pond salt treatment, pond salt test kit, fish health

Provide essential electrolytes fish need to survive with an all-natural salt, made from evaporated sea water. Improves gill function, protects against nitrite toxicity & reduces stress by helping to maintain a natural balance of electrolytes in the body fluids of pond fish. Can safely be used with all PondCare® water conditioners, filtration materials, medications & fish foods. Monitor salt levels with a PondCare Salt Level Test Kit.

Purpose and Benefits:

PondCare Pond Salt is an all-natural salt intended for use in ornamental fish ponds and water gardens. PondSalt adds natural electrolytes, improves gill function, and reduces fish stress. Koi and goldfish actively maintain a natural balance of electrolytes in their body fluids. Electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, chloride, calcium and magnesium are removed from the water by chloride cells located on the gills. These electrolytes are essential for the uptake of oxygen, and the release of carbon dioxide. The lack of electrolytes can cause serious health problems for pond fish. During periods of disease and stress, healthy gill function is disturbed. This can lead to loss of electrolytes and osmotic shock. Osmotic shock reduces the ability of the gills to take up oxygen and release carbon dioxide and ammonia. Pond Salt reduces the risk of osmotic shock by replenishing natural electrolytes fish need.

Pond Salt can also be used to reduce the toxicity of nitrite to koi and gold fish. Nitrite (NO2-) enters the gills and prevents the blood from carrying oxygen, resulting in nitrite toxicity (methemoglobinemia). Pond Salt will temporarily block the toxic effects of nitrite until water quality can be improved.

Many external parasitic infestations (Trichodina, Ichthyobodo, and Epistylis) and fungal infections can be eradicated with a short-term bath.

Pond Salt contains no artificial additives, sugar, or color like table salt. It is made from evaporated sea water, which contains the following beneficial electrolytes needed by freshwater fish: calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, potassium chloride, and sodium chloride.

Directions for Use:

Once added to the pond, salt does not evaporate and is not filtered out! After making the initial treatment with Pond Salt, add more salt only when making a water change. If, for example, you remove 50 gallons with a water change add only enough salt for 50 gallons.

Ponds without plants:
Add one 2 ½ cupfuls (728 g) for every 100 U.S. gallons (378 L) of pond water. Sprinkle the salt evenly around the perimeter of the pond. After one hour, measure the salt level with the Salt level Test Kit. The salt level should be 0.2%. Add a small amount of salt if necessary. Make a 10% to 20% water change to reduce the salt level.

Certain aquatic plants are sensitive to salt; use this lower salt level when plants are present. Add one 1 1/4 cupfuls (364 g) for every 100 U.S. gallons (378 L) of pond water. Sprinkle the salt evenly around the perimeter of the pond. After one hour, measure the salt level with the Salt level Test Kit. The salt level should be 0.1%. Add a small amount of salt if necessary. Make a 10% to 20% water change to reduce the salt level.

Disease treatment:
Aquarium Salt may be used as a short-term bath to treat external parasites (Tricodina, Ichthyobodo, or Epistylis). Using a clean plastic container, dissolve 2 ½ cups (370 g) for every 10 U.S. gallons (40 L) of water. Do not use tap water. Carefully place the infested fish in the salt bath (2.0 %) for 5 to 10 minutes then.
DO NOT leave the fish in the salt bath for longer than 10 minutes. Be sure to cover the bath container with netting or similar material to prevent fish from jumping out of the bath container. After 10 minutes, place the treated fish back into the pond. The salt bath may be repeated in 24 hours if necessary.

Won't adding salt to my pond make it like saltwater?

No. The level of salt added is very low compared to seawater.

Will adding Pond Salt change the pH?

No. Pond Salt contains nothing that will change the pH.

I heard that salt adds oxygen to the water. Is this true?

No. The electrolytes in Pond Salt will help fish breathe but salt will not increase the oxygen level.

Will Pond Salt increase my water hardness?

No. There are trace amounts of calcium but not enough to cause an increase in hardness.

Will Pond Salt kill algae?

No. The concentration used in the pond will not kill algae. Some pond owners sprinkle salt directly on floating mats of algae but the results are quite unsatisfactory.

Will Pond Salt hurt my plants?

Some aquatic plants are sensitive to salt. By following our directions for use with plants, your aquatic plants will thrive.

Do I add Pond Salt every time I add water?

No. While water evaporates, salt does not. Add more salt only after making a water change. If you take out 100 gallons of water add only enough salt to treat the amount of water you add back to the pond (100 gallons). The PondCare Salt Level Test Kit makes adjusting the salt level easy. No more guessing, just test and see how much salt is needed.

PondCare® Liquid Salt Level Test Kit

Quickly & accurately measures the level of salt in pond water, an essential step before salt is added to the pond. Helps the pondkeeper to determine the proper amount of pond salt to add to the pond. In proper amounts, salt will reduce fish stress, improve gill function & protect fish against nitrite toxicity, without harming aquatic plants that may be sensitive to pond salt.

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