Marine Salt Or Common Salt For Fish ?

[pouyan]

I want to know what matters will make difference when you use the common salt instead marine salt for making brackish water, I know that common salt water is purified and its base is NACL sometimes with addition some iodines , and marine salt ingredients are plus some other mineral salts like potassium chloride , magnesium chloride and …. But I wanna to know your ideas about what things will make difference between employ of these two salts for brackish fish? Maybe their need of ionic transition or?

Thanks in advance,
Pouyan

 

[nmonks]

The important thing to understand is that seawater isn't the same thing as a salt water solution. Seawater contains high levels of carbonate hardness, which is why it has a pH of 8-point-something, as opposed to salty water, which has a pH of 7. Furthermore, seawater contains a high level of general hardness, typically things like magnesium sulphate. Salty water has no general hardness at all. There are also various components that occur in very small amounts, and for which we know little about how fish use them, if at all.

So what would happen if you used just plain table salt? Among other things, the pH would change (drop) very quickly. Wastes from the fish would acidify the aquarium, but without the buffering capacity the carbonate hardness provides, the fish would be exposed to acidic conditions. We don't know enough about how fish work to say that the trace minerals are important, but they may be.

There is no reason to use table salt. Marine salt mix isn't expensive, and it works very well in brackish water aquaria.

Cheers, Neale

 

[pouyan]

The important thing to understand is that seawater isn't the same thing as a salt water solution. Seawater contains high levels of carbonate hardness, which is why it has a pH of 8-point-something, as opposed to salty water, which has a pH of 7. Furthermore, seawater contains a high level of general hardness, typically things like magnesium sulphate. Salty water has no general hardness at all. There are also various components that occur in very small amounts, and for which we know little about how fish use them, if at all.

So what would happen if you used just plain table salt? Among other things, the pH would change (drop) very quickly. Wastes from the fish would acidify the aquarium, but without the buffering capacity the carbonate hardness provides, the fish would be exposed to acidic conditions. We don't know enough about how fish work to say that the trace minerals are important, but they may be.

There is no reason to use table salt. Marine salt mix isn't expensive, and it works very well in brackish water aquaria.

Cheers, Neale

thanks Dear Neela ,
I had various cichlid and fish forseveral years and now I've become captivate of these beautiful brackish creatures , but I have alittle doubt, can I use common tank for these fish ?cause I'm worry about the glues of common tank and don't know does it make any reaction with brackish water or not ?

Have great Moments,
Pouyan

 

[nmonks]

thanks Dear Neela ,

Who?

but I have alittle doubt, can I use common tank for these fish ?cause I'm worry about the glues of common tank and don't know does it make any reaction with brackish water or not ?
Have great Moments,
Pouyan

You can use marine salt mix safely in regular acrylic (plastic) or glass aquaria. There is no risk.

Cheers, Neale