Aquarium salt?

Question

I have a 55 gallon heated freshwater aquarium. I've heard that it is beneficial to add a small amount of table salt to the tank. Is there any truth to this?

Answer 1

Salt does have benefits in the aquarium and I use it with my fish. As you might have guessed from the responses to your question, there's a lot of debate over this issue, even among people who keep fish.

Salt can relieve the effects of higher nitrites in the water on fish during the cycling process. This is because salt (chloride specifically) reduces the amount of nitrite that takes the place of oxygen in the fish's blood (ever wonder why they're gasping for air if you don't change the water soon enough?). Suppliers use a fairly high salt concentration when shipping fish to your pet store - especially if they come from overseas - all those fish together in a little bag for hours at a time produce a lot of wastes, to the point where sometimes the water's so cloudy it's hard to even see the fish. The use of salt during shipping has somewhere in the range of 90% better survival rate over shipping without it.

The most common reasons given for it's use are stress relief and disease prevention, although the "stress relief" is most likely related to reduced nitrite uptake as explained above.

Salt "baths" are a traditional remedy to remove parasites and other pathogens because they don't tolerate salt as well as the fish can in higher concentration. Higher concentrations can also stimulate fish to produce an excessive slime coat to prevent some of the parasites/pathogens from attaching to the fish (at this concentration, the salt can be stressful to the fish as well). Hobbyists , aquaculturists, and veterinarians have recommended low amounts (around 1% or less concentration) in the aquarium as a safe level for preventation for diseases and parasites.

This works by something called osmotic pressure/osmotic balance - a fancy term for the amount of salt and other ions (electrolytes) inside the cells of a fish compared to the amount outside. Salt can easily be expelled from a fish through the gills. So why, then, is there a consistanly higher concentration inside their bodies than outside for freshwater fish? Freshwater fish have specialized cells to help in gathering salt ions from the water. In fact, maintaining this salt balance makes up about 25-50% of the energy expended by a fish. Basically a fish is better adapted for taking in and using salt than are the diseases and parasites that infect them.

How does a fish use the salt? The chloride ions, in addition to use to inhibit nitrite uptake are used in the production of hydrochloric acid - used for food digestion. Sodium ions are used for cell metabolism in a unique way - called "active transport". Not all materials can move freely into an animals' cells. Some require "help", and sodium ions are part of the help, particularly in the movement of potassium, which is used in fluid/electrolyte balance, muscle contraction, and nerve impulse conduction. This type of transport also occurs in humans, too.

Some fish are more sensitive to salt than others, and some are more efficient at aquiring it as well. This should be considered when deciding whether or not to add it, or how much should be added. While it's not absolutely necessary to add it to a tank (and many who don't have kept fish successfully), I've found that by using low amounts that's I've had fewer problems with disease and mortality than I had before I began it's use.

I'll provide some links below for sources and further reading for those interested.

pros and cons of salt use, why table salt isn't recommended:
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/salt.shtml

see "osmoregulation" about halfway down the page:
http://www.oxyedge-chum.com/oxygen_or_salt.htm

veterinarian recommendation - see salt references under specific gravity, general treatment considerations, and clinical signs of disease:
http://www.ahc.umn.edu/rar/MNAALAS/Fish.html

http://journals.aol.com/charlsperli/pond...

http://aquascienceresearch.com/apinfo/sa...

animation of how salt is used in active transport (sodium/potassium pump):
http://www.brookscole.com/chemistry_d/templates/student_resources/shared_resources/animations/ion_pump/ionpump.html

Answer 2

Yes, there is. There is a lot of research backing up the addition of a small amount of salt to an aquarium. Some people like to do it, others don't. Personally I have done so for over 30 years and in practically every tank I have ever owned, including various breeding tanks. The majority of people that disapprove of salt will quickly tell you they have never tried it and so have no personal experience with using it.

The only salt to avoid really is table salt. While most plain table salt is perfectly ok to use, there is though school of thought that the anti-clumping agents are bad for the fish. I have never experienced a problem nor do I personally know anyone that has, but some claim to have had a problem linked to that source. To avoid any possibility of issues with the quality of the salt I would suggest you use Kosher salt.

Add it to the tank at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons and at water changes add only the amount needed to treat the replacement water, not the entire tank. Salt is not removed by evaporation or by filter media such as carbon, that's a very unfortunate myth and easy disproved by the millions of people that use carbon on saltwater aquariums.

Not only it this level safe and beneficial to any fish you are ever likely to encounter, it also kills many of the common fungi found in aquariums. This level will not however treat any parasites, higher levels are required for that.

Hope that helps and feel free to email me if you have any questions.

