I know you guys will crucify me and this is NOT a recomendation, but for the last 20 years I've just been tossing course salt straight into the tank and letting it slowly disolve in the tank, as course salt tends to do (bout 5-10 minutes). Never knew any better back then and never actually killed anything. I suppose I should be doing