# Aquarium Salt The healthy preventative



## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

Using aquarium salt should be considered if you like to keep your betta healthy. I realize this can still be considered controversial, however through research and practical application the positives far outweigh the negatives if used properly. It is an inexpensive preventative that does not harm the beneficial bacteria in your tank or plants when used at the recommended dose. Aq salt does not contain iodine like table salt or trace mineral like sea salt. Most tap water has an extremely low level of salinity. 

Aquarium Salt can: 

1. Aid in the control of many parasitic and pathogen populations including Ich and velvet. 

2. Enhance the fish ability to produce a good protective slime coat. Very helpful if the fish is recovering from a bacterial infection, injury, torn or bitten fins and often fin rot. 

3. Prevent intake of lethal nitrates during nitrogen cycling of a new tank.

4. Prevent intake of stressful high nitrates in existing cycled aquariums.

5. Lessen the fish stress levels by aiding the gill function. Fish kidneys are designed to excrete water absorbed through the skin and gills. This is a major and important job. By adding aquarium salt the fish kidneys do less work because the amount of water absorbed into the blood via the gills is reduced.

6. Adds needed electrolytes to the water. 

7. At high concentrations like 1-3 tsp per gallon, aq salt can keep nets and gravel vacs from spreading pathogens tank to tank. I keep a separate bucket at high salinity for any equipment that is shared in the fish room.

The concentration of the salt is based on intent. As a general rule of thumb start with 1 tablespoon per 5-7 gallons of aquarium water. This is a safe dose for all fish and plants including salt sensitive corys. Some betta keepers only use aquarium salt as a general tonic or preventative. Others use it at higher concentrations to treat for existing parasites but remember it is not a cure all and can be combined with other things like methylene blue or antibiotics outside of the aquarium in a fish bath to treat stubborn or difficult pathogens.

The benefits are many but there are drawbacks to consider. Live plants can be killed if concentrations are too high as well as cory cats and Chinese algae eaters so try to stay at the recommended levels if using in the aquarium. 

Bottom feeding fish can adjust to a low dose salt level if salt is slowly added over a few days. Avoid dumping all the salt at one time and always pre dissolve the salt before adding especially if the tank has salt sensitive species. 

Many people think salt is salt. Nope. It comes in many forms. Iodized table salt can cause ammonia levels to rise then nitrites. This can cause major upsets in the aquariums biological filtration bed. 

Sodium Chloride does not dissipate, only water changes will remove salt. If you are using aq salt (NaCl) in your 20 gallon aquarium and you change 5 gallons of water you need ONLY add salt for the 5 gallons changed, not the 20 gallons of aquarium water otherwise your salt levels will build up with time.

The “No Salt” fad propagated by many poorly researched articles and ignores certain facts not only about sodium chloride but about the other important electrolytes as well. My own experience has been that my fish are way healthier, vibrant and much less prone to diseases. Who uses Aq salt? My friend who has a large aquarium shop with over 300 species of fish and in business over 20 years. He uses 1 tsp per 5 gallons in all his water to prevent outbreaks that could destroy many valuable fish. Many thai breeders who already have a higher salinity in the water than our tap water. President of the IBC and many other top North American breeders.


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## juanitawolf (May 12, 2014)

if i dose less of the recomended, is it bad?


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

Not at all bad. The aquarium salt will however be less effective at disease prevention.


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## Harrison and Owen (Jun 12, 2014)

For a five gallon tank what is the recommended dose?

And would you dissolve all that in say….1.5 gallons of new water (while doing a partial water change) or would you just dissolve whatever the dose would be for 1.5 gallons?


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## juanitawolf (May 12, 2014)

i have a 1 gallon, how much salt do i have to use?


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

Harrison and Owen said:


> For a five gallon tank what is the recommended dose?
> 
> And would you dissolve all that in say….1.5 gallons of new water (while doing a partial water change) or would you just dissolve whatever the dose would be for 1.5 gallons?


