Can You Use Sea Salt to Raise Aquarium pH?

If the pH of an aquarium is too low, it may be necessary to raise it.

PH is a measure of your aquarium's acidity. Low pH levels are acidic, while high pH levels are alkaline. If your aquarium's pH is too low, you may need to raise it; adding sea salt, however, is not a good way to do so.

Sea Salt

Seawater contains a variety of dissolved ionic compounds. The most abundant ions are sodium and chloride. Other ions present -- in order of abundance with most abundant first -- are sulfate, magnesium, bicarbonate, calcium, potassium, bromine, strontium, boron, silicon and fluorine. Other elements are present in even more minute quantities, but these make an insignificant contribution to the total mass.

Checking pH

Different species of fish have different optimal pH levels; not all fish will prefer pH 7, which is neutral. Read up on your fish before deciding to change pH, and obtain a pH test kit -- these are available from many pet stores.

Changing Aquarium pH

Adding sea salt will not significantly change the aquarium pH. The majority of the mass of sea salt is composed of ions like sodium, chloride, magnesium and sulfate, which have little or no effect on pH. The bicarbonate ions present in sea salt will increase pH, but they form too small a fraction (under 1 percent by mass) to have any significant effect. If you need to raise your aquarium pH, consult a local pet supply store and see what they recommend rather than adding sea salt.

References

• "Oceanography, An Invitation to Marine Science, 6th Edition"; Tom Garrison; 2007
• FirstTankGuide: Aquarium pH
• AquaHobby: Adjusting pH In The Freshwater Aquarium