# Non-Iodized Table salt



## edouthirt (Jan 22, 2008)

Hi there,

I bought a different brand on non-iodized table salt for my new batch of rift lake buffer. This lists the ingredients as salt and sodium silicoaluminate. Is this safe to use?


----------



## mthigpen_02 (Dec 29, 2008)

If I am not mistaken that would be an anti-caking agent. The kind I use comes from Wal-mart in a green box and is called Koiser Salt or Pickling Salt I can't remember off the top of my head. Which ever one is in the green box though will say that it is only salt and no additives.


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Koshering salt has flattened crystals so that it dissolves faster and is intended for a step in butchering meat that draws out blood, then both blood and salt are rinsed off. Because of the flattened crystals it has to have a higher proportion of anti-caking chemicals, but that is OK for its intended use since it would all be rinsed off and not consumed. The anti-caking chemical commonly used is basically a very dry powdered clay, not very dangerous though it might encourage the growth of a brown diatom film in the aquarium.

It is an old myth that non-iodized salt should be used in the aquarium, one that has been thoughtlessly repeated in print from its origin in the early twentieth century and still shows up in modern times. Tap water and many of the foods we feed to our fish are difficient in iodine. Ordinary iodized table salt is the cleanest and purest salt we can easily buy for our aquariums. The iodine will go some way toward restoring iodine into the water where it should be especially for rift lake cichlids because those natural waters contain a higher than average amount of iodine.

There are some areas in the US where naturally occurring iodine is very high, and you do not find iodized table salt on the store shelves in those areas. Using non-iodized salt there would be OK. However in a closed system, iodine is rapidly used up and I use an iodine product for reef aquariums in all my cichlid and livebearer tanks. I follow the dosing instructions for a reef tank and it makes a big difference in the growth and development of fry, especially with cichlids from Lake Tanganyika. The difference with Tropheus and Ophthalmotilapia is especially dramatic.


----------



## Rockydog (Oct 21, 2007)

I use Sea salt. Get it at WalMart in the pharmacy dept. Very inexpensive but large crystals. Since I don't like to wait for them to dissolve I just put the salt in a blender and break the crystals down to much smaller size. Usually do a couple cups at a time then just measure what I need for each batch. Works great.


----------



## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

Rockydog said:


> I use Sea salt. Get it at WalMart in the pharmacy dept. Very inexpensive but large crystals. Since I don't like to wait for them to dissolve I just put the salt in a blender and break the crystals down to much smaller size. Usually do a couple cups at a time then just measure what I need for each batch. Works great.


Great tip :thumb: 
Thanks


----------



## planenut007 (Mar 21, 2009)

Wally world has "sea salt" crystals in spice row $1.42 for 26oz. brand name is "Hain"
We use it on our food as well as for the fish when needed.
It is made from evaporated sea water, and disloves very quickly.
It also contains Calcium Silicate (anti caking compound) never had any probs with it.
And it taste way better than the other stuff on my food, don't need as much for flavor, no bitterness either.


----------



## smellsfishy1 (May 29, 2008)

I always wondered why some discourage the use of iodized salt.
If you research it you will find the list of elements present in the African Rift Lakes and it includes iodine in all three.
For this reason I have always used marine salt in my buffer mix, I feel there is an advantage over using regular aquarium salt for Rift Lake Cichlids.


----------



## RobR (Dec 31, 2008)

Go to any of the big box stores and pick up a bag of "solar salt" which is used for water softeners. No iodine, no anti-caking ingredients and it costs ~ $5 for 40 lbs.


----------



## davespeed3 (Mar 29, 2009)

A lot of this illustrates the reason I use Seachem Cichlid lake salt, I know its doing no harm. In addition it contains other elements not present in my tap water that are supposed to be present in Lake Tang'. For around $20 (in Â£ sterling :wink: ) I get enough to do water changes on my 130g Frontosa tank for a year, I don't regard this as too much.


----------



## BenHugs (Jan 13, 2007)

Ok So I picked up a box of Sea salt from Walmart today and got home and read the ingedients and this was what was in it.
Salt, Sodium Thiosulphate (the main ingredient in de-chlorinators) Potassium iodide, Sodium ferrocyanide (anti caking compound)
I have Africans so Iodine is not an issue. What does everyone think of this salt?????


----------



## Rockydog (Oct 21, 2007)

BenHugs said:


> Ok So I picked up a box of Sea salt from Walmart today and got home and read the ingedients and this was what was in it.
> Salt, Sodium Thiosulphate (the main ingredient in de-chlorinators) Potassium iodide, Sodium ferrocyanide (anti caking compound)
> I have Africans so Iodine is not an issue. What does everyone think of this salt?????


That sounds like the salt used in cooking. The sea salt I get is in the pharmacy dept - just salt no other ingredients - used for bathing.


----------



## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

davespeed3 said:


> A lot of this illustrates the reason I use Seachem Cichlid lake salt, I know its doing no harm.


A lot of this illustrates the reason I don't add something that isn't needed nor can be verified that it truly helps the fish... 

Back in the day when I used to add salt I used iodized salt, no additives as the iodine myth is (as Mcdaphnia mentions) just a myth. Color did improve, but I really think that had to do with the iodine as I got the same improvements without salt but better food and more frequent water changes in the latter half of my time in the hobby.


----------