Keep in mind that in a 5 gallon tank there may only be 4 g of water when you consider substrate, decorations and not full to the top. So starting out you would use 3/4 of a tablespoon for your tank. For a water change like 1.5g you would add about 1/3 of a tablespoon dissolved into the tap water. I add 2 drops per gallon of Prime and salt at the same time. 



juanitawolf said:


> i have a 1 gallon, how much salt do i have to use?


For a 1g you would use .2 tsp per change. Best described as a pinch of salt. Much like baking really. Add a small amount and tastes great. Add way too much and the food tastes salty. When topping up an aquarium don't add salt as it will already be dosed to the proper salinity.


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## SiameseFightingArt (Jun 17, 2014)

Thanks this thread is very helpful to beginners of the salt XD


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## Harrison and Owen (Jun 12, 2014)

logisticsguy said:


> Keep in mind that in a 5 gallon tank there may only be 4 g of water when you consider substrate, decorations and not full to the top. So starting out you would use 3/4 of a tablespoon for your tank. For a water change like 1.5g you would add about 1/3 of a tablespoon dissolved into the tap water. I add 2 drops per gallon of Prime and salt at the same time.


Whoops, I added a half teaspoon to his 1.5 gallon water change. Is this going to hurt him? I dissolved it and let the water sit for a bit of course.


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

Nope wont hurt him at all. You can make the adjustment next water change.


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## Harrison and Owen (Jun 12, 2014)

When I do changes I usually do about 24 cups (1.5 gallons) twice a week. So for each of those I would add 1/3 of a tablespoon? Cripes, he barely got any salt this go round.

eta: 1/3 of a tablespoon is a teaspoon so 1 teaspoon per 1.5 gallons?


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

Exactly. You add back what you take out with each water change. It also does not hurt to skip a salt addition to the water change once a month. Bacteria hate changes in salinity as they are slow to adjust and their cell membrane fails.


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

Here is another reason why I add aquarium salt to my tanks at exactly the recommended dose on the box. 1 tablespoon per 5g. Ammonia is present in two forms in water: ammonium and free ammonia. Ammonium is not very toxic to fish, but free ammonia is very toxic. The ratio of dangerous free ammonia to less toxic ammonium depends on the pH, temperature and salinity. As salinity drops, free ammonia increases sharply. Now this is important to me as I have high ph, zero salinity tap water and run temperature 76-84f. Ammonia test kits do not measure the level of free ammonia. Instead, they measure something called total ammonia nitrogen, a combination of free ammonia and ammonium.


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## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

This is a good thread. I personally don't use AQ salt in my tank regularly but it can help prevent infection (at the 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons dosage). Thanks for the info.


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## Polkadot (Feb 10, 2013)

I would take IAL's over Aq salt any day of the week.I think the salt does far more harm than good.


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

Polkadot said:


> I would take IAL's over Aq salt any day of the week.I think the salt does far more harm than good.


I like to use IAL myself especially in my breeding tubs. They are not exclusive to each other and have a different purpose in the system. What harm do you think aquarium salt does when used at the proper dosage?


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## imaal (Aug 10, 2014)

+1 logisticsguy for this thread. Excellent.


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

I tend to shy away from aquarium salt due to my live plants. Is there a safe dosage that won't harm my plants if treatment is needed? Or should I use a quarantine tank?


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

MikeG14 said:


> I tend to shy away from aquarium salt due to my live plants. Is there a safe dosage that won't harm my plants if treatment is needed? Or should I use a quarantine tank?


I have lots of live plants in all my aquariums. I have not seen any difference with any of them at the 1 tablespoon per 5 gallon level. The only plant matter to suffer has been algae which grows way slower. Going well over this dosage will cause issues with some plants. Keep the salinity at this level and your plants should do just fine.


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## Polkadot (Feb 10, 2013)

logisticsguy said:


> What harm do you think aquarium salt does when used at the proper dosage?


I don't believe there is a 'proper dosage' for Bettas.

I once trusted and used a small diluted dose for one of my little boys who wasn't well a long time ago and it made him far worse.NEVER again will I risk my Bettas with Aq salt.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Polkadot, I believe that was a coincidence. Same deal when it comes to MelaFix/BettaFix, it was only coincidences or improper use by those who's fish died or was more ill after using the medication.

