Morton pool salt safe to use in pond?

[Jaynie]

hello everyone I am new here.
I was hoping someone could help me with pond salt. I cant get it here in ny Morton solar salt. Can anyone tell me if it is safe to use in my pond with my koi and pond plants. Or if you know of any other salts that you have Personally used please let me know. Thanks you so much

 

[Lisak1]

Welcome @Jaynie !

Tell us more about your pond - how old is it, how big, how many gallons, how many fish, what kind, how many and what kind of plants, what kind of filtration?

And more importantly - why do you feel you need salt in the pond? You will find that most here would recommend that you NOT add salt - it's not necessary for fish health (unless you have a salt water pond, which I'm guessing is not the case!) and can be harmful to your plants. Salt CAN be beneficial in the case of an injury or illness to a fish, but in that case it's advisable to remove the affected fish from the pond and put them in a salt bath.

In my experience, adding salt to a pond is one of those older ideas that has kind of fallen out of favor with more modern pond keepers. My husband was an aquarium keeper as a teen and he was REALLY pushing for me to add salt to the pond as it was something he learned was beneficial while keeping aquariums.

 

[CometKeith]

Hi. Never use any type of ionized salt or salt with any additives. Freshwater plants generally hate salt and will turn yellow and die. I agree with Lisak. If you have a sick fish you can take it out of the pond and treat it with salt, but adding salt to the whole pond isn't really recommended.

 

[sissy]

some salt is also iodized and understand that is not good for fish

 

[Jaynie]

Ok so this is my story. My pond is about 6 years old. It’s 2000 gallons and I had about 12 fish although my fish had babies so I have about 20 maybe 25 In there currently. My biggest fish being about 12 inches then all the way down to an inch. I know it sounds like a lot because there are about a dozen babies in there at 3 inches or less. I’m running two filters one waterfall filter with filter pads and lava rocks and one filter box with 8 filter pads. Each filter is being driven by a mag 18. I also have Two air stones and one filter water fountain with uv light. I do weekly water changes. I just had my water tested yesterday ammonia is 0 ph is 7.5 nitrates 0. I have been fighting with ulcers all summer on my fish. This is the first time I have ever had this problem. The problem has gotten so bad that two of them now have mouth rot. I treated the pond for 3 days with broad spectrum. I did notice every once in a while I would see a fish flash. Since the treatment I have not seen any flashing at all. Treatment ended a week ago today. But now I noticed another two of my fish have ulcers on them again after treatment. I currently have three fish in a stock tank that
I am injecting with baytril once a day for 3 days then every other day for a total of 7 days. They are looking so much better. I’m not sure if the fish with the bad mouth rot is going to make it but he seems to be getting better with the injections. But I don’t know if his mouth with ever grow back. So my local fish stores and koi nursery’s here are really advising me to add 40 pounds of salt to my pond to help them heal. I am so turn over adding it. I also have several water Lillie’s and grasses and canna plants. But the most important thing is the fish. I honestly don’t care about the plants like I care
About the fish. Any help would be wonderful. Thanks so much

 

[sissy]

40 lbs WOW .In that pond not only will your fish die but so will your plants .Not sure they know what they are talking about and that scares me

 

[Jaynie]

I’m pretty sure they do know what they are Talking about. All the research I did I found people have two ways of thinking. Some people say 1 pound of salt for every 100 gallons and others say no salt at all. I’m so torn. I don’t think 40 pounds in a lot
For 2000 gallons. I’m just nervous because I can’t get solar salt here in the island. I would have to travel 2 hours to get it a total of
4 hours round trip. I only found pool salt. I bought it but now I’m staring at it for a few
Days

 

[Mmathis]

Have you looked into ordering the salt? I just looked it up, and it’s sold mail order many places, even AMAZON — if obtaining the salt is the reason for your post. And does it have to be this particular brand/type of salt? You could just go to the grocery store and buy 40 or so boxes of a non-iodized salt to use. I’ve made large purchase like this before, though you may have to hit several stores.

