the aquarium. The problem is that you can’t do that to every fish.
So, can you put aquarium salt in with guppies? You can put aquarium salt in with guppies. You just have to worry about the quantity that you put in and the frequency that you do it. You can’t add salt all the time because it will cause harm in the long-term. 1 tablespoon per five gallons is the perfect proportion. It will help with stress and external parasite prevention such as ich.
Now, if you can put salt in the aquarium – which will be determined by the kind of fish that you have in there. In the case of guppies, you can do it – it’s the best thing that you can do. It’ll improve the fish’s quality of life significantly.
So, if you want to learn how to do it, and why you should do it, keep reading. In this article, you can see how the salt helps the fish, and how you should go about it. You don’t want to be the person that puts too much food for the fish and ends up eliminating the oxygen in the water.
Salt Helps With Stress
The main reason to put aquarium salt in your aquarium is to help to lessen the stress that fishes are subjected to. The aquarium salt helps with gill functions, and prevent high nitrate absorption, thus reducing stress. This entire cycle also helps the fish’s kidneys work better and more effectively. This promotes better health and longer life expectancy.
Now, it’s important to know how much salt you’re supposed to put in, which you can learn more about below. For now, what you must keep in mind is that adding salt to the aquarium will do wonders for your guppies. You just have to remember that you are not supposed to put too much in and that it’s not every fish that does well with aquarium salt, in case you have other species in there.
So, make sure to put aquarium salt to help to lessen the stress levels. Also, make sure that you’re adding a premium quality aquarium salt since failing to do so may overload the fish’s kidneys. The Instant Ocean Reef Salt is a great quality aquarium salt. It reduces stress levels and improves gills’ functions. Get yours here.
Livebearers Do Not Need Salt Added All The Time
Guppies are livebearers like mollies, platies, and swordtails. They have this classification because they’re aquarium fishes that retain the eggs inside, giving birth to live, free-swimming young. Now, this type of fish does not do well with salt being added all the time to the water. This means that you should put the salt to help with stress but not overdo it.
Most livebearers do not live in salty water. They do have the ability to filter the salt for the short-term while procreating or eating in the ocean. They do not do well long-term in these conditions. That’s why you’re supposed to put salt in the right quantity and not add more all the time. Maybe only when you change the aquarium water.
So, make sure that you do add aquarium salt to make sure that your fish enjoys the benefits that it provides. Still, also make sure that you do not put too much salt all the time to not cause harm to the fish in the long-term.
1 Tablespoon Per Five Gallons Is The Best
The recommended quantity of aquarium salt is to put 1 tablespoon per five gallons of water. This is the best proportion for this type of fish and most others as well. This will ensure that your guppies get the benefit of the aquarium salt as a stress reliever without overloading their kidneys in the long run. The best thing is that with all the gill functions optimized, their life expectancy also increases.
The best thing that you can do is to always make sure that you put in the right quantity and that you do it in the right frequency. Since fish are not like dogs and cats that let you know when they’re hungry or need a water change, you need to remind yourself of that all the time. The best system is to get an automatic fish feeder. This will ensure they eat on time, and you can even try to use it to remember to put the salt in.
So, remember to put 1 tablespoon per five gallons of water that you have in the aquarium. If you have less, try to be proportionate to the quantity of water. Also do not forget to change the salt and feed the fishes. Use an automatic fish feeder. The Zacro Automatic Fish Feeder is the most modern one. Check it out here.
It’s Effective Against External Parasites
Another reason to put aquarium salt in with guppies, it’s that it’s great to rid the water of parasites. External fish parasites like ich are pretty common. It’s also quite hard to get rid of them without external help. The best way that you can prevent or treat it, it’s with aquarium salt. If you have seen a fish with lots of luminescent dots like a Christmas tree, that’s the parasites we’re talking about. They harm the fish’s health, so you must get rid of them.
Now, the best course of action is to put aquarium salt in. It helps with improving the fish’s immune system, which is the perfect solution to fight off the parasites. Also, it helps to kill them as well. It may take some time, but it will end all the external parasites if you put aquarium salt in.
So, make sure that you follow the 1 tablespoon per five gallons of water ratio to treat ich and other parasites. For this specifically, you may want to use special aquarium salt. The Red Sea Fish Pharm is perfect for external parasite treatment. It ends them faster than most aquarium salts. Grab yours here.
If You Add It All The Time, It May Cause Harm
Now, it’s important to make it clear again that adding too much salt is not good long-term. It can overload the fish’s kidneys and make the water inhospitable for freshwater fishes like guppies. This is why it’s about quantity. If you exceed what’s recommended, you’re likely to have problems.
The best that can be done is to follow instructions. Like most things is in life, doing too much of this is the problem. So, put in the right quantity for the type of fish you have and the quantity of water your aquarium can hold.
What you may want to consider is the size of your aquarium. It’s pretty common to start with one fish and love it so much that soon you have 10-20 fish. You’re going to need a bigger aquarium in this case. That’s when you should change. The MarineLand 5 Gallon is the best large-sized aquarium for people that want to have more than just a couple of fish. Take a look here.
Depending On The Type Of Salt The Quantity May Change
It’s important to always read the label. Some brands and salt types require different quantities. The 1 tablespoon per five gallons is standard, but it doesn’t mean that it applies to every salt type.
Depending on what you want, you may consider trying aquarium salt that creates a mini ocean in your aquarium. These are high-quality aquarium salt that creates the perfect environment for fish.
So, in this case, you may need to use way less salt for every water gallon that you have in your aquarium. The Instant Ocean Sea Salt is the best premium quality aquarium salt you can find. Click to view pricing on Amazon here.
Watch Out For Stress Signals
You should always pay attention to stress signals in your fish. They worsen their health and may cause early death. They’re usually caused by parasites, bad gill functioning, and high nitrate absorption.
The best course of action that you take is to watch out for the signals. If your fish isn’t eating, swimming, or it looks colorless, it’s likely the sign of stress. That’s when you should consider changing the water, putting in salt, and changing the food.
So, since you have the water and salt part right, consider changing the food you provide. A lot goes unnoticed about how important it is to give high-quality food to fish. It increases their life expectancy and improves their overall health. The TetraFin Balanced Food is the best premium quality fish food out there. Go and get yours here.
Final Thoughts
So, you can add aquarium salt in with guppies. It reduces their stress levels by helping with gill functioning, nitrate absorption, and killing off external parasites. Just make sure that you’re putting in the right quantity of salt for the amount of water that your aquarium holds.