Question

[Nanette]

Hi, I've been reading a lot of articles that recommend aquarium salt to be added to the tanks for control of various ailments. I had a 20 gal. tank about 10 yrs ago in which I used salt. I didn't know of its beneficial attributes at the time but now that I know would like to add to our current tank as we have lost a couple tetras for unknown reasons.

My question is will salt harm the already established plants that are growing in there? Unfortunately I have no idea what the plants are, one is wisteria (don't know real name) the others are fern-like plants.

Thanks, Nanette

[aquak]

Welcome to the forum! I don't think salt will solve the problem in your tank because it is very overstocked. It would be best if you got a much larger tank or new homes for many of the fish. Disease is caused by stress and overstocking is very stressful to the fish. You don't say how many angelfish you have, but it's plural so I assume it's at least 2. Angels need 10 gallons each, and should be kept in tanks 30 gallons or (preferably) larger. Even that is sometimes not large enough for 2 if they don't get along. If by "kissers" you mean gouramis, they also need much more room. They can get up to 10 inches each. I can't be sure how many inches of fish you have, but at a minimum (if right now the gouramis aren't more than 5 inches each and you have no more than 2 angelfish), your fish would overstock a tank twice the size of yours and when everyone is mature you might need a 70 gallon to keep them all happy. Keep the plants, they are helpful, but gouramis are sensitive to salt and I wouldn't advise using it. What kind of minnows are they?

[Nanette]

Thanks for your reply. The gouramis are about 2" long at the moment. I was afraid I might be overstocked. I am partial to angels, I have 4.

I was under the impression it was 1" of fish per gallon. I did not take into account the length they would be when full grown.

So for now all the fish go except the angels. My hubby is purchasing me a new tank for x-mas next yr. The one I've been looking at would fit a corner & I believe it is 75 gal. At present the angels are about 1", can they survive in a 20 gal. until then?

The minnows were purchased as feeder fish & called red belly minnows. There are 2 in the tropical tank but the rest live in the bottom of the turtle tank so these 2 can go there too.

Well thank you very much for your comments & suggestions.
Nanette

[aquak]

I am also partial to angels and once had 4 in a 40 gallon. That's how I learned my lesson. The 1" per gallon is only true for smaller fish. Most of the larger fish need much more room, but it varies. Gouramis are one exception, but they will fight, so it's better to have only one. Your angels will become overcrowded as they mature and will start to fight. You can watch and see how it goes. If they mature slowly or if you have only one male it might work out for a year. Once they pair up and start to breed, however, even a 75 might not be enough for four. I am getting ready to find out. I have 2 in a 70 and am adding a breeding pair that are overcrowded in someone else's tank. It is a trial only. They might get along OK, but if they don't we'll separate them. It is even stressful on them when they breed and have to deal with other fish if it's a community tank. They take over three fourths of the tank and everyone else has to hang on one end. The fry don't usually make it unless they are separated and in a tank with no gravel. This is also stressful for the parents. So, you see, it can get rather complicated with angels! They are beautiful, though, and I think, worth the trouble. BTW, the odd-shaped tanks, and particularly high tanks, cannot be stocked as full as the rectangular ones. Here is a site that can help you calculate the number of fish you can have (keeping in mind that the inch per gallon rule is very general and for smaller fish):

http://frontosa.com/tank_calculator/