Pond salt is a form of pure evaporated sea salt that is commonly added to koi ponds to support fish and their overall wellness. In low doses, pond salt has many benefits for your fish, but it can also do more harm than good in high doses. In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about using pond salt in your koi pond.
- Pond Salt Benefits
- The Right Type of Salt for Koi Ponds
- Ideal Salt Level in Koi Ponds
- Using Salt in Koi Ponds With Plants
- Koi Salt Treatment
Pond Salt Benefits
From boosting their overall wellness to a special treatment for sick fish, there are plenty of pond salt benefits. Consistent exposure to low salt levels can help reduce stress levels while improving gill function and oxygen intake in your fish. More importantly, pond salt aids in the development of a stout slime coat on your koi that helps protect against parasites, bacteria, and other toxins in the water. And as an added bonus, it introduces beneficial electrolytes to the water, which help support a variety of bodily functions from heart to vision.
Pond salt is also inexpensive, lasts for years in proper storage, and won't harm your filter or any other equipment you're using.
The Right Type of Salt for Koi Ponds
It's critical to keep in mind that all salts are not good to use in your koi pond. Adding a scoop of common salt or rock salt could harm your fish, so it's important to use the right type of salt for koi ponds. Our fish-friendly pond salt is made from pure evaporated sea salt and nothing else, meaning it contains no iodine, chloride, or other harsh chemicals that could hurt your fish.
Ideal Salt Level in Koi Ponds
As we mentioned above, it's important to know how much salt in a pond is enough and how much is too much. If you're adding salt to your pond and have no aquatic plants, use 2½ cups of salt per 100 gallons of water and disperse the pond salt evenly around the edge of your pond. Salt will not evaporate or get filtered out, so the only time you need to add more salt is when you change out your water.
Using Salt in Koi Ponds With Plants
Higher salt concentrations can be tolerated by fish than aquatic plants, so it's important not to use too much salt in your koi pond if you have both. For ponds with lilies and other aquatic plants living with the fish in your water garden, we recommend using 1¼ cups of salt per 100 gallons of water. Scatter it around the edge of your pond, being careful to avoid direct contact with your greenery.
Koi Salt Treatment
Fish with parasites, wounds, or bacterial infections can benefit from a salt bath. Prepare an isolation tank with 5 cups of salt per 100 gallons of pond water (not tap water) and add some vigorous aeration. Place the fish in the tank for 5 to 10 minutes and monitor closely for any signs of stress. From there, move it gently to a quarantine tank for another 30 minutes and continue to monitor for any issues. Finally, return it to the pond.
Next Steps
That's all we have for this one, so what's next is up to you! Try adding some pond salt to your koi pond and see how it helps your fish thrive. As always, don't hesitate to reach out to our customer service team with any questions or concerns about pond salt or any of your other pond maintenance needs.
Last Updated: February 2, 2023