Pet Forum / Aquaria / Goldfish / February 2008

ALL fish need a water conditioner unless it's well water that does not
have heavy metals in it. If in doubt add conditioner. Salt can be
added to balance the tank at the rate of 1 tbsp per 10 gallons. You
can use more salt if there are problems with illness. If illness is
the problem please let us know so we can advise you.

once unless you replace all the water.  

Salt doesn't evaporate like water does.
The only time you would add more is after a water change.
Say for example you took out 5g's ( just an example number), of tank
water from a 20g tank. Then you add 5g's of fresh water.
You wouldn't add the same amount of salt for a 20g again.
You would add salt to treat the 5g's of new water.
LuAnn.....you mentioned AquaPlus removing chloramine too.
Please read the bottle carefully for me right now.
Does it say anything "breaks the bond" (between ammonia and
chlorine..which is chloramine)?
Does it then go to say anything about detoxifying the free ammonia?
Does it say anything about using another product or doing a water
change because of free ammonia left after the bond is broken between
chlorine and ammonia?
I know that may sound crazy, but it's very important.
Stress Coat claims it "neutralizes chloramine".
All it does is break the bond, leaving free ammonia in the water.
The bottle doesn't tell you that.
I called the company and asked if it just breaks the bond or does it
detoxify the free ammonia too. I was told it breaks the bond.
I asked specifically then....does it treat the free ammonia? He
said..."No".
When I asked how then can you claim it neutalizes chloramine on the
bottle when it clearly does not...
He said, "Technically, it *is* neutralizing chloramine, and the free
ammonia that's left is minimal".
Tricky wording on the bottle.
I use Stress Coat all the time. It's a great water conditioner.
However, not for anyone who's town uses chloramine.
*side not*....if you don't already know...you can call your town's
water department to check which they use.
If you get an "I'm not sure about that" kind of answer, just say
something like you really need to know, because if they're using
chloramine, you need a special water conditioner for your fish tank.
It's amazing the laziness you can run into when you ask a Q that the
person answering the phone lines doesn't know the answer to.
I've heard enough "bull doo doo" to fertilize a farmer's fields.
Hopefully your town doesn't have a lazy person (who will try and
bullsh*t you instead of getting somebody who knows what they're
talking about) answering the calls.