Thank you for writing this CJ!

I'd like to add as well that in the freshwater that we have on Earth, no water is truly without salt. In all freshwater environments there are small doses of salt, obviously nothing like what is in sea water but there are lose doses, which is why using a low dose like the 1 tsp/5 gallons works. As CJ said as well, your tap has low doses as well.

I keep live plants and with the 1 tsp/5 gallons, the plants are uneffected and actually seemed to have grown more with the salt, probably because the algae has lessened which means the plants can soak up the nutrients quicker and utilize it before the algae does!

The only time I'd be leery about using AQ salt in my tank is for my African Dwarf frogs, they have sensitive skin and when they shed, it's only more sensitive. I haven't done much research on frogs and salt though so it could be safe for all I know.


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## imaal (Aug 10, 2014)

MikeG14 said:


> I tend to shy away from aquarium salt due to my live plants. Is there a safe dosage that won't harm my plants if treatment is needed? Or should I use a quarantine tank?


I've been using salt as a preventative for decades, at the 1 tbsp per 5 gallon ratio. And all of my tanks are densely planted.


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## Polkadot (Feb 10, 2013)

lilnaugrim said:


> Polkadot, I believe that was a coincidence. Same deal when it comes to MelaFix/BettaFix, it was only coincidences or improper use by those who's fish died or was more ill after using the medication.



Excuse me,NO it was not a coincidence or improper use.That is a big call from the other side of the world._You_ were not here to see the immediate bad affects the Aq salt had.I don't care what you or anyone else believes about Aq salt,I know what it did to my dear little boy and I will NEVER use it again.If you or others want to use it with your Bettas then go ahead.But please do not tell me what I experienced with using it was a 'coincidence' or 'improper use'.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Polkadot said:


> Excuse me,NO it was not a coincidence or improper use.That is a big call from the other side of the world._You_ were not here to see the immediate bad affects the Aq salt had.I don't care what you or anyone else believes about Aq salt,I know what it did to my dear little boy and I will NEVER use it again.If you or others want to use it with your Bettas then go ahead.But please do not tell me what I experienced with using it was a 'coincidence' or 'improper use'.


I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude with it. And the comment about improper use with MelaFix was not directed at you. I'm sorry you took it that way.


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## Polkadot (Feb 10, 2013)

That's ok.I know it is hard sometimes to read a persons tone via the internet.


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

Its important to remember that most tap water in North America is devoid of salt. The betta natural environment (Thai rivers and streams) contains a much higher salinity level than our tap water. Some areas are actually very salty. Zero salinity is really only good for the growing bacteria. Adding 1 tablespoon per 5g tap water brings the salinity level up a little closer to the natural environment and gives the betta some protection from pathogens as well as a better gill function and osmo regulation which is why API can claim its aq salt reduces stress.


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## Tolak (Nov 13, 2012)

What's the SG range on these areas? This would give folks a more accurate way of judging dosage. If there any sort of variations as to how this would apply to the wild betta species?


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## Polkadot (Feb 10, 2013)

Why would the salt amounts in Thai rivers matter,as all our pet Betta don't come from the rivers anymore and have been bred in captivity & probably never experienced it anyway?


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## Ilovebettasbk11 (Nov 12, 2013)

I use salt on my tanks bettas are healthier then ever!


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## Kisiel (Jul 30, 2014)

Hmm, very interesting thread. 

I'm now considering adding aq.salt to my tanks. I'm just a little worried about the live plants, I've already had plenty of problems with them and they're _just_ starting to thrive. 

Any info on adding aq.salt to baby bettas, or is it just the same as with adults? 

Also, will it help with healing ripped fins?


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## Ilovebettasbk11 (Nov 12, 2013)

Kisiel said:


> Hmm, very interesting thread.
> 
> I'm now considering adding aq.salt to my tanks. I'm just a little worried about the live plants, I've already had plenty of problems with them and they're _just_ starting to thrive.
> 
> ...


Yes its supposee to help with ripped fins omg salt plus api stress coat all healed!


