Question about aquarium salt?

[jmann]

I had a question about aquarium salt. I use it in my oscar and red devil tank. I was just curious if you should use it in all tanks.

[NJ Devils Fan]

It is much debated about using salt in a freshwater tank. People here will give you many different opinions.

[jmann]

I have read in a few places about it. The sites I have read from say that it combats stress and promotes healing.

[wetmanNY]

Here's another point of view and some links: www.skepticalaquarist.com

[Faramir]

I see no reason to use it with Oscars.

Problem is you don't know what's in it - sure, NaCl, but what else? If they won't tell, I won't use it.

[Heady]

If you use salt you should use aquarium salt or plain salt (NOT iodized). Using iodized salt in your tank can poison your fish.

Personally, I like to throw some in whenever the fish seem stressed or when I throw some newbies in. It makes sense to me that most fish like at least SOME salts in their water... the well water where I live doesn't have much in the way of ions in it so I add every once in awhile.

I think I remember hearing that fish do better when they have a certain balance of electrolytes in the water (a different balance for different fish)...

[OrionGirl]

Using iodized salt will only cause a problem if you put in enough salt to pickle the fish.

Iodine is needed by fish just as it is by humans. The amount in table salt is trivial. You can safely use table salt. As long as it's NaCl, you're okay. There may be other additives in some salts that aren't great, but iodine isn't one of them.

And, yes, I use table salt for my fish, when needed for medicating or treating high nitrite levels. Heck, many moons ago I used to use 4 tsp/gallon table salt with my molly tank--big, beautiful fish. Healthy as the proverbial horse. And, they never had goiters.

Let's not encourage myth. If you 'hear' something, always investigate it to verify if there's logic/facts at work, or just an oft cited statement.

[superstein61]

Well, my LFS have always advocated salt in the tank. So thats what I did when I started. now, after more research and several years of experience, I have decided I don't need it - so I no longer use salt.

there are definitely two schools of thought on this - but quite frankly, I don't notice any difference with or without - so I leave it out now

[JSchmidt]

In concert with Oriongirl's common sense answer, I offer the following link to RTR's excellent article on salt and its use.

http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/salt.html

Salt is NOT necessary for most freshwater fish. Whether it is tolerated well or not is another question...

Jim

[Heady]

There are many sites that say only NON-iodized salt should be used. In fact I would have to say OrionGirl is in the minority, saying that iodized salt is GOOD for fish.

This is just a small sample of sites that recommend non-iodized salt:

http://www.petsmart.com/articles/article_104.shtml#salinity
http://www.*****************/information/aquarium_salt.htm#top2
http://www.aquadesign.co.uk/article%20on%20using%20salt%20to%20help%20sick%20f ish.htm
http://www.vetcentric.com/magazine/magazineArticle.cfm?ARTICLEID=1353
http://freshaquarium.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestfish.com%2Ff wsalt.html
http://www.fish-disease.com/Treatment.htm
http://www.*****************/information/recommended_treatment.htm
http://www.plantconnection.com/GardenInfo/WATERSickFish.cfm
http://www.bestfish.com/tips/041599.html
http://www.easyfishkeeping.com/coldwaterfish/sickfish.htm
http://www.koivet.com/html/coolstuff/letters_details.php?letter_id=10
http://www.texaskoi.com/Articles/goldfish_floating_problems.htm
http://www.elmersaquarium.com/c105maintenancechart.htm
http://www.nativefish.org/Articles/BasicAquariumCare.htm
http://www.elmersaquarium.com/h125salt.htm
http://www.aquariumsite.com/fish/black_molly.php
http://www.koivet.com/html/coolstuff/letters_details.php?letter_id=25
http://www.santafefish.com/acclimat.html http://www.njscuba.net/biology/aqua_water.html http://www.bio.utexas.edu/courses/bio354l/Projects/2000/ginger_hsieh/

Note: Cories are particularly sensitive to salt, whereas livebearers (including mollies) like extra salt.

OrionGirl - I have been a fishkeeper a long time myself. I am not a newbie, and I have many other aquarist friends. You are the first person I talked to who has suggested that iodized salt is NOT bad for fish. If anything, I would have to say that iodized salt not being bad for fish as a general rule would have to be the "hearsay". Whether or not aquarium salt in general helps fish is debatable; however, when aquarium salt is recommended, many more sources recommend non-iodized salt rather than iodized salt. Just because you got lucky does not mean it is safe.

