For domestic use, one of the most essential condiments is salt. It also publishes some health benefits, sometimes unknown, for humans and animals. One of the lesser-known health benefits of salt is the effect it has on certain pond fish. However, these benefits are often ignored, resulting in sodium deficiency in the pond.
Osmosis of the water in the pond is necessary so that the fish can absorb the proper amount of water they need to survive. As they absorb water, they also give off ions which are then replaced by sodium in the pond. This is why the presence of salt or NaCl in the pond is required as it helps the osmo-regulation process. Salt also helps in the production of abundant electrolytes for the health of the fish.
Another important reason a pond needs salt is the normal buildup of slimy sludge at the bottom of the pond. Since pond salt releases certain electrolytes into the pond to promote fish health, there is little chance for you to worry, as the electrolytes help reduce the risk of harmful bacteria buildup in the pond. Fewer harmful bacteria means better smelling pond water and of course healthier fish. You must be very careful when giving the amount of food to the fish, since the remains tend to settle and decompose at the bottom of the pond, which facilitates the proliferation of harmful bacteria.
For a pond that contains fresh water and has fish swimming in it, salt is extremely necessary. The lack of sodium electrolytes in freshwater ponds requires the use of salt to meet the needs of the entire pond ecosystem. Electrolytes are responsible for the improvement of fluids in the body of the fish. The fluids are converted through high levels of electrolytes into natural mucus that covers the fish’s bodies. The mucous coating is important to defend against harmful bacteria and other elements in the pond that can cause the fish to get sick. Fish need protection from extremely cold weather and the same mucous layer helps fish withstand cold temperatures.
Due to the environment and other factors, it is normal for a pond to contain ammonia and nitrite. These compounds are responsible for the skin irritation that some pond fish have. Salt is needed in the pond for this matter. Through the process of mucostimulation, the natural slime layer of the fish body is strengthened and the chloride anion from the pond salt competes with the anion from nitrite which causes irritation.
Salt can also function as a relaxing agent for fish. These pond dwellers get stressed at some point. If not relieved quickly, the stress felt by the fish will make them sick. Overpopulation is one of the main reasons why fish become stressed, sick and, in the worst case, die.