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NaCl as source of micronutrient Chlorine?

Djoko Sauza

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23 Jul 2017
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260
Location
SE London
Hi all. I'm using 100% remineralised RO water with CaSo4 and MgSo4. My fert mix doesn't contain any chlorine.

Since I'd rather not add any tap water, is adding a miniscule amount of NaCl (as kosher salt) a good idea? Say up to 2ppm Cl?

I know other chlorine compounds exist but that's one more expense I'd rather not have.

Cheers
 
Chemistry is not my strong suit, but could you not use CaCl2 (Calcium Chloride) rather than CaSO4?
That would be ideal but I'd rather not buy more powders and pay delivery etc when that's the only I need. Thinking about it, I have a lot of CaCl2 to use in those dehumidifier boxes but I have no idea how pure it would be?
 
Hi all. I'm using 100% remineralised RO water with CaSo4 and MgSo4. My fert mix doesn't contain any chlorine.

Since I'd rather not add any tap water, is adding a miniscule amount of NaCl (as kosher salt) a good idea? Say up to 2ppm Cl?

I know other chlorine compounds exist but that's one more expense I'd rather not have.

Cheers
If your worried about lack of Chloride (you don't need much) just add a bit of KCl or some CaCl2 as @Wookii suggest - the CaCl2 will increase your GH though. I would go with KCl - Potassium Chloride.
Cheers,
Michael
 
hi, it is not advisable to use sodium chloride because sodium isn't the best for plants or fish, i use calcium chloride instead of sulphate and it works well, dissolves much faster too!
also, an important note, you want chloride in your tank not chlorine, chlorine is extremely toxic to fish and plants,
 
if you target 2 ppm of Chloride you will get 1.25 ppm of Na from NaCl - which shouldn't be a problem? Others may want to chime in on that. Natural amazonian water ways routinely contains between 1-5 ppm of Na.

Cheers,
Michael
 
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if you target 2 ppm of Chloride you will get 1.25 ppm of Na from NaCl - which shouldn't be a problem? Others may want to chime in on that.

Cheers,
Michael
Yes, I guess the question here actually is "at what levels is Na problematic"?
 
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Go to the Supermarket and buy ‘Low Sodium Salt’ or ‘No Sodium Salt’, the former is a blend of Potassium Chloride and Sodium Chloride the latter should be solely Potassium Chloride.

:)
I don't think this exists here in the Netherlands?
 
@MichaelJ I'm adding NaCl, your paper about Amazonian river water parameters convinced me. I mean, even a blackwater river with 8 microsiemens EC has 0.4ppm Na so what could go wrong? Apart from me miscalculating and adding way too much salt of course...
 
@MichaelJ I'm adding NaCl, your paper about Amazonian river water parameters convinced me. I mean, even a blackwater river with 8 microsiemens EC has 0.4ppm Na so what could go wrong? Apart from me miscalculating and adding way too much salt of course...
I personally wouldn't worry about it. For instance, for a 100 liter tank you only need 0.33 grams. to reach 2 ppm of Chloride - Thats a pinch or 1/16th of a 5 gram teaspoon - that is a tiny amount.

Cheers,
Michael
 
I think you will be OK, 1.25 mg/l of Na is nothing - the legal limit for tapwater in the UK is 200 mg/l
Yes, of course, it makes sense. Since adding NaCl is never mentioned when talking about ferts I thought perhaps it wouldn't be an option for some obscure reason.
 
I don't think this exists here in the Netherlands?

Absolutely Impossible because the Netherlands are ‘the’ European leaders at using low or no sodium salts in products, out of the whole of Europe the Netherlands accounts for 9% of the total used and it’s not exactly a massively populated country, you’re a healthy bunch!

Aldi does low sodium salt in their Simply Natural range apparently.

:)
 
you’re a healthy bunch!
To be honest I don't notice much of a difference between here and other countries, from my experience living here for 3 years now (what is in "frikandel" anyway??).
Perhaps in Holland&Barret (yes, we also have that!) I can find some KCl, I know for sure in my local supermarkets there's only lame NaCl.
 
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