I would never do anything that even has the possibility of putting my fishes' lives in jeopardy. Therefore I NEVER use iodized salt - and none of my fish have had goiter. Until it is scientifically proven and commonly accepted that iodized salt does not harm fish, I am going to continue using non-iodized salt in my own tanks, as well as recommending that others only use non-iodized salt in theirs.

[RTR]

Heady, I'm sorry, but you are mistaken to believe that iodized salt is harmful for fish. Yes, many sites and many LFS will tell you it is bad, and then try to sell you "aquarium salt" of undefined and unknown content and purity. The others are just repeating popular mythology. Do those sites also say the Nitrosomas and Nitrobacter are the freshwater nitrification bacteria? Mis-information is really difficult to eradicate...mythology goes on forever.

And goiter is not common in fish, but certain groups are rather prone to it.

Corydorus cats withstand therapeutic levels of salt quite well for the defined term of treatment. The popular myth that a bit of salt will kill them is just that, a popular myth. They certainly do not need salt in their water, but then neither do the other common fish in tanks where it is so frequently added.

BTW, I do not add salt to my tanks, but I do a bit of iodine to the planted tanks as I use shrimp as scavengers and algae eaters. Amazingly enough, this does not kill any of the fish - they continue living and breeding normally.

If you are uncomfortable using iodized salt in your tanks, by all means do not use it. But please do not spread the myth that it will damage or kill fish without real evidence supporting that concept - which a random sampling of your referenced sites failed to do. If you know of a reference offering such experimental proof, please repost it, as I would be happy to replicate the experiment and report the results.

[Heady]

RTR - Until it is a scientifically proven and thus commonly accepted fact that iodized salt is not harmful to fish, I am not going to add it to my tanks and I am going to continue to recommend to others that they should not use it in their tanks. If you are going to suggest a change that goes against the advice of thousands of fishkeepers across the world, the burden of proof is on your shoulders.

It would be an interesting experiment to see what would happen if you added iodized salt at the concentrations recommended for aquarium/non-iodized salt on an ongoing basis. I would like to hear the results, as I am not willing to risk my own fishes' lives to test your theory.

[wetmanNY]

I'm looking at a few of Heady's links and I do find recommendations here and there about the uses of salt in mitigating the effects of nitrite or dealing with Saprolegiasis, but so far no warnings about iodine.

When you're in the land of freshwater salt, you're in the land of magic. People get very offended easily...

[Heady]

Then you didn't read the information. Try again! They all specify non-iodized salt.

Easily offended? My post that said:

"If you use salt you should use aquarium salt or plain salt (NOT iodized). Using iodized salt in your tank can poison your fish."

was answered with...

"Let's not encourage myth. If you 'hear' something, always investigate it to verify if there's logic/facts at work, or just an oft cited statement."

[RTR]

Since I consider the addition of salt to FW tanks on an ongoing basis to to be at exactly the same level of mythology as the toxicity of iodine, I cetainly will not do this to my fish, as they do not need it and it will do nothing for their well-being. My water has plenty of electrolytes, more than enough TDS.

I have however added iodized salt to tanks containing Cory cats at 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons per gallon for periods of >10 days up to ~ 3 weeks without any toxicity.

And then my brackish fish get marine mix, which incorporates iodine as well. No toxicity is seen.

Once water changes were considered harmful also, but myths do eventually die.

[superstein61]

Boy, is this Friday Night Fight Night on Aquaria Central ??? :D this thread and one of Luca's lead me to that conclusion ;)

I do understand where Heady is coming from - I know many web sites / fish stores always mention Aquarium Salt - or non-iodized salt.

That said, I also know that several good reference books of mine simply mention salt -- and a couple even note there are traces of Iodine in the water - which led me to believe a while ago that Aquarium Salt is just another marketing gimmick for the fish keeping industry. Just like the sand or gravel you can buy for 10 times less than your LFS at the hardware store. Or just like the light bulbs you can get for 1/3 the cost at the hardware store.

