# salt



## Runawaypencil (Apr 11, 2006)

hi i was woundering if salt is ok for fresh water plants. I have been reading about how good it is for fresh water fish. SO when i add some more fish i am thinking of throwing some table salt in there to help out the fish on there stress levels and any thing they may bring into the tank. Is this a bad idea cause of my plants. i wouldnt does anyhting but an extremly low level and probably only for the week or two after adding new fish.


----------



## MrSanders (Mar 5, 2006)

I would not recomend using plain old table salt in your aquarium.... I dont think the plants or fish are going to benfit from it... and in fact I think it would be harmful to both. More commonly used is aquarium salt... or epsom salts which is actually magensium sulfate.... and would be just fine for both fish and plants


----------



## Salt (Apr 5, 2005)

Don't use table salt, it contains iodine and will cause problems for plants and fish. A non iodized sodium chloride (such as types sold as "aquarium salt") are the better choice.

Magnesium sulfate should be used as a lesser component of total hardness (GH) when increasing it. Water hardness should contain mostly calcium, less magnesium. Recent posts have found magnesium levels registering as 2.31 dGH (10 ppm or 41.18 ppm as CaCO3) can cause problems.

I have personally maintained a .10% sodium chloride level in my tank for years. That's 1000 ppm. Crypts, anubias, cabomba, egeria, creeping jenny, even madagascar lace grew like weeds in it.

I stopped a while ago and my sodium chloride levels are now down to near 0. Plants and fish don't seem to be any more or less healthier than before.

The only fish that I believe _need_ sodium chloride are brackish fish like mollies. (I have read that some people even successfully keep mollies in _marine_ tanks.)


----------



## detlef (Dec 24, 2004)

Salt said:


> I have personally maintained a .10% sodium chloride level in my tank for years. That's 1000 ppm. Crypts, anubias, cabomba, egeria, creeping jenny, even madagascar lace grew like weeds in it.
> 
> I stopped a while ago and my sodium chloride levels are now down to near 0. Plants and fish don't seem to be any more or less healthier than before.
> 
> The only fish that I believe _need_ sodium chloride are brackish fish like mollies. (I have read that some people even successfully keep mollies in _marine_ tanks.)


Just out of curiosity, Salt. Why did you stop maintaining a certain NaCl level? Was it for testing reasons and how plants/fish might respond to different levels? 
I've always been wondering how important NaCl was since most sources I have about natural water bodies report higher Na levels than K, Ca, Mg and more Cl than SO4.

Regards,
Detlef


----------



## Runawaypencil (Apr 11, 2006)

ok thanks for all the help i did get some aquarim salt and no problems over the first night thanks all.


----------



## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

rock salt and pickling salt are much cheaper than aquarium salt.


----------

