# Do cichlids really need salt?



## cannsyl (Mar 5, 2009)

I have a pretty high pH 8.4 and my water is pretty hard too...I am wondering if cichlids really need salt in their water?


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

If you mean sodium chloride, then no ... unless you are keeping _Etroplus suratensis_.


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## cannsyl (Mar 5, 2009)

well, yes I ment aquarium salt. I have been reading mixed reviews some people say they add salt with every water change some say they are fresh water fish and need no salt...


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## joe_kool315 (Apr 6, 2006)

well depends ... african cichlids would do well to have some sort of "salt" additive especially if your dealing with wild caught specimens (F0 or W0 for some folks) as the rift lakes have a high mineral/sodium content when compared to most freshwater bodies. Cichlid lake salt is a good one to use in this case as it had a vast majority of those elements and actually a fairly low sodium content. It replicates the mineral content pretty well especially when mixed in concert with the Tanganyikan/Malawian buffers.

as for south American or north American ... it's not as crucial to have a salt additive. I do however add salt to all of my tanks, even planted, for my own personal reasons and the fact that I've had much success in keeping different species that way. the "salt" debate can get heated and messy on both sides and much like the evil little egg, scientists switch sides every few years on whether they deem it "good or bad". I think the last "studies:" I read up on were against the blanket use of salt in freshwater but it wasn't convincing enough to outweigh my own experiences.

There are some freshwater species that can't tolerate any ... or very very little salt content ... cories I hear are very salt intolerant for example. I don't keep them myself but that's what I hear and 1 of several reasons I choose not to keep them.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Rift lake salts don't have a lot of sodium chloride in them, where 'aquarium salt' does. Aquarium salt is best used for specific illnesses (bloat and ich come to mind) but is not an everyday use type of thing.

If your water is lacking in trace elements (like iodine) then rift lake salts will do the trick, but they are much more spendy than 'aquarium salt.'

I believe there are some ultra rare middle eastern cichlids that are actually brackish water, as is the aforemented Green Chromide ... rift lake cichlids are deffinately not though. :thumb:


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

If you already have pH of 8.4 then your water could naturally have all the minerals required. I wouldn't add anything. It's almost impossible to know for sure.


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## PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn (Dec 26, 2005)

dwarfpike said:


> Rift lake salts don't have a lot of sodium chloride in them, where 'aquarium salt' does. Aquarium salt is best used for specific illnesses (bloat and ich come to mind) but is not an everyday use type of thing.
> 
> If your water is lacking in trace elements (like iodine) then rift lake salts will do the trick, but they are much more spendy than 'aquarium salt.'
> 
> I believe there are some ultra rare middle eastern cichlids that are actually brackish water, as is the aforemented Green Chromide ... rift lake cichlids are deffinately not though. :thumb:


you'd be surprised, look at what the main ingredient of Seachems rift salts are

I need to finish my article, which shows how to get the correct proportions to the lakes.

with no sodium chloride to be seen.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Well they aren't supposed to have sodium chloride!! :lol:

In the old days, we just used RO waste water because no one trusted those new fangled rift lake salts ...!


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## PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn (Dec 26, 2005)

only problem with RO waste water is higher nitrates than out the tap.

personally, I currently use Sodium bicarb, and Epsom salts, as my water comes out at less than 1GH or KH


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