Is salt the same as salt the same as salt???

[sushiluver]

What's the difference between "Aquarium Salt", "Salt water aquarium mix salt" and just plain "kosher" salt.

I read that Aquarium salt is supposed to be evaporated sea water and has minerals. But isn't that what the salt water mix is?

Then you've got Kosher salt which is supposed to be just plain NaCl.

So basically when one adds salt to a freshwater tank for illness treatment can one use any one of the above? If so, I think Kosher would be the cheapest.

[JDogg]

Salt is a generic term for any metal element that has an ionic bond with a nonmetal.

NOT all salts are the same, DO NOT use straight up NaCl!

[Menagerie]

Aquarium salt and marine salt have different levels of minerals.

[QTOFFER]

Never use ordinary table salt (e.g. Morton's) in the aquarium. It contains iodine as a nutritional supplement to prevent goiters in people. Iodine is extremely toxic to inverts and it's not good for FW fish in large amounts either. Table salt also contains additives to prevent clumping that may mess up the pH.

Marine salt contains large amounts of Calcium, Magnesium, Iodine, and Bromine in addition to NaCl. Good for marine critters - very bad for FW fish and plants.

Aquarium salt and Kosher salt are essentially the same thing: highly pure NaCl crystals. This is the salt that used therapeutically in FW tanks.

Then, of course, there is Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate). Some people use this to treat dropsy, bloat or constipation in FW fish.

African rift lake cichlids require special salt mixes that replicate the hardness and mineral profile of their native habitats.

[sushiluver]

Originally Posted by QTOFFER

Aquarium salt and Kosher salt are essentially the same thing: highly pure NaCl crystals. This is the salt that used therapeutically in FW tanks.

So that means that I can use Kosher salt in my QT tank for treatments then?

[jsoong]

Sure, I have used Kosher salt & pickling salt before. Both are pure NaCl without additives & are fine for aquariums.

[QTOFFER]

Yup. Kosher salt is less expensive too.
You pay a premium for anything in this hobby that has the word 'aquarium' attached to it.