to salt or not to salt, that is the question!

[slick]

Many pond keepers I have spoken too (English koi keepers formal ponds no plants)
Belive in keeping their ponds maintain a 2% salt content 24,7 12 months a year I must admit I dont, as I don't own the equipment for testing the salt leves in my water,
does anyone out there keep there ponds salted?
If so what are benifits or if not what are the draw backs?
Any side of the argument is welcomed

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Therapeutic salt levels of 0.1% are recommended by many as it mimics the naturally occurring salt levels in natural freshwater bodies of water. Maintaining higher levels, in the long run, provide no real benefit. Pathogens and parasites will adapt to the higher levels and just be that much harder to remove if it ever becomes necessary.
A salinity probe is absolutely essential if one is adding salt to pond water.

 

[Dave 54]

No mate you really shouldnt as the parasites adapt to the levels of salt in your pond and then are all the harder to remove , not only that it doesnt mix well with certain treatments at high Ph levels and can become toxic
As Meyer says it provides no real benefiits so I think we both concur here

Dave

 

[bettasngoldfish]

I used to keep salt in my goldfish aquariums all the time but I no longer felt it necessary. I do use it on an as needed basis though, aquarium salt is one of the items I keep on hand all the time.

I have the koimedic salinity meter, I think it costs somewhere around $80.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

@Dave 54 Do you think it is a good idea to use salt in the pond in the spring time coming out of the cold winter temperatures?

 

[sissy]

yeh salinity meters have come down in price a lot .Just like ph meters are coming down .I guess they are getting the clue you lower the price you sell more so in the long run that puts more money in your pocket

 

[Dave 54]

@Dave 54 Do you think it is a good idea to use salt in the pond in the spring time coming out of the cold winter temperatures?

No Maria the only time I use salt is for salt baths or for use in the QT system salt never goes into our pond .

Dave

 

[slick]

Thans everyone very interesting just thought id ask as I want to add some kind of bog garden with plnts in,
and I know members have said plants don't like salt,
I once used salt in my old pond but didn't keep levels high in my new pond I clean the filters once every 2 weeks and flush he vortex and bottom drain every week
so with small water changes the salt would eventually dissappear I suppose?

 

[Dave 54]

Thans everyone very interesting just thought id ask as I want to add some kind of bog garden with plnts in,
and I know members have said plants don't like salt,
I once used salt in my old pond but didn't keep levels high in my new pond I clean the filters once every 2 weeks and flush he vortex and bottom drain every week
so with small water changes the salt would eventually dissappear I suppose?

Unless salt is removed by larger water changes it will stay in the pond and build up , question mate arent you in danger of doing too much by adding a bog filter to your pond especially with all the filtration you already run on your pond ?

Dave

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Thans everyone very interesting just thought id ask as I want to add some kind of bog garden with plnts in,
and I know members have said plants don't like salt,
I once used salt in my old pond but didn't keep levels high in my new pond I clean the filters once every 2 weeks and flush he vortex and bottom drain every week
so with small water changes the salt would eventually dissappear I suppose?

Some plants are more tolerant to salt than others. And yes, Salt has to be removed through water changes.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

No Maria the only time I use salt is for salt baths or for use in the QT system salt never goes into our pond .

Dave

Ah okay, I'm pretty sure I had asked you about this some time ago but I forgot

 

[Dave 54]

Ah okay, I'm pretty sure I had asked you about this some time ago but I forgot

Yes I have that problem too

Dave

 

[slick]

Dave54 how do you mean doing too much with the amount of filtration im already running ? No a fence ment by this question im qureous,
Thought it might help in a bio way

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Dave54 how do you mean doing too much with the amount of filtration im already running ? No a fence ment by this question im qureous,
Thought it might help in a bio way

I have never heard of TOO MUCH biofiltration.
On a side note, the addition of a phyto-filter may actually provide some defense against parasites by providing habitat for those organisms that survive by predation.

 

[slick]

Thats what I thought meyer?