It sounds like more what you are looking for is a diagnosis and treatment plan for your fish rather than a way to obtain the salt. Yes, some people do “salt” their ponds, but in general, it’s not necessary to do so in order to have a healthy pond. I see salt used more as a treatment, or temporary remedy for an illness — such as salt dips or adding salt to a quarantine tank. The secret to a healthy pond is healthy water. Koi and goldfish are not salt water fish.

You need to find out why your fish are getting sick.....and act on that. Just MHO. Have you had anyone look at scrapings from your fish under a microscope?

Do you have a tank or tub you could set up to quarantine your sick fish?

Anyway, we’re not here to argue with you about using or not using salt in your pond. That’s your decision to make. Hope you can get a handle on whatever this disease issue is and get your fish better! We’re never happy when our babies are sick!

 

[Lisak1]

Ugh. I'm sorry that your fish are struggling and you with them!

I know you're trying to help your fish, but killing the plants in the process won't make things better. The ultimate goal is a well-balanced pond.

And please don't take this the wrong way - are you sure your pond is 2000 gallons? From the photo it's hard to tell, but it doesn't look like it's that big.

 

[MitchM]

Ulcers are typically caused by parasites or poor water conditions.
You would be better off treating the fish in a smaller tank so you don't have to use such a large amount of medications.
The antibiotics are the right approach, and salted water for the healing time.

We wouldn't want to see you go thorough all this effort only to return the koi to poor water conditions.
Do you have any more comprehensive water tests available, not just "everything is perfect"?
Present salinity measurement, KH, GH, PH (at what time of day), ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Numerical values only, and what type of test was used - liquid drops or paper test strip.

 

[sissy]

If you check online they say you should never use pool salt in a pond and these fish are not salt water fish they are fresh water fish .The place where I get my water tested once in awhile gives me a print out of the tests .

 

[Mmathis]

If you check online they say you should never use pool salt in a pond and these fish are not salt water fish they are fresh water fish .

Sissy, is pool salt different from regular salt? I tried looking it up, to see if there were any “other” ingredients contained in solar salt that would be considered harmful to fish. Couldn’t find anything, at least not with this particular brand, but was wondering about that myself.

 

[sissy]

I asked and they say they would never want it used in ponds ,they gave no reason why .Just that they could not in good faith say to use it .I guess they don't want to say use it and then have something happen,can't blame them for being careful .There is a medicated pond salt and not sure what the difference in that is either

 

[Lisak1]

@Jaynie - out of curiosity, if your local fish store and your koi nursery both are recommending the salt, is there a reason neither can source it for you?

 

[Jaynie]

Yes both have it but it’s 14.99 for 10 pounds. It kinda adds up when you can buy Morton’s salt 40 pounds for 6.00

 

[Jaynie]

Have you looked into ordering the salt? I just looked it up, and it’s sold mail order many places, even AMAZON — if obtaining the salt is the reason for your post. And does it have to be this particular brand/type of salt? You could just go to the grocery store and buy 40 or so boxes of a non-iodized salt to use. I’ve made large purchase like this before, though you may have to hit several stores.

It sounds like more what you are looking for is a diagnosis and treatment plan for your fish rather than a way to obtain the salt. Yes, some people do “salt” their ponds, but in general, it’s not necessary to do so in order to have a healthy pond. I see salt used more as a treatment, or temporary remedy for an illness — such as salt dips or adding salt to a quarantine tank. The secret to a healthy pond is healthy water. Koi and goldfish are not salt water fish.

You need to find out why your fish are getting sick.....and act on that. Just MHO. Have you had anyone look at scrapings from your fish under a microscope?

Do you have a tank or tub you could set up to quarantine your sick fish?

Anyway, we’re not here to argue with you about using or not using salt in your pond. That’s your decision to make. Hope you can get a handle on whatever this disease issue is and get your fish better! We’re never happy when our babies are sick!

I did look into ordering it at Home Depot and Lowe’s but it was 35.00 a bag to ship. I have been told by so many people if I’m going to use salt to make sure I buy the Morton’s solar salt. So I guess I’m kinda wanted to get other people’s ideas on what they us or what they think about the pool salt. I am so on the fence
With the idea of adding salt to my pond. I don’t know.
I would know how to go about getting a scrapping done. Right now I’m still
Doing injections on the fish everyone seems to be healing really well. Even the koi that lost his mouth he is looking so much better every day. I just don’t know if mounts can grow back. I’m kinda concerned over him. I would take any advise at this point to help the.
I currantly have 3 koi in my 150 gallon stock tank with a filter and a power head with an air stone water gets a 50 percent water change
Every other day.

