Does Salt affect BioSpira Cycling?

[SriAngel]

I just recently treated my main tank with hyde and it knocked my filter back. I have noticed that my biofilter has taken a big hit..showing Ammonia levels of 1.0. However with my really soft water my water naturally goes to below 6.0 pH. None of the fish show any signs of stress so im assuming i have more ammonium. My question is will adding salt at 2tbs per 10 gallons affect the biospira in its initial cycling phase?

[Graham]

The salt won't affect the nitrifiers but why are you adding salt?

At a pH of 6.0 all NH3 would be in the form of NH4 and have no affect on the fish

[SriAngel]

Thank you Graham,

I do 90 percent water changes, and the water is still cloudy. I wipe down everything and scrub the walls of my tank..and the water is still cloudy. What i've noticed with the salt is that when adding it the water becomes crystal clear..and the fish are very happy. Their colors lighten and they eat like crazy. Also the reason why my biofilter went down was the treatment of formalin, to treat an ich outbreak. The salt and the elevated temperature should keep the outbreak in check i think

[Graham]

Hi, salt at the level your adding it at will have absolutely no effect on any parasite that's present....the level just isn't strong enough. High temps, unles really high will also not affect Ich. The F&MG should have looked after it.

The cloudy water may just be from a bacterial bloom but the salt wouldn't have much to do with it , from anything I can think of.:confused:

Have you checked the nitrite levels. Salt will protect the fish from this

G

[SriAngel]

Hey Graham,

I dont know what it is but i know its not subjective. I can empiracally see that the water is clearer in the morning after i have added the salt at night after the water change. The fish also seem to have more of an appetite. The fact that my water out of the tap is less than 1 degree gH might have soemthing to do with it.

[brewmaster15]

Hi,
you are doing 90% water out of the tap...are you on city or well?

You may be stressing the fish and the salt would help ease stress so that may explain the better appearance and appetite.

As for the cloudy water...at 90% water changes a day... you may not have much of a biofilter to begin with...


Try backing off to 50% and see what happens... I'd stop with the salt as even if it is helping...it could be masking a potential problem ... or creating a long term one...

A wild guess would be that the salt is affecting the charge on the organic matter in the tank...and if that is happening it could make this matter stick together and be more easily removed from the tank..Is that happening..I have no idea if it even can...but it seems possible I guess.

hth,
al