MM

Answer 3

Not table salt! Aquarium salt is diffrent from table salt usually containing small amounts of iodine and calcium silicate.

By adding the correct salt to your tank it helps the fish 'breath' better and helps reduce stress in general (for new fish or for fish who have an injury or have just had treatments to cure fungus or parisites). It works by incresing gill health and function. Open wounds also will heal better (like they will if you spend time in the ocean).

It is great to add to aquariums with the note that some corys and live plants do not like salt at all. Good Luck!

Answer 4

First of all adding salt to your tank is not going to cure your fish. There is something wrong with the fish. Try lowering the water level in the tank by 1/2-1 inch and allow Dissolved Oxygen to get into the water. Also, what other symptoms does your fish have? Since your other goldfish are not suffering from any type of lethargic behavior does your moor eat? swim at all? ANY salt including table salt will do. The amount of iodine in the salt is needed by your fish, plants and all living things. This is another myth that iodine will kill fish. Every living creature needs iodine. Iodine is sold in fish stores to be added to your fresh water aquarium especially if you have shrimp, crabs or plants. Feel free to email me and I will try to help you with your fish.

Answer 5

Table salt is different than Aqaurium Salt. Do not use iodized table salt.

That depends upon the type of fish you keep. If you have scaleless fish such as cats, cory's, loaches ect. then aquarium salt should not be used, but for most fish, 1 rounded tablespoon per 5 u.s. gallons can be used as a tonic to help with osmotic balance, build slime coat, and immunity. It can also increase the efficacy of some medicines when treating fish illnesses.

Answer 6

Aquarium salt is good when first starting an aquarium. If you have a nitrite spike before anerobic bacteria have a chance to convert your nitrites to nitrates, it will inhibit the uptake of nitrites into your fish's gills, helping to avoid nitrite poisoning. Its similar to taking potasium iodide in humans when there is nuclear fallout present.

After that initial period, take it or leave it. Personally I take it, even in my planted tanks I'll put a little salt in.

Just stay away from table salt. Use pure sea salt, kosher pickling salt, or aquarium salt. The iodine is harmless in table salt but the anti-caking & dessicants in table salt are bad for fish.

Answer 7

Salt can protect a fish from a number of diseases and parasites by building up their natural slime coat. It can be benefical, but its not necessary. Don't use table salt as it can have chemicals in it that will harm your fish. Use kosher salt, or freshwater aquarium salt. One tablespoon per 10 gallons.

Answer 8

The iodine in table salt is deadly to aquatic animals.

Types of Salt suitable for use with Goldfish

Doc Wellfish's Freshwater Aquarium Salt Evaporated sea salt, provides the correct balance of electrolytes and minerals needed for proper respiration, healthy gill function and osmotic balance. Provides protection from toxic nitrite.


Jungle Freshwater Aquarium Salt Evaporated sea salt, provides the correct balance of electrolytes and minerals needed for proper respiration, healthy gill function and osmotic balance. Provides protection from toxic nitrite.



Canning Salt, Pickling Salt, and/or Rock Salt- make sure it is a pure granulated salt that does not contain potassium iodide, dextrose or any anti-caking agent. In other words, it does not contain any additives.




Method of Adding Salt

You don't want to just throw the salt grains into your tank. Here are some methods of adding salt.
1.) hang in fish net over aquarium to dissolve slowly
2.) ziplock bag with small holes poked in it hooked over edge of tank
3.) dissolve in a cup or bucket of tank water and add

Salt as a "Tonic"

Salt may be used to help heal wounds or make fish less stressed. For this you you need only a 0.1% solution, or 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon. Salt should only be kept in the tank for the duration of treatment, not indefinitely.

Answer 9

NOT table salt. Aquarium salt will help slime coat growth and improve the health of fish other than scaleless fish such as catfish and loaches, they can't tolerate salt very well.

Answer 10

This has been a debate raging for many years. I have been keeping fish for more than 30 years and raise Koi and goldfish for show and sale. I have never used salt in any of my tanks. Some fish do not need salt added. There are pros and cons to adding salt. However replacing electrolites is not one of them. Minerals, electrolites as well as potassium and other items are reintroduced to your tank with routine water changes. There are a lot of arguements to using and not using however I have yet to see a benefit for using it.

Some will also argue it kills parasites. In the small amounts in the tank, it does nothing for parasites (mostly ich). Iodines are usually added to certain tanks for various reasons, since all animals require it. However aquarium salt does not contain iodine. This is for snails, inverts (shrimp) etc.

I have not found any truth in using salt. Besides much of the salt you add will be pulled out by your carbon filter anyway. Carbon does not distinguish between inorganic and organic.

For every web page and forum page that says salt is good, I can give you 5 that say it isn't.