Dwaf Puffer needs Salt?

[Sjsteveo]

well i was at the pet shop today getting myself another Dwarf Puffer to make it 3 in my tank

and the gurl was like

oh ya do you have salt? or something to measure the salinity in your tank?

i'm like uhh no i don't htink i need one since it's a freshwater puffer

and she's like well ya that's true but they do best with some salt in the tank and we have Aquarium salt that you can put in

and i'm like uhh i heard Aquarium salt sucks though

she's like it's acutelly really good

so i was like okay bye

HMMMMMMMM

is the gurl crazy?

or am i just clueless

[penpitt]

DP's do not need salt in there tanks.

[Pufferpunk]

I am moving this to the Freshwater Puffer forum, where all the puffers in that forum are STRICTLY FW.

[Sjsteveo]

wiat, where did i put it at? i'm so sorry lately my memory is kinda scrwed up SOWWY you can whip me if you want

[Phaedrus]

you've learnt your lesson

[Sjsteveo]

gee i never knew this forum has sexual images of a butt

[Pufferpunk]

Smiley butts don't count as being sexual.

[Phaedrus]

It's just a little good natured horse play is all.

[Hilly]

LOL, they probably ordered a lot and are trying to shift it. Chances are she has said that same pitch many a time that day.

[Boxermom]

Horse play? I thought this was a family friendly forum.

[Myaj]

Hey, I have horses, they're part of my family and I play with them.. So yeah!



Sj, most pet store employee's are "taught" that all fish do better if aquarium salt is used (not to mention they are generally taught that all puffers "do okay in freshwater but appreciate some salt"). Its a huge myth in the hobby and of course, they get to sell more product, making more money for the store. Aquarium salt has its uses, but for the average, every day setup, its really worthless. It doesn't make brackish water, so even for brackish fish, its not the right thing to buy.

So your dwarf puffers are just fine in plain old freshwater.

[Boxermom]

It doesn't make brackish water, so even for brackish fish, its not the right thing to buy.

I can't tell you how many times I've argued with people about this. They insist that mollies and platies MUST be in brackish water and that the brackish water MUST be made with aquarium salt. Its really rather frustrating. Even after sending them RTR's salt article link, they insist I'm wrong in saying that aquarium salt is not what should be used for "brackish" fish.

[RTR]

You can lead a horse to water,
but you can't make him drink.
You can lead a hobbyist/LFS clerk to fact,
but you can't make them think.

Also remember that the old quotation is "I think, therefore I am."

Unfortunately, it is not, and it will never be "I am, there I think correctly."

[Boxermom]

Funny that you say that. I came up with my own saying today. You can take a dog to the backyard but you can't make her pee. Its pouring rain so during breaks in the storm, I tried taking the dogs out (they hate getting wet).

Sorry, back to topic. Its amazing to me how many people in the hobby know what they know and refuse to consider that what they know may be outdated or wrong. Its like they think its some sort of character flaw or something to have an open mind and be open to learning.

[Myaj]

ROFL.. good one RTR!

Yep, they don't understand that there is a lot more than sodium to it.