What does salt do?

[lectraplayer]

I have been hearing about people using (kosher) salt to help heal an ailing fish. Usually it's at a rate of a teaspoon per gallon. It usually is of the non iodized variety (often kosher or rock) How exactly does salt help me for freshwater fish and when/where is it best used?

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[Delapool]

The idea as I understand it is that the fungus / bacteria / parasite is less able to handle the salt compared to the fish. For ich it is commonly suggested.

 

[lectraplayer]

does it affect healthy fish positively or negatively? I also hear it supposedly promotes slime and improves stress levels.

Also, does it help plants any or is it kryptonite if I have plants?

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[Delapool]

does it affect healthy fish positively or negatively? I also hear it supposedly promotes slime and improves stress levels.

Also, does it help plants any or is it kryptonite if I have plants?

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Ok, well the easy one is plants don't like salt. Also salt will help if there is high nitrite in a tank.

IMO a healthy fish in a cycled tank doesn't need salt. There are exceptions like mollies where the case could be well argued. Also there are members that add salt and have quite successful fish tanks.

I do have salt but tend to use it for unhealthy fish.

 

[lectraplayer]

IMO a healthy fish in a cycled tank doesn't need salt.

That's one thing I was thinking. Does it basically do what a stress coat product does for the most part?

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[Delapool]

It's a good question, my understanding is it helps the fish regulate fluids vs salts more easily as inside/outside the body has a closer salt concentration. However it could be argued that fish generally do pretty well without help.

For enhancing the slime coat, I don't see the need unless the fish has been under stress. Nature has sorted all that out. Having said that I do use API stress coat at water change which I believe has helped and no problems with plants. Others have tried these products with no benefit and we don't really know how the scientific studies by these companies were done. Sorry, I guess that's not really advice, just the pros and cons I know of.