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

It doesn't exactly "heal" the fins, it only sterilizes the open wound of the initial rip/bite/tear, after a day roughly that wound is already starting to close up (on most fish) and salt becomes useless for that particular reason after that.


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## Ilovebettasbk11 (Nov 12, 2013)

Oh ok very intersting thanks!


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

Polkadot said:


> Why would the salt amounts in Thai rivers matter,as all our pet Betta don't come from the rivers anymore and have been bred in captivity & probably never experienced it anyway?


Millions of years of evolution in their natural environment vs 50-120 yrs of captive breeding. Most of our betta in North America have Thai roots either directly or within only a few generations here. Most Thai breeders use ground water or river water in their operations. Every Thai breeder I know also adds aquarium salt, Im sure there are some that do not. Very often they will recommend that the recipient of the their imported betta add aquarium salt to our tap water. So almost all betta bred in captivity have been exposed to some level of salinity either from the breeder or the store that sold them.

It can be difficult to have success as a breeder in North America without adding a small amount of salt. My breeding operation was a failure without it. I went from one disease to another and ended up with every med on the market in my fish room. Dozens of expensive imported betta were lost to preventable diseases. Everything changed for me when asked for help from both Thai breeders and North American show breeders. They said the same thing "Add some aquarium salt." Since doing this change my fish have been way healthier and Ive had better results breeding, bigger spawns, very few fry deaths and better color with much higher activity levels.

A year ago I spent some time answering questions at this forum about sick betta. Since I had dealt with so many of these diseases and used so many meds to treat I felt experienced enough to recommend treatment. Kinda felt guilty doing this as my fish continued to suffer deaths despite clean warm water and generally good care. Simply adding a small amount of salt to each water change saved me from giving up on betta completely. Aq salt is not a cure all, there is still a chance your fish will pick up a disease if its used. However, the chances are greatly reduced and the betta will enjoy better breathing, less stress and will not have its immune system taxed to the max fighting every nefarious bacteria all on its own.


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

Kisiel said:


> Hmm, very interesting thread.
> 
> I'm now considering adding aq.salt to my tanks. I'm just a little worried about the live plants, I've already had plenty of problems with them and they're _just_ starting to thrive.
> 
> ...


All my baby betta here are on the same salinity level as the adults. 1 tablespoon per 5g tap water. They are born into it in the spawn tub and currently we have about 700 fry growing up here. I do not want to lose a spawn to Ich or velvet which the slightly higher salinity can often prevent. 

There are a lot of plants in my aquariums, Im a big believer that live plants really do help the fish. There has been no change at all in the health of any of the plants here due to the addition of aquarium salt. The only plant matter that has done poorly is the green algae which was a big problem for me. Its still around but is more manageable. If you use double the recommended dose the plants will slow down growth. At 1 tablespoon per 5g your plants will grow at their normal rate.


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## Kisiel (Jul 30, 2014)

Great! I'll start adding the dose you recommend as of today and see how everything goes. I have a whole box of API's aquarium salt in my fish drawer and I've not had a chance to use it get but the chunks are so big I'm wondering how long it will take for them to dissolve haha.


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## TerriGtoo (Jul 2, 2013)

I've been reading this thread with much interest. I believe it comes down to "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". I have never used salt in my tanks and I have never had problems.
Everyone should do what works for them. If there is a problem that needs addressing, then salt may be the answer.


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## SpinToWin (Oct 19, 2014)

I have a 20gallon tank that I plan to add pygmy corys to next Tuesday, how would you recommend adding salt to it?

Would it be best to add the 2 tablespoons now and then just slowly acclimate them when they arrive, or wait until they do and then add maybe half a tablespoon a day?


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

TerriGtoo said:


> I've been reading this thread with much interest. I believe it comes down to "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". I have never used salt in my tanks and I have never had problems.
> Everyone should do what works for them. If there is a problem that needs addressing, then salt may be the answer.


A Big +1 to Terri


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

SpinToWin said:


> I have a 20gallon tank that I plan to add pygmy corys to next Tuesday, how would you recommend adding salt to it?
> 
> Would it be best to add the 2 tablespoons now and then just slowly acclimate them when they arrive, or wait until they do and then add maybe half a tablespoon a day?


