Salt for Nitrite?

Kodiak,

You are correct, partially, in your statement. The chloride only protects
against the nitrite poisoning of the blood if the chloride levels are 10 to
1 over the nitrite levels. That is to say, if your nitrite is .2ppm in your
tank your chloride level in the water must be 2ppm. Just putting salt in
your tank is not going to protect your fish unless you maintain this ratio.
This also means that if the nitrite level increases so must the chloride
rate according to the ratio if you want to maintain the protection.

This idea of adding salt is not a magic pill of adding some salt to protect
against nitrite poisoning. It is something that has to monitored all the
time and responded to if the nitrite gets higher.

This techniques is usually practiced by catfish farmers, who usually
maintain a 50 - 100ppm in their acre size ponds.

To answer your other question, no, putting salt in your new tank is not a
good idea as the salt retards the establishment of the biobugs in your tank
making it to take longer to gain a cycled tank. In addition, salt makes it
harder for the water to hold oxygen, depending on the water temperature. It
could reduce your ppm of oxygen by .5ppm. Oxygen is paramount in
establishing a cycled tank. On the average a long cycling for me is
typically about 2 weeks to obtain a fully cycled tank. The other thing you
have to remember that the warmer the water the less oxygen is being held by
the water.

HTH

Tom L.L.



"Kodiak" <nospam DeleteThis @nospam.com> wrote in message
news:W3Yyb.88063$Ac1.1454000@weber.videotron.net...
> I read somewhere that the Chloride in Salt competes with Nitrite
> to be absorbed by the fish's gills. Having salt effectively creates an
> insurance
> buffer against a potential Nitrite problem.
>
> Does that mean that breaking in a new tank/filer setup, it might be wise
to
> add salt?
> I wonder if the salt slows down or hurts the biobugs?
>
> ...Kodiak
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Salt for Nitrite? 

Wow Tom,
Thanks for the post. my nitrite levels are peaking, very hard to
control. Doing lots of water changes,
the ppm levels of nitrite can hit as high as 3.0ppm peaks. Salt levels are
at 0.2% which is about 2000ppm
far above ten times 3ppm. so i guess I have enough salt but now i think i
have too much. You saying salt impedes
cyclying, what is safe salt level when cycling?

Noted your comment about oxygenation, Have a big airstone with an elite 803
pump blasting away. I guess the more
air when Nitrite levels spike, the better it is for the fish to breath
right? I imagine when things get dangerous, my fish
will be gasping for air at the surface or is it too late?

PS : I'm using Biozyme to help cycle, but it dosen't seem to be working.
Temp is 68degF.
....Kodiak


"Tom La Bron" <tllabron DeleteThis @cimtel.net> wrote in message
news:br210g$pou$1@news.mannford.ok.mbo.net...
> Kodiak,
>
> You are correct, partially, in your statement. The chloride only protects
> against the nitrite poisoning of the blood if the chloride levels are 10
to
> 1 over the nitrite levels. That is to say, if your nitrite is .2ppm in
your
> tank your chloride level in the water must be 2ppm. Just putting salt in
> your tank is not going to protect your fish unless you maintain this
ratio.
> This also means that if the nitrite level increases so must the chloride
> rate according to the ratio if you want to maintain the protection.
>
> This idea of adding salt is not a magic pill of adding some salt to
protect
> against nitrite poisoning. It is something that has to monitored all the
> time and responded to if the nitrite gets higher.
>
> This techniques is usually practiced by catfish farmers, who usually
> maintain a 50 - 100ppm in their acre size ponds.
>
> To answer your other question, no, putting salt in your new tank is not a
> good idea as the salt retards the establishment of the biobugs in your
tank
> making it to take longer to gain a cycled tank. In addition, salt makes
it
> harder for the water to hold oxygen, depending on the water temperature.
It
> could reduce your ppm of oxygen by .5ppm. Oxygen is paramount in
> establishing a cycled tank. On the average a long cycling for me is
> typically about 2 weeks to obtain a fully cycled tank. The other thing
you
> have to remember that the warmer the water the less oxygen is being held
by
> the water.
>
> HTH
>
> Tom L.L.
>
>
>
> "Kodiak" <nospam DeleteThis @nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:W3Yyb.88063$Ac1.1454000@weber.videotron.net...
> > I read somewhere that the Chloride in Salt competes with Nitrite
> > to be absorbed by the fish's gills. Having salt effectively creates an
> > insurance
> > buffer against a potential Nitrite problem.
> >
> > Does that mean that breaking in a new tank/filer setup, it might be wise
> to
> > add salt?
> > I wonder if the salt slows down or hurts the biobugs?
> >
> > ...Kodiak
> >
> >
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Salt for Nitrite?