Justin wrote:
Rocco,

Here is where I sourced the Chlorine from...
http://www.nutri-tech.com.au/hints.htm#NO3
The article is as follows....

Dump Muriate of Potash:

Muriate contains 50% microbe-killing chlorine. Sulfate of Potash may be
more expensive, but most Queensland soils are sulfur deficient, and this
benefit should be factored into the cost difference.

I wouldn't put much weight into what "Nutri-Tech" says (especially after
reading about the other products they have for sale)- it likely arises
from a fundamental misunderstanding of chemistry.

We label atoms based on what's going on in the nucleus (# of protons) -
but the nucleus is always surrounded by electrons. Unless you're a
nuclear physicist, it's primarily the number & layout of electrons which
determine how a given substance acts. Chlorine has 17 electrons, and due
to the way the electrons are arranged, it *really* wants one more, so it
will grab electrons from practically anything it can. Chloride (from
"muriate of potash") has 18 electrons - it's happy. In fact, since
reactivity is governed by electrons and not the nucleus, it's more like
the tremendously inert Argon than it is like chlorine.

Chloride (as opposed to chlorine) is also not particularly microbe
killing. In fact, biologists *routinely* add chloride (as NaCl -
"muriate of sodium") to bacteria cultures in quite high amounts (10g/L)
- far from being inhibitory, the NaCl is required for good growth.

That said, sulfur is also necessary for life, so adding K2SO4 adds two
nutrients instead of just the one. A big plus if your soil/tank is
sulfur poor.

Just though I would mention it as chlorine is not that good in aquaria,
but maybe it's different here in Australia...

I don't think chemistry changes that radically as one crosses the
equator.