We keep a group of 12 panda corys in my sorority tank. They are a great bunch and have been here for 2 years now. I was a little concerned how they would handle the increased salinity. For this tank I added a little pre dissolved aquarium salt over a 4 day period until I reached the recommended level. They suffered no ill effects and all are still alive and kicking. I also keep and now breed Axolotl which also are scale less fish (ok they salamanders) with a little salt and they are also doing very well with no signs of bacterial or fungus infections which can be a common problem with this species.


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## Tolak (Nov 13, 2012)

logisticsguy said:


> The betta natural environment (Thai rivers and streams) contains a much higher salinity level than our tap water. Some areas are actually very salty.





logisticsguy said:


> Most Thai breeders use ground water or river water in their operations. Every Thai breeder I know also adds aquarium salt, Im sure there are some that do not.


So even though water in their natural environment contains salt breeders overseas add more? Still wondering about this;



Tolak said:


> What's the SG range on these areas? This would give folks a more accurate way of judging dosage. Is there any sort of variations as to how this would apply to the wild betta species?


The Amazon & its various tributaries have been mapped out pretty well as far as water parameters, folks test the water at collection points. Just wondering if something similar has been done in the areas bettas come from.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I have seen measurements taken at some betta habitats. But I think these were mainly pH and temperature. Not sure on salinity. There are also so many species of wild betta from those that inhabit peat swamps, to the Betta mahachaiensis that has been found naturally in a brackish habitat.

I have ongoing issues with velvet and was contemplating using aquarium salt long-term to see if it helps prevent outbreaks. However, my species of wilds come from habitats where the pH can be as low as 3-4 and the dissolved mineral content is extremely low. I wasn't sure whether there would thus be a negative effect on my fish if I kept them in permanently salted water.

http://smp.ibcbettas.org/species/index.html

This gives some water parameters for certain species.


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

LittleBettaFish said:


> http://smp.ibcbettas.org/species/index.html
> 
> This gives some water parameters for certain species.


Thank you so much for this LBF!


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

It's way out of date. Seriously Fish has better profiles IMO.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

There's a huge difference in the sensitivity of Panda and Pygmy Cories. It's been my experience that scaleless fish are extremely sensitive to salt and, according to one breeder, if you use it at all it's one tablespoon to 20-40 gallons.

My Betta community tanks are all healthy and doing great. If they ever show symptoms of something that needs salt I will certainly consider it. But my feelings on adding something because someone else does goes right along with what TerriGoo said: If it ain't broke don't fix it. ;-)


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## Tolak (Nov 13, 2012)

I'm done scouring the internet for any sort of references to the salinity of Thailand's rivers, beyond the expected delta infusion of sea water there doesn't seem to be any. Sure would appreciate a link or two to anything pertaining to this, my eyes are itching from reading scientific literature about Asian rivers. 

While salt does have its uses in aquatics I really have to question adding it as a constant water treatment with corys. As an occasional thing sure, if you see an issue with them. As an ongoing thing, none of the cory breeders I know do that. 

BTW, if you're going to be using a lot of salt pick up a 50 pound sack of cattle salt, same thing your LFS sells, but way cheaper. I've been using it in my BBS hatchery for years.


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## Zhylis (Nov 4, 2014)

An assessment of water quality in the Lower Mekong Basin


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

Tolak said:


> So even though water in their natural environment contains salt breeders overseas add more? Still wondering about this;
> 
> The Amazon & its various tributaries have been mapped out pretty well as far as water parameters, folks test the water at collection points. Just wondering if something similar has been done in the areas bettas come from.


The river or groundwater saline level is too low for the level of protection many of the Thai want. Remember for many of them this is their only source of income and a bad outbreak could ruin them. Most of the water they use starts with a salinity in the area of 1.0 to 3.0 ppt depending on the many variables such as season, location along the river, human impacts like the salt mines and inflow of salt water during storms from the Gulf of Thailand. This has become a major problem in mangrove areas which have become too salty. There is a massive variance and some wilds prefer slightly brackish water. The Thai that I have imported from keep the saline level at 2.0 to 3.0 ppt so in some areas the farms do not need to add any salt.

