Re: [AGA-Member] Potassium

[Roger Miller <roger@spinn.net>]

Paula,

I used Morton's "No Salt" without problems.  The formulations for low sodium 
salt probaby varies from brand to brand and might vary from time to time for 
the same brand.  Judging from the ingredients you listed I will guess that 
the product you have is probably not similar to the Morton product.

The Morton product contains potassium chloride, fumaric acid, tricalcium 
phosphate and monocalcium phosphate.  According to the nutrition facts on the 
package the product gives 610 mg of potassium per 1.2 g serving.  Pure 
potassium chloride would contain about 628 mg in a 1.2 gram serving.  From 
those values, the Morton product is 97% KCl and 3% everything else.  I 
wouldn't think twice about using the Morton product as a potassium source.

Quite a few people have used salt substitutes as potassium suppliments.  The 
main problem that people report is that the salt substitute may leave the 
water a little cloudy for a while.  The cloudiness is caused by some of the 
additives -- calcium silicate for instance -- that don't dissolve easily.

The chloride in salt substitutes is not detrimental for fish or plants.  Small 
amounts of chloride are essential for plants and higher levels are useful to 
plants.  Chloride is present in all water supplies and it is harmless at 
higher levels than one normally finds in water supplies.  Chloride is 
biologically benign up to high concentrations.


Roger Miller


On Thursday 29 December 2005 09:57, Paula Hofmann wrote:

> I have determined that I need potassium in my tank.  Nitrate and phosphate
> are at acceptable levels.  Probably have a little more nitrate than I need
> as I have some algae.  Because of a suggestion from an article in a
> magazine I got some lite salt.  I want to confirm that I can use this in my
> tank as it has more than just potassium chloride.  It also contains: mostly
> salt, calcium silicate, magnesium carbonate, dextrose, and potassium
> iodide.
>
> What does anyone think or know?
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