FreshWater Aquariums + Salt

Do you know that salt is best for fish in a Fresh Aquariums? Some hobbyists religiously use salt in fresh-water set-ups. The claim is a noticeable health improvement of certain fish.

There can be many benefits that can be get in salt this include the ease of stress, reducing osmotic pressure, inhibition of nitrite uptake, promoting the slime coat, and helping in healing wounds. The salt recommended should be free of additives such as iodine.

It is claimed to be safe and should be used as a preventive measure against various parasitic infestations - it is also said to cure various diseases.

One of the expert friend recommended quantity ranges from 1 tablespoon per Gallons to 1 tablespoon per 5 Gallons.

At first view the claims do not sound bad.

Salt (sodium chloride/ table salt) does in fact have a direct connection to osmotic pressure. To explain this, picture a fish in an aquarium. The internal density of fish is greater then that of the water (fish contain salt in form of sodium and chloride ions transported by the blood). Incoming water tries to dilute their bodies to equal both sides, the inside of the fish and the water outside.

Freshwater fish therefore have to constantly eliminate the water - mainly through respiration and urine. Osmotic pressure can be best described as the water trying to dilute the fish's body until both sides are equal. The same applies to saltwater species, but in this case the roles are reversed. Saltwater fish have to "drink" water in order to survive from there daily life.

Osmoregulatory stress can occur during the transport of the fish, but is taken care of by stress protecting additives right from the beginning. Other than that, osmotic pressure is essentially non-existent and needn't be of concern.

So I conclude that osmotic pressure issue, should salt be considered, for whatever reason, one teaspoon would be sufficient to treat about 500 Gallons of water.