when setting up the table i did a lot of research into water table additives; commercial and home grown options.
i started out using arm and hammer washing soda; aka sodium carbonate or soda ash for rust control
at $3.24 a box and available anywhere i figured i try it first. i can confirm that it works exceedingly well
arm & hammer washing soda: i use 2/3 of a box in a 4x8 water table.
i mix it well into a 5 gal bucket full of water and add it to the table
i do add 1 oz of pond algacide to the water to keep the critters at bay
we cleaned out the table over the weekend, the slats and water table are rust free
the white powder is washing soda residue from splashing and evaporation
we keep a lot of fixtures on the table all the time, they're made of mild steel parts welded together
this fixture has been on the table since january 2014, any rust on it is splash from filling the table with plain water
i also notice that any metal that has been on the table and gets coated in washing soda doesn't rust while leaned up on the metal rack (wall)
since my water table treatment only costs me $3 i try to flush the table ever 2 months or when it gets real murky
we use the table maybe 8 hrs per week at best, this is not a hard used table
