Home Depot salt

[CHOMPERS]

Common table salt is the same as aquarium salt - just watch for additives, like everyone else said.

Epsom salt can also be used as a general laxative to help cure blockages in your fish - which is a more common problem in smaller fish than larger ones.

More info:
Table salt is processed with magnesium carbonate, sodium iodide, potassium iodide, and potassium iodate. Aquarium salt is mined Rock Salt (also called Halite).

Epsom salt is Magnesium Sulfate. When adding it with aquarium salt, you create brackish water. This completes the four major ions in sea water.

 

[badreverend]

I have no clue. It depends on what you meant by your original post.

1. Salt is good for regular aquarium use.

2. Salt is not a water softener.

1. I was asking if water softener salt could be used as standard, general purpose, aquarium salt.

 

[CHOMPERS]

Ok, that's how I took your question the first go around. This was one of those times where writen language falls short of spoken language.

1. yep.

 

[dmed]

Gotcha, the no additives makes sense, the pellets would dissolve slower, but I don't think that is a terrible thing

As long as you dissolve the pellets in aquarium water before adding. Undissolved salt pellets can burn fish, especially catfish and scaleless fish. You wouldn't want big salt chunks lying about in the tank until they dissolve.

 

[Bubbles0815]

I have used API aquarium salt from my LFS. I just set up my 55 and forgot to add the salt. I have Angelfish, I am hesitant to put the salt in the 55 because I've read it may increase the hardness. Is the salt I use safe for Angelfish? If so, the salt you reference in this thread, is that comperable to the API but just cheaper and sold in a larger size?

 

[DISCIPLE]

morton also makes a table salt w/o iodine for .47 a carton. cheap, effective, and efficient.

 

[BushFishRox]

I always wondered if those were safe, but because they said water softener on the bag I just left it at that.

But now I think I will pick up a bag since they are so cheap, but most of them come in pellets....

so now my question is, how do you measure the pellets to get the 1 tea (or is it table?) spoon per 5-10 gals?

 

[jcardona1]

whole lotta threads going around lately about what salt to use. as long as your using pure salt with no additives, the only difference will be the price you're paying.

even morton says their salt is safe for aquarium use:
http://www.mortonsalt.com/faqs/index.html#q8

and for the record, if youre using Morton water softener salt, this is the one you need to be using. stay away from their other products:
http://www.mortonsalt.com/products/watersoftner/white-crystal-solar.html

 

[jcardona1]

I always wondered if those were safe, but because they said water softener on the bag I just left it at that.

But now I think I will pick up a bag since they are so cheap, but most of them come in pellets....

so now my question is, how do you measure the pellets to get the 1 tea (or is it table?) spoon per 5-10 gals?

and theyre not really pellets, theyre more like small rock crystals. its pretty easy to measure them out with a TABLESPOON

 

[jcardona1]

I have used API aquarium salt from my LFS. I just set up my 55 and forgot to add the salt. I have Angelfish, I am hesitant to put the salt in the 55 because I've read it may increase the hardness. Is the salt I use safe for Angelfish? If so, the salt you reference in this thread, is that comperable to the API but just cheaper and sold in a larger size?

its not comparable, it's the exact same thing! dont fall victim to markting gimmicks. pure NaCl is plain salt, weather it comes in an overpriced pretty API aquarium salt carton or a cheap big bag made by Morton.

youre getting the same product. even the salt crystals look identical between the two brands