Salt
Even Iodized salt will not do harm at “normal” levels.
Here’s a couple of snips from http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/salt.shtml (around 1/2 way down the page) …
“Iodized salt. RavenSedai posted at Tom’s Place, 23 July2000, the following from a koikeeper newsgroup, which pinpoints the anxiety about iodine in salt, an anxiety I don’t share myself.”
“In natural waters (ocean or freshwater), the predominant form of iodine is the oxidized form, iodate (IO3-), not the reduced form, iodide (I-). These two forms do not interconvert readily in water. The active ingredient in Betadine disinfectant is 1% iodide. The USDA suggests a 10 minute bath of 100 ppm iodide as a disinfectant for trout eggs. A permanent concentration in the pond of about 0.1 ppm, a weak disinfectant bath…”
“Fears about toxicity of the iodine represented in table salt are still often expressed in warnings not to use iodized salt in the aquarium. Potassium iodide (sometimes it’s sodium iodide) in U.S. iodized table salt ranges from 20 to 40 parts per million. So what part per million of iodide does that potassium iodide represent?”
“If you add iodized salt at the rate of one teaspoon per gallon, you are adding iodide in the range of 0.083 - 0.166ppm.”
“After laying out the calculations, aquariaddictus remarked, “All in all, I have to believe it’s a drop in the bucket. Does anyone use a tablespoon/gallon except in times of severe disease?”" (END SNIPS)
Basically, it would be best and cheapest to buy bulk rock salt or some other non-iodized salt in bulk to save money but if you don’t have any el cheapo rock salt, using regular table salt… either iodized or not… is very common and safe for our fish. There is no reason to spend 10X more for Doc Johnson’s Aquarium Salt when you can buy a 2 lb. box of table salt for a fraction of the cost. Now, Sea Salt has other trace elements in it so it has added benefits for SW fish.
Lenny Vasbinder Fish Blog - http://GoldLenny.blogspot.com
Category: Philippines Internet Koi Society
