My wife uses the canning salt. You get it at the local grocery store. No
additives, and you do not need to buy a years supply all at once.

Gregory Young wrote in message
. ..
I totally agree with your comments on routine use of salt....
Routine use of salt has been discussed ad nauseum in this NG, so I will
not
repeat it again.
By routine I am referring to the continuous use of salt, not the annual
spring time addition, which is then removed from water change outs (your
weekly 10%, etc.), nor do I refer to intermittent use to treat diseases
(parasitic).
Interested parties can look up the many salt postings under this
newsgroup.
You may also email me direct, and I can send you the postings on this
topic
via email format.
That being said, I have a bag of salt handy at all times, when I perform
pond side Rx that I use when salt is indicated. I also use the "solar
salt",
using the 40# bags as mentioned, which cost considerably less than "pond
salt".
Happy ponding,
Greg
--


"GD" wrote in message
...
Just a comment about the use of salt in ponds: it tends to increase in
concentration with each treatment, assuming water exchanges are not
routinely conducted. Many submersed, floating-leaved, and marginal
plants kept by pond owners have low salt tolerances. Make your fish
feel better, but watch your plants for salt burn (usually browned leaf
tips or edges, wilting, etc.).


"Jazzman" wrote:

Why pay $10 - $20 on "pond salt" that is available at local water
gardening stores when you can buy a 40lb bag of "solar salt" crystals
at
Home Depot for $5.00 !!! I've been using solar salt in my pond this
year
and have achieved the same results that I had when I used the more
expensive
"pond salt". Inexpensive and quite pure solar-dried or kiln-dried salt
used
in home water softeners is available at most supermarkets and home
improvement centers. Do not use pelletized water softener salt that has
binding agents or any type of iodized salt. For those of you asking,
"Why
do
I need salt in my pond?" - Common salt, sodium chloride, NaCl, has
been
termed "The KOI Wonder Drug". A misnomer perhaps, but salt is a proven
staple in the health care and maintenance of Koi worldwide. Koi
maintain
an
internal concentration of salt in their body fluids higher than that of
their liquid environment. Osmosis causes water to transfer from the
lower
salinity of the pond water into the tissues of the fish. This
additional
water build up must be eliminated by the kidneys. Although salt in
higher
concentrations may slow some disease causing bacterial growth in the
pond,
the predominantly accepted theories ascribe the primary benefits of
salt
to
lowering the osmotic pressure. This reduces the effort the fish must
expend
in eliminating the excess water. The saved energy is then available for
use
by the fish's own immune system to take care of other potential
problems.
The presence of salt also helps counteract any nitrite toxicity. In
some
cold climate areas, it is added in the Winter to lower the freezing
point
of
the water.

A salinity test kit is available at most water gardening stores. The
procedure in the kit can be used in adding the solar salt instead of
pond
salt. I've seen too many people with fish problems not even consider
the
lack of salt as a possible problem. Soooo, for you pond lovers, check
your
pond's ph and salinity and have healthy fish all year!

PondMan
MD