Myth Or Truth? Less Parasites With Lower Salinity?

[brownsugar]

I was wondering if somone could clear this up?

I was given advise that it is better to keep my salinity lower towards the 1.023 level as opposed to the 1.026 level due to marine fish being more succeptible to parasites at higher salinity.

Would love if some light could be shed to this statement for the benefit for not only me but also other newbies like myself .

 

[smcnally]

This is true, but it only worth doing for a fish only tank.

 

[Andrew]

Its true in some cases but mainly will only take a real affect in a salt level of less then 1.020 I don't recomend this if you have inverts or corals in the tank. You also don't want to lower it alot either.

 

[boxfishpooalot]

false imo.

Fish are more stressed at a salinity that they are not adapted to. If they are in water at lower salinity than 35psu their liver will shut down. Death at an earlier date than expected. Kinda like an alcholic, eventually their liver will fail.

Imo if you feed your fish a lot of good nutritious food they will fight off any disease with water quality being good. Also rapid salinity changes will cause the fish to stress because the fish needs to put out more energy to maintain its internal blood water level. Osmorgulation is increased and disease fighting is decreased.The fish gets sick.

Marine fish constantly battle loosing water, while freshwater battle loosing salt. The same thing happens with plants. The difference in ion pressure from the soil(water) causes the water to raise up the stalk and feed the plant water. As its dry the water from the leaves pushes back down, causing browning and dead leaves. Thats another non-reef related topic though

 

[Billybeau1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6769850#post6769850 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by boxfishpooalot
Fish are more stressed at a salinity that they are not adapted to. If they are in water at lower salinity than 35psu their liver will shut down.

Yo Box, Good morning to ya.

I'll have to disagree with you on this one. Those of us that have a fish only tank get great benefits of keeping our SG a little lower. Say around 1.020 to 1.022 - Now I'll agree with the parasite thing as parasites will adapt to changes in salinity. That is not the benefit. With a lower salinity, fish actually are less stress as breathing becomes easier. If you understand how a fish breathes, which I'm sure you do, it makes sense. Now I havent asked the fish if they like it better, but I can tell you I've had my tank around 1.020 for a long time and have a very low loss rate. My fish are happy and healthy. Heck my LFS keeps his store at 1.022. Of course he has fish only. I can tell you this. I have never had an ick outbreak in my tank. (knocking on wood). I do have parasites however. I know this because my cleaner wrasse is a busy little beaver. I'm not an expert by no means but seeing is believing.

 

[boxfishpooalot]

Well, I like to keep my fish in natural salt levels. Not the salinity that eustuaries(rivers enroaching into the ocean) are at.

 

[WaterKeeper]

Not true, at least for the slightly reduced salinities used in most tanks. You'd need to run the tank near hyposalinity levels of 1.009 to really do much good and that would pretty much kill off the parasites as well as any inverts you had it the tank. Running at like 1.023 is not going to do a thing.

 

[boxfishpooalot]

Well, fwiw I agree. Most important for salinity imo is once you pick an appropriate* salinity keep it there for best health. Fluctuating salinity really puts a damper on fish, especially inverts like snails and starfish.

 

[six.line]

Always agree with the guy who can poke both your eyes out.

 

[TippyToeX]

Why change the SG of the main tank when you could not have that problem at all, by quarantining and treating there.

 

[WaterKeeper]

Curly can still see.