SALT AND YOUR FISH
Salt and fish - Why is salt so important ?
The PERCH MAN ABN 42 065 149 145
"Salt, the aspirin of aquaculture."
Like aspirin helps humans with many ailments, headaches, toothaches, muscle aches, thins blood, minor aches and pains, fevers, inflammation, etc.Keeping the osmotic pressure, the salt in their cells, in freshwater fish is a constant battle and will result in serious stress to the fish if not managed by the grower, or hatchery operator. Freshwater fish constantly face two kinds of problems, they gain water passively through their skin due to osmotic gradient, and continually lose body salts to the surrounding water of much lower salt content. Osmoregulation in fresh water fish is affected by pumping out excess of water from their bodies.
The salt loss through the excretion of water is made good by salt absorbing gills, skin and various parts of the alimentary canal.
Salt is extremely beneficial to almost all freshwater fish, especially Australian native perch.
Over twenty years ago I referred to salt as the "aspirin of aquaculture".
The expression is now common in the industry.
Salt is essential for fish, particularly in tanks, and whenever any handling of fish is being carried out.
Some people believe the purging of the fish in salted water makes the flesh taste better.
For greater detail on the use of other chemicals to manage and treat disease go to the members area.
Like aspirin helps humans with many ailments, headaches, toothaches, muscle aches, thins blood, minor aches and pains, fevers, inflammation, etc. For fish, salt is a mild anaesthetic, an antifungal, a treatment for many parasites, a stress reducer, etc.
Keeping the osmotic pressure, the salt in their cells, in freshwater fish is a constant battle and will result in serious stress to the fish if not managed by the grower, or hatchery operator.
Freshwater fish constantly face two kinds of problems, they gain water passively through their skin due to osmotic gradient, and continually lose body salts to the surrounding water of much lower salt content.
Osmoregulation in fresh water fish is affected by pumping out excess of water from their bodies.
The salt loss through the excretion of water is made good by salt absorbing gills, skin and various parts of the alimentary canal.
Salt is extremely beneficial to almost all freshwater fish, especially Australian native perch.
Over twenty years ago I referred to salt as the "aspirin of aquaculture".
The expression is now common in the industry.
Salt is essential for fish, particularly in tanks, and whenever any handling of fish is being carried out.
Some people believe the purging of the fish in salted water makes the flesh taste better.
This is not scientifically supported.
There is no actual change in the texture, or flavour of the fish due to the salt content of the purging water.
Although the salt in the purging water is of great benefit to the fish, (I have always said salt is the aspirin of aquaculture, and should always be used when handling fresh water fish. In fact if a professional grower, or hatchery operator did not use salt, he makes things difficult for himself, and his fish.) it actually has no biological effect on the flesh.
The salt content of the fish's body, including the mussel tissue will always be the same through the fish's ability to *osmoregulate the salt in its body.
Jade and silver perch flesh undergo NO changes when kept in high levels of salt.
A little salt added to their water is extremely helpful. I recommend 2 to 5 parts per thousand, (ppt).
That's 2 to 5 grams per litre. A salt content of 10 ppt can result in stock losses for jade and silver perch.
The salt in the purging water does help the fish to purge their gut, and helps with parasite management.
It is also a mild antiseptic. It also acts as a mild anaesthetic keeping the fish calmer.
For greater detail on the use of other chemicals to manage and treat disease go to the members area.
Measure salt with one of these.
Information about other recommended equipment/tools here
OTHER SPECIES
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