The Chao Phrayra river is is one of the main wild betta rivers in all Thailand. Its also a source of water for many ornamental betta breeders.

Water Quality of the Chao Phraya River During Low Flow (1993)
Temp min 28c max 30c
PH min 7.1 max 7.4
Salinity min 0.8 ppt max 23.1 ppt
http://hydrologie.org/ACT/Marseille/works-pdf/wchp2poster4.pdf.

A study from the Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures at Auburn University showed that keeping some freshwater fish in water with salt of increasing concentrations can prevent Flexibacter infections, presumably by preventing adhesion of the Flexibacter to the fish’s body. When fish were exposed to Flexibacter, those kept at a 1.0 ppt salinity (one teaspoon salt per gallon) had mortality rates reduced by one third, while those at a 3.0 ppt salinity (one tablespoon salt per gallon), experienced no deaths. In the freshwater control group (salinity= 0.3 ppt), there was virtually a 100% mortality (except goldfish, which had a 67% mortality). Whether the findings of this study hold true for aquarium fish is unknown, but it suggests that salt at concentrations that are commonly used in the hobby may help to prevent a Flexibacter infection.

Reference

Effects of Low Salinities on Columnaris Disease of Channel Catfish, Goldfish, Striped Bass and Gulf Sturgeon: I. Altinok and J.M. Grizzle, Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama; American Fisheries Society, Fish Health Meeting, April 2001.


According to the biologists, the fish inhabits sites with nipa palms and brackish water: “B. mahachaiensis lives in brackish waters, some quite heavily polluted; pH at catch sites 6.87 – 7.80, salinity 1.1–10.6 ppt. The species was found in nipa palm (Nypa fruticans) swamps, especially, in the water-holding phytotelma of the palm bract, which the pair use for bubble-nest building, courtship, and hatching of fry.”

Reference

http://www.sci-news.com/biology/article00670.html

Water between 0.5 ppt and 17 ppt is called brackish. This is a wide range of salinity. By adding 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt my salinity is 1.0 ppt. The average ocean water is 35 ppt. Many of the ponds and streams in Thailand are technically brackish although at the low end of the scale. 

One thing for sure is that betta can thrive in a wide range of salinity. The use of aquarium salt mimics the conditions fresh water fish find in their natural habitats. The rivers and ponds of Thailand do not flow with zero salinity tap water. 

I am totally cool with whatever a betta keeper wants to do. I am just relaying good advice that was given to me by betta keepers I respect greatly. If you are having no problems using unsalted tap water Im happy for you and understand the "Aint broke don't fix". I was having problems and one look at the emergency and disease section of the forum tells me I am/was not alone. I would rather prevent diseases than treat them because treating sick fish got old real fast.


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## Zhylis (Nov 4, 2014)

logisticsguy said:


> The Chao Phrayra river is is one of the main wild betta rivers in all Thailand. Its also a source of water for many ornamental betta breeders.
> 
> Water Quality of the Chao Phraya River During Low Flow (1993)
> Temp min 28c max 30c
> ...


Umm, question? Only the river mouth appears to have high salinity, which would be expected due to tidal flow. The rest of the river ranges from 0.0-0.2ppt as you get further from the mouth.

From the linked paper:
"During 1981-1990, the NEB had been continually monitoring water quality of the Chao Phraya river by locating 32 sampling stations along the river body ranging from its estuary to the furthest upstream reach at Nakhon Sawan. As a result, three control areas of the river were assigned water quality standards in 1985 as follows... (see Table 3, classified by distance from river mouth)."

Edit: Also in general, depending on the type of ground and lot of other factors, Mg++, Ca++, and carbonate tend to be the main ions in freshwater (but not always). Saltwater and blood are enriched in Na+ and Cl-. No one is disagreeing about the use of salt as a treatment. But saying that you can add NaCl to any water type and improve your fish's health is a bit too broad. I wouldn't add it if your water comes from a household water softener, nor would I add it to water with a low GH, just to name a few.


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