When it comes to relying on web sites or good reference books - I'll go the reference book route myself

[JSchmidt]

After hearing the nonsense about the dangers of iodized salt for years, it is understandable that some have trouble letting go of that particular myth. In the several years I've been keeping fish, I've seen more and more people respond to the logic of why iodine, in the levels found in salt, isn't harmful. Use of iodized salt has become fairly typical among experienced aquarists (those that frequent the boards I visit, anyway) and there has been not a SINGLE report of adverse effect that could even remotely be attributed to iodized salt. If iodized salt were toxic to fish, I'd expect to see a slew of reported fish deaths.

I would ask, besides the fact that some people hold the belief, what proof is there that iodized salt is dangerous. I don't need to see any controlled experiments, but even a logically presented argument detailing the dangers to fish tissue from iodine at the concentrations that might actually be in tank water would be a start. I never hear any support for the dangers of iodine except that a lot of people have repeated it over the years.

So lets forget the historical prejudice against iodized salt and talk about the facts. What makes iodine dangerous?

Jim

[Woozledad]

I am a newbie, have only had my tank going for a little under 4weeks... I am doing a fishy cycle, which is going wonderfully... Currently the 29g tank houses 2 guppies, 2 swordtails and 3 cory cats.... I added two cories and one swordtail almost two weeks ago...

Anyway, from day 1 I have added table salt, iodized, to the tank...1/2 tsp per gallon and my fish have done very well. My guppie had babies, but unfortunately I didn't get her into the breeder tank fast enough, and the babies became fish food...One of the babies was able to survive 2 days before becoming a swordtails afternoon snack...

Before adding salt I read numerous websites that said adding salt was a good idea...Typically, the sites that said NOT to use table salt conviniently sold "Aquarium Salt"... Frankly, If I made my living by selling fish supplies, I would push the over priced "Aquarium Salt" also.... I don't think there is enough Iodine in table salt to be poisonous to my fish, and so far, the proof is in my tank....

JMHO...

Michael

[Cookie]

The danger with iodized salt is not from the iodide, but from the anti caking agents, according to the actual myth. However, it seems that people use table salt with no ill effect, so even the anticaking agents don't seem to be harmful.

I looked it up and it seems that the most common anticaking agent is calcium silicate. I can see why this doesn't pose any problems.

[JSchmidt]

You're right that the anti-caking agents are often listed as the culprits, but iodine is equally (more frequently?) fingered as the offending chemical. Even non-iodized salt may contain anti-caking agents. Morton's Kosher non-iodized salt contains yellow prussiate of soda (ominous sounding, ain't it!) as an anti-caking agent, I believe.

I expect the same argument holds -- that anti-caking agents would so diluted in the concentrations we use as to be meaningless.

Jim

[Cookie]

Yes, you're right. Sodium ferrocyanide does sound worse, and is.

I know that iodide is fingered just as often, but has never been a legitimate concern.

[RTR]

Jim - they say 'yellow prussiate of soda' on the containers, because if they put the real name, sodium ferrocyanide or sodium ferricyanide (I don't know which form they use), folks far beyond the aquarium world would panic. Cyanide? Poison gas! Head for the hills!

:rolleyes:

[wetmanNY]

Blood on the highway? Hi folks, just cruising through. Saw a salt thread going to a second page, with RTR sucked in...

Hi! RTR, want a lift?

[RTR]

LOL! You know well that salt and its associated mythology is a major hot button - but there are so many associated mths that it is effectively multple topics in one.

[Cookie]

Yah know, I never stated my opinion! Just for the record, my opinion is that salt is only good for fish that like water with a high ionic strength, like mollies, and slightly useful for treating parasites.

[wetmanNY]

For treating skin parasites and free-swimming Ich swarmers, as a half-hour dip to make gill flukes let go before quarantine-- salt has therapeutic uses. But as a teaspoon to five gallons permanently, on an "it-couldn't-hurt" basis... no.

Today's NY Times had a piece about the hundred-year battle against the "catch a chill going out with your hair damp" common cold theory, that no amount of genuine science can dislodge. I kept thinking of all the people adding hot water to keep their water changes within 2 degrees, "not to get Ich."

[beviking]

I'll get an itch if I go out with damp hair? What? Oh, only if it's 2 degrees colder out!---Now that's just gibberish!

Funny, I saw a 2 pager on salt with wetmanNY sucked in!:D