Why should salt be added to the water when raising crucian carp?

Adding coarse salt or special salt to the water can serve many purposes: it can increase the concentration of ions in the water so that suspended particles sink to the bottom and the water is purified; it can also balance osmotic pressure, relieve the adverse reactions of fish when they enter a new environment, and replenish salt for wounds. It can promote the absorption of medications through the fish skin and effectively prevent and treat fish diseases. It can also stimulate appetite, provide an acidic environment for pepsin, denature proteins, and aid digestion.

Benefits of adding salt to culture ponds

1. Purifying the water. The mechanism of salt in water is that it increases the concentration of ions in the water, causing suspended organic particles and colloids to become flocs and then sink to the bottom of the pond, reducing the consumption of dissolved oxygen in the water while also achieving the effect of purifying the water.

2. Balancing osmotic pressure. The inside and outside of the fish body contain different amounts of salt and have a certain osmotic pressure. Adding salt to the water has the effect of balancing osmotic pressure, can relieve the adverse reactions produced after the fish body enters a new water quality environment, and can also replenish part of the salt lost through wounds.

3. Assisting medication treatment. When treating fish diseases such as saprolegniasis, adding salt to the water can help the fish skin absorb medications, thereby enhancing the therapeutic effect of the drugs.

4. Disinfection and sterilization. The salt content ratio required to prevent and treat different fish diseases varies. Salt can eliminate and disinfect various bacteria carried on the surface of the fish body as well as Chilodonella and Trichodina, achieving the effect of disease prevention.

5. Stimulating appetite. The inorganic salt NaCl is a necessity for maintaining life. Sodium ions Na+ play a very important role in maintaining the osmotic pressure, acid-base balance, and water balance of the body. Na+ can also maintain and increase the excitability of nerves and muscles. Adding salt to the water can stimulate the appetite of the fish body, because CL- is a component of hydrochloric acid in gastric juice and has the effect of activating pepsinogen, can provide the needed acidic environment for pepsin, and causes the protein in food to denature, which is beneficial for digestion.

6. Pay attention to the amount of salt added; do not add too much. You can choose to add coarse salt, or salt sold in aquarium stores. Ordinary table salt cannot be added, because it contains iodine, and iodine will have adverse effects on fish.