Yay/nay on using rock salt

[Scapexghost]

I am a big proponent of using salt in freshwater aquariums for medicinal proposes. However, using aquarium salt is nearly as expensive as using true medications. Rock salt on the other hand is much cheaper. I don't believe aquarium salt is a scam, the additional price is due to its purity. I know rock salt contains other minerals, but since the fish i'd use salt on are usually hard water fish live african cichlids and livebearers, i assume these minerals are not a concern, and if anything potentially beneficial. Is there anything else i should be concerned about when it comes to using rock salt?

[Keeg]

Im pretty sure rock salt, table salt, and aquarium salt are pretty much the same thing. As long as it is pure sodium chloride, NaCl, WITHOUT additives like anti stick powder and such, it should be fine to use. So check to see if your rock salt is pure or not. But if you wanna save a few more bucks, you could also just get some plain kosher salt as it should be just pure salt without stuff like iodine. 

[KBOzzie59]

I only use rock salt.  one of those big bags from Home Depot.

[Andy's Fish Den]

I use the salt crystals that are labeled for use in water softeners. This is what I use.

Diamond Crystal Solar Naturals Water Softener Salt Crystals-100012454 - The Home Depot

[Gator]

@Scapexghost; I normally do not advocate the use of salt in a tropical aquarium, but livebearers can be acclimated to survive and thrive in a totally marine aquarium, so maybe African cichlids also. I don't think table salt is an alternative as @Keeg suggests because table salt contains iodine, which is probably fatal to our fish, google it to be sure.

Rock salt is an excellent choice for hatching Brine shrimp eggs. To hatch Brine shrimp eggs, put 6 heaping tablespoons of rock salt in a one-gallon jug (it's easiest to use a funnel) and add tap water, shake the jug as you're filling it to dissolve the rock salt. Get a large pickle jar available at Wally World and fill the jar about two-thirds full of your rock salt solution, add an air stone with a vigorous flow, and add one teaspoon of eggs, the eggs will hatch in a day or two.

To harvest baby Brine shrimp, remove the air stone and some of the eggs will settle to the bottom while others will float to the top, the babies will gather at the brightest spot at the side of the jar. Use a turkey baster to gather some of the babies, return the air stone, hold a Brine shrimp net over the jar, squirt the contents of the turkey baster into the net so the water goes back into the jar, rinse the babies in tap water to get the salt off of them, and then feed them to your fish.

To raise baby Brine shrimp to adulthood, use a shallow tub, pour in a gallon of water, pour one 10 or 12 ounce coffee cup of rock salt into the tub, add 2 heaping tablespoons of Epsom salts, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 2 packets of baker's yeast, and add a small amount of baby Brine shrimp a day or two after they hatch. Feed 2 packets of yeast again each time after the water clears which may be in a day or a week depending on the number of baby shrimp to begin with. Cover with the lid to keep evaporation to a minimum. The baby shrimp reach maturity in about 6 weeks, sooner if kept really warm, and they'll feed on yeast the whole time, harvest as you would the babies.

Good luck.

Sincerely

Gator

[T. Payne]

I began working in a LFS when I was 16 years old and the store used rock salt then, I am now 40 and have been using rock salt ever since for medicinal purposes only. I use the Diamond Naturals Water Softener rock salt.

[Keeg]

On 12/14/2021 at 6:13 AM, Gator said:

@Scapexghost; I normally do not advocate the use of salt in a tropical aquarium, but livebearers can be acclimated to survive and thrive in a totally marine aquarium, so maybe African cichlids also. I don't think table salt is an alternative as @Keeg suggests because table salt contains iodine, which is probably fatal to our fish, google it to be sure.

Rock salt is an excellent choice for hatching Brine shrimp eggs. To hatch Brine shrimp eggs, put 6 heaping tablespoons of rock salt in a one-gallon jug (it's easiest to use a funnel) and add tap water, shake the jug as you're filling it to dissolve the rock salt. Get a large pickle jar available at Wally World and fill the jar about two-thirds full of your rock salt solution, add an air stone with a vigorous flow, and add one teaspoon of eggs, the eggs will hatch in a day or two.

To harvest baby Brine shrimp, remove the air stone and some of the eggs will settle to the bottom while others will float to the top, the babies will gather at the brightest spot at the side of the jar. Use a turkey baster to gather some of the babies, return the air stone, hold a Brine shrimp net over the jar, squirt the contents of the turkey baster into the net so the water goes back into the jar, rinse the babies in tap water to get the salt off of them, and then feed them to your fish.

To raise baby Brine shrimp to adulthood, use a shallow tub, pour in a gallon of water, pour one 10 or 12 ounce coffee cup of rock salt into the tub, add 2 heaping tablespoons of Epsom salts, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 2 packets of baker's yeast, and add a small amount of baby Brine shrimp a day or two after they hatch. Feed 2 packets of yeast again each time after the water clears which may be in a day or a week depending on the number of baby shrimp to begin with. Cover with the lid to keep evaporation to a minimum. The baby shrimp reach maturity in about 6 weeks, sooner if kept really warm, and they'll feed on yeast the whole time, harvest as you would the babies.

Good luck.

Sincerely

Gator

Table salt can be an alternative if it does NOT contain additives like iodine. Kosher salt is table salt, it just does not have the extra stuff like iodine. I just want to make this clear to double check labels just in case too. 

[Gator]

@Keeg; In your original post, you didn't specify Kosher or Iodized, so you can understand the reason for my statement.

[lefty o]

if using table salt, definately use non iodized, and if using water softener stuff dont use any stuff with added features.

[oliveroe]

Its a good alternative of aquarium salt. I use pink rock salt to increase water hardness

 

[Flumpweesel]

Is iodine bad for fish? Most living things need it (why it's added to salt in America) so in low / trace concentrations would it do any harm could it even be beneficial?

Just pondering. The few sites I've found suggest there is enough in fish food to keep happy healthy fish but I have found details of it being dosed. Also commonly used inb salt water set ups.

You would have very little control over concentration with iodinated table salt so agree best avoided. 

[Brandon p]

Do not use salt with idoine, which means most table salt like Mortans.!the reason is not that fish don’t need Iodine but that it is in most fish foods. The amount a fish need is much less than a person. The amount of iodine one salt is supposed to based on the intake of a human. Pour in as some mortans and think about the amount one or two shakes that was meant for you is not exponentially increased. Most other salt is not a problem as long as it doesn’t have additives most rocksalt are safe, some roadway salt to say but most have additives you need to check salt for water softener so soft and safe just check the bag there’s some that have all kinds of crazy additives in them I have a softener I put salt in it and I choose one that doesn’t have anything in it it’s basically regular salt without iodine. The biggest issue with table salt is the amount of iodine it’s not that iodine isn’t used by fish. You just have to do a little research and read the labels I don’t think kosher salt contains iodine pink  Himalayan salt doesn’t sea salt doesn’t at least most friends don’t. There’s lots of people that grow Brian Trempin ‘ all these salts except table salt and I know people that have grown it in table salt if you go on other forums you’ll see people who swear by table salt I personally would be very careful adding more iodine and more chemicals than you need and adding more variables than you need when you already don’t know how many variables you’re adding to your tank with most items anyway . Sorry if this reads poorly I had to use talk to type.