 

[Jaynie]

Ugh. I'm sorry that your fish are struggling and you with them!

I know you're trying to help your fish, but killing the plants in the process won't make things better. The ultimate goal is a well-balanced pond.

And please don't take this the wrong way - are you sure your pond is 2000 gallons? From the photo it's hard to tell, but it doesn't look like it's that big.

Yes it’s about 2000 give or take a little.

 

[Jaynie]

Ulcers are typically caused by parasites or poor water conditions.
You would be better off treating the fish in a smaller tank so you don't have to use such a large amount of medications.
The antibiotics are the right approach, and salted water for the healing time.

We wouldn't want to see you go thorough all this effort only to return the koi to poor water conditions.
Do you have any more comprehensive water tests available, not just "everything is perfect"?
Present salinity measurement, KH, GH, PH (at what time of day), ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Numerical values only, and what type of test was used - liquid drops or paper test strip.

Hey thanks for writing. I’m personally only the basics. Ph ammonia nitrate and nitrites. I bring my water to the nursery once a month were they test everything for me. It’s a big help. If I need adjustments they tell me.
I started the antibiotics a few
Days ago. I can’t believe how much strong and healthier the fish have gotten. I’m just don’t know if the kois mouth will grow back

 

[Lisak1]

I really don't think that fish is going to regrow the portion of his mouth that is gone - but that's just instinct, not experience. Is he able to eat?

I still side with using the salt as a treatment - creating a salt dip that the fish go into and then out of - as opposed to salting the entire pond. But again - that's due to a long term concern that you will make your pond inhospitable to plants which will only cause you more problems in the long run with keeping this pond balanced.

I wonder about your monthly water checks and "adjustments" - what are you adjusting and how? A well established pond shouldn't need any kind of adjusting to keep it balanced.

I'm glad the antibiotics are helping - is that something you can just buy off the shelf? How did you learn to inject your fish - the idea gives me the heebie jeebies! You said you're on an island - where are you located?

 

[Jaynie]

I really don't think that fish is going to regrow the portion of his mouth that is gone - but that's just instinct, not experience. Is he able to eat?

I still side with using the salt as a treatment - creating a salt dip that the fish go into and then out of - as opposed to salting the entire pond. But again - that's due to a long term concern that you will make your pond inhospitable to plants which will only cause you more problems in the long run with keeping this pond balanced.

I wonder about your monthly water checks and "adjustments" - what are you adjusting and how? A well established pond shouldn't need any kind of adjusting to keep it balanced.

I'm glad the antibiotics are helping - is that something you can just buy off the shelf? How did you learn to inject your fish - the idea gives me the heebie jeebies! You said you're on an island - where are you located?

Hey Lisa so after so much research and reading about mouthrot and ulcers I found a few articles about baytril injections being the best way to heal a fish. So my best friend is a vet. He got me the meds and he comes over every single night when his practice closes and together we inject each infected fish. He also did some research on the dose amounts and the spot to inject them in. I personally wouldn’t be able to inject them either it really grossed me out but it’s better then watching them die and not being able to help them. As far as over the counter medications I found nothing that works at all. I tried everything and got no were so had to turn to the injectables. I’m seeing more and more important every single day. Yes the fish without a mouth is still eating and has started to heal back it’s unbelievable how much better he is doing. I have been so bummed over his having this. I got this fish 6 years ago he was the very first fish I added to my pond.
As far as adjustments I don’t really have to do any. I do weekly water changes and add prime to remove any chlorine and metals out of the water and slim coat. I personally don’t want to add the salt to my pond either reason for why I haven’t added it yet. I’m so on the fence over it. I have a 150 gallon stock tank with 3 koi getting treated right now. I know there are two more in my pond that I can’t catch. I have tried everything and have failed. They are little and fast.