Why Is Salt Added To Garden Fish Ponds

My answer is that in most cases I don't know but it appears that a lot of koi keepers do add salt based upon folklore and word of mouth rather than a real need to add the salt for the benefit of fish.

When I'm confronted by this type of dilemma I try to rationalise and I always come to the same conclusion with respect to this salt debate ... this does not make me always right of course

1. I have never seen anybody walking around my local lake which is full of carp adding a few bags of salt

2. I have never caught a carp (same family as goldfish and koi) in the sea or even the estuary of a river and I've not heard of others doing this either.

3. Salt in a garden fish pond IF it does any good at all is a mild tonic. Its effect IF ANY can only happen over a long period of time. With regular water changes and how do you maintain a salt concentration accurately anyway.

I general I'm also quite strong about NOT adding "things" to ponds and as such this philosophy applies to salt also. Let me explain ....

When and IF there is a real need to use salt to treat pond parasites throwing salt into the pond itself is rarley effective. Salt treatment for parasites is best done in quite strong salt solutions using a large bowl.

Be Aware Of Salt Reactions With Other Chemicals

If you've unsuccessfully used salt in a fish pond to remove parasites and you then go and add potassium permanganate to the pond then it is quite possible that chlorine will be liberated in your pond. Salt and potassium permanganate can then react together under certain circumstances to produce chlorine. Why take the risk?

Salt when used in conjunction with zeolite can also release ammonia back into the pond water.

The importance of this article if any is to alert you to dangers of adding anything to pond water. Sure at times it is necessary and important but any pond addition must be done with greatest circumspection, and a full knowledge of benefits and potential dangers. It goes without saying that the pond volume must be known with accuracy in order to get dosage rates worked out well.

The following is a well accepted fact ... A biofilter properly sized, installed and maintained prevents more than 90% of all pond problems.

Salt is the most commonly recommended treatment for parasites

Use salt before you try anything else for parasites for the following reasons .

• Salt in moderation is harmless to almost all types of pond fish including koi and goldfish

• Salt even if it does not cure it does not kill sick fish although it might kill some other inhabitants of the pond such as plants

• Most parasites are killed quickly if exposed to the correct salt concentrations

• Salt has little if any impact upon most bio filters

• Safe to humans and animals and is easily obtained

Salt kills these Parasite species ....

• Ichthyophthirius

• Chilodinella

• Costiasis (Ichthyobodo necatrix)

• Most Trichodiniid/Tripartiella organisms.

• Glossatella

• Scyphidia

• Epistylis

• Trichophrya

• External Tetrahymena

• Inhibits trematode reproduction, clears 30% of adults.

• Inhibits Lerneiid reproduction

This reference source is Dr Johnson of www.Koivet.com