Difference between Epsom salt and regular salt

[Carol_Roberts]

Epsom salt will not hurt the fish or the biofilter. Folks who use pure RO water use magnesium sulphate (Epsom salt) to add minerals back to their water.

[jamie sutherland]

can you use both salts at the same time without any bad affects?

[Carol_Roberts]

Yes, you can add regular salt and epsom salt at the same time

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

IODINE - IS A STERILIANT. It kills bacteria, fungus and some viruses.
Although the amount of iodine is small, in ''TABLE SALT - IODIZED SALT''; it can affect the biological bacteria.

Iodine is necessary for the human body to surive. Processed foods use table salt to add this iodine back into the food [ a cheap preserviant] and is a medical source for human iodine.

Iodine and clorine - very nasty stuff. Do be careful.

DO NOT USE IODIZED SALT !

Smokey

Just to clear this up. I have done extensive research on this subject and have written the article on Salt on Simply Cichlids. The Iodine in regular table salt is in it's iodide form and is not harmful for fish at all. Pure iodine would be harmful but iodide is not and is actually benificial in small doses. The issue is a result of hype created by someone who say the word "iodized" on a box of salt and assumed pure iodine.

[pcsb23]

Just to clear this up. I have done extensive research on this subject and have written the article on Salt on Simply Cichlids. The Iodine in regular table salt is in it's iodide form and is not harmful for fish at all. Pure iodine would be harmful but iodide is not and is actually benificial in small doses. The issue is a result of hype created by someone who say the word "iodized" on a box of salt and assumed pure iodine.

Actually, you have a very valid point. I always advise non-iodised out of habit (bad one too). I have used all types of salt at some point, from Saxo table salt through rock salt and cooking salt, also reef salt (too many brands to remember). All have worked well and at no time have there been any probs. maybe this is another one for the 'Myths of Discuss Keeping' ~ mmm, maybe I should write a book....

[sleonard]

Just to clear this up. I have done extensive research on this subject and have written the article on Salt on Simply Cichlids. The Iodine in regular table salt is in it's iodide form and is not harmful for fish at all. Pure iodine would be harmful but iodide is not and is actually benificial in small doses. The issue is a result of hype created by someone who say the word "iodized" on a box of salt and assumed pure iodine.

I don't know one way or another but the message you responded to did not claim harm to the fish but to the biological colony in the filter. So the question still remains - will iodine in the iodide form harm your filter bacteria?

Scott

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

The answer is no. Regular table salt is not harmful to your biofilter unless you add it in too high a concentration directly and then it is the salinity that is problematic, not the iodide.

[ponderingky]

Interesting reading - I seem to be having a problem w/bloat or constipation. I have had to dose my tank 3 times in the last week because different fish are getting stopped up. BTW - thank you Carol for your post on common problems - I thought I had a bad problem when my first fish did the head down, shimmy bloat dance. Do I need to do more than a 30% w/c after each dose of epsom or should I leave the water alone for a day or two and let the epsom stay in the water to help the others? I have only had these fish for a week and the breeder fed fbw almost exclusively. I have added Omega One flakes to increase their nutritional intake and I suspect that this is causing the bloat problems. Hopefully after their systems adjust to different (more nutritional) food this will resolve itself. One last question - is it harmful to dose epsom several times in a short period (week or less)?

[Apistomaster]

Magnesium sulfate, Epsom 's salt is the primary mineral that causes permanent hardness and one we spend so much money on RO filters to remove. It is a laxative in mammals but the bloat that causes disequilibrium among discus, especially the fast growing greedy adolescents is usually caused by an accumulation of gas bubbles in the gut. Typically after a heavy feeding of a commercial dry food. It goes away on it's own but the fishes contortions are disconcerting while they are try to pass the gas bubbles.
There are no benefits to using it. Since the problem goes away on its own if Epsom's salt is used it is only coincidental to the relief of symptoms. As one of the other posters mentioned, add this to another one of the urban discus myths. Epsoms salt will raise pH a little.

Table salt is harmless but is does contain anti-clumping chemicals which cloud the water. Water softener salt or common rock salt are cheap alternatives to the same substance repackaged and sold to aquarists at inflated prices. NaCl, common salt does not alter pH.

[tcup]

soooooo...... is it not neccessary to use aquarium salt? i have been using it for about a month now because i was told it helps keep the fish healthy. true?

[Eddie]

soooooo...... is it not neccessary to use aquarium salt? i have been using it for about a month now because i was told it helps keep the fish healthy. true?

Nope, not necessary at all.

Eddie

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Agreed. Not necessary at all, in fact, in many ways, salt can really be more harmful long-term to your fish if it is used in the concentrations that most stores recommend.

[tcup]

ok then...thanks guys

[smiley]

Just a wild question...is marine salt the same?

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

No, marine salt contains lots of additional minerals vital to the health of marine life. Things like Magnesium, Strontium, Iodine, Molybdenum, and other trace elements are present in marine salt but not in aquarium salt. Epsom salt does contain the Magnesium though.