Many people use aquarium water for their plants. The nitrates in it are a good nitrogen source. However I know they sell aquarium salt for freshwater fish as a stress-reducer and for tanks with fish like cichlids or mollies that like brackish water. Why do you have table salt in yours? Table salt is very soluable in water and can wash away pretty readily but it can also precipitate out into the soil after awhile especially if that soil dries out...???

I have been pouring 10-20 gal. of tank water/3weeks, salted to this proportion, in my flower and herb beds for over a year, and I have observed no ill effects.

Is there any particular reason why table salt (NaCl) is added?

I think some think that it's a disease preventative or that it makes the water more palatable to the fish--I have quite forgotten.

Here is a link that might be useful: aquariacentral.com

Dawn - the only reason why I asked is because I am also an aquarist, with 2 reef aquariums, a freshwater aquarium, and a half-barrel water garden with 2 Comets in it, and there are specific types of salt (not table salt) that are normally used for that purpose... for the benefit of the fish. For use on plants, plain old fish water is fine without any other additives such as table salt, unless that water had been medicated with an antibiotic for use on sick fish.... And in that case, I would discard the water...

Sodium is very hard on the soil. It causes soil particle dispersment. Here in the West with our arid soils, sodium can be a real killer. Gypsum (lime) applied with water will exchange Ca for the Na, making the Na more likely to wash through the soil. I doubt you'll have much trouble with 1 teaspoon per gallon as long as it is not applied to the same spot time after time.

Use it freely on asparagus. It is one plant that benefits from being salted.