Don’t Use Rock Salt In Fish Tanks

[FishGuest5123]

I learned today that it’s not good to use rock salt in aquariums. Lots of people think it’s the same as aquarium salt. It’s not. Aquarium salt is taken from the purist fields. Rock salt is not meant for food so it’s scraped out of the edges of the salt fields. So there’s all kinds of stuff mixed in. Often contains impurities like nickel and lead. Just wanted to caution everyone. I had started using it but going back to aquarium salt.

 

[Colin_T]

It depends on which country you live in.

In Australia we have slightly tighter controls on where salt can be collected and made. If you have lots of nutrients in the rock salt you get, perhaps look for a different brand that is made with cleaner salt.

Most pet shops buy rock salt in bulk and bag it up into smaller amounts and sell it as aquarium salt. Sometimes they add Methylene Blue to the salt to give it a blue colour.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Thanks! Here in the States I’m sticking to API Aquarium Salt. Walmart’s is nasty!

 

[AbbeysDad]

Unless it's a hospital tank and you're trying to cure ich with salt and high temperature DON'T USE ANY SALT AT ALL.... well, unless it's a salt water tank!

(some continue to subscribe to the old hobby myth that salt is therapy for fish and helps their slime coat. They don't need it. Keep your fresh water fresh.)

 

[FishGuest5123]

I have a friend who does research in aquatics for several universities. She’s a big believer in salt for treatment of freshwater fish. She has never steered me wrong and has helped heal some very sick fish. I highly respect her opinions. I use aquarium salt for ich, gill function if in distress due to illness and fin rot. Everyone has their own opinions and that’s just fine.

 

[Colin_T]

They use salt in the food aquaculture industry because it is safe to eat the fish after treatment. Whereas most commercial aquarium medications are dangerous to fish and people.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Agree. There’s a lot of diseases that salt is very effective on. Too much salt for me can be dangerous but at the same time, iodized salt gargle for tonsillitis helps me a lot as it kills the bad bacteria and heals my tonsils. Like anything else, you have to use it in the right proportions for specific diseases. It’s the same for our fish. This is just my individual opinion. I am so thankful for my bff, Kim. Thank you for all the work you do to make our fish live longer and healthier lives.

 

[Colin_T]

Too much salt for me can be dangerous but at the same time, iodized salt gargle for tonsillitis helps me a lot as it kills the bad bacteria and heals my tonsils.

quite often, people that get tonsillitis on a regular basis, have an underlying infection, usually in the sinuses or ears. You can try using a saline nasal spray 3 times a day for a few weeks and see if that helps.

You can make up saline by using 500ml of boiled water (let it cool down before using it). Add 1 level teaspoon of salt and 1 level teaspoon of sodium bicarb to 500 ml of boiled water. Mix it up and put it in a spray bottle. Then gently spray the saline into your nose. Angle it towards the back of your head, not up. You can also use a Neti Pot instead of a spray bottle.

It's a weird sensation when you first do it but the saline can help wash out sinus infections and clear the ear canals, and this can help reduce the chance of tonsillitis.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Thanks but I only get it about once a year. Should have had my tonsils out years ago!

 

[Colin_T]

Don't get your tonsils removed unless they are about to explode. They are a line of defence and people who have them removed, are more prone to infections. We need our tonsils where they are.

If yours play up once a year, it might be seasonal related (allergy, hayfever). Try using the saline spray and gargle when it happens and see if it helps.