# Aquarium salt and Cichlid salt



## joe gant (Mar 14, 2013)

I stopped using API aquarium salt and started using SeaChem Cichlid salt for the last 4 50% water changes. Now I am noticing some fish starting to flash. There was no flashing when I was just using the Aquarium salt. Should I use both products. I don't know what the TDS are but everyone is healthy and all my fish I have had for over 2 years. Does anyone use both products?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I would not use either product. What are test results for pH and KH?


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## joe gant (Mar 14, 2013)

My water quality nitrite 0.0, ammonia 0.0, Nitrate is usually below 10 ppm and 20 ppm 15 KH . I started using the aquarium salt when my fish were flashing over a year ago and that seemed to stop it. Then I wanted try to give them the mineral salts that are contained in the lakes of Africa, in particular calcium and potassium so I switched to SeaChem Cichlid lake salt. Now they have started flashing again.


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## joe gant (Mar 14, 2013)

My PH is 8.2


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Is the KH=15 and pH=8.2 what you get from the tap?

I would not associate the disappearance of flashing with the addition of aquarium salt unless they had ich at the time.

Yes, changing the chemical mix of the salt you are adding can cause irritation.


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## joe gant (Mar 14, 2013)

That is what is coming out of the tap it drops to 8.0 before the next water change. When I used the aquarium salt I did not dose it heavily or raise the temperature one tbl for each 5 gallons. I was thinking it was gill mites but it could of been ick I couldn't see it so I was assuming it was in the gills where ick could have started. I thought I might have stopped it from reproducing with the aquarium salt and that was over a year ago.I also used the aquarium salt becasue it irritated the fish to produce a slime coat and added electrolytes. When I started using the SeaChem CS I also started using NovAqua + to add the extra slime coat and electrolytes I know that most fish today are Farm raised so I don't know if they try to simulate the rift lakes. I will not add nothing but Seachem prime during changes and see if that stops the flashing.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Yes I would gradually remove the salt (aquarium or Sea Chem) by doing water changes without additives.


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## joe gant (Mar 14, 2013)

I would thank everyone for there opinions. I stopped using the Aquarium salt and continuing using the SeaChem Cichlid salts because I wanted to give them mineral salts from the lakes and after a few weeks the flashing has stopped. I assume that the water chemistry change from the 1 salt to the other initially irritated the fish and now they are used to the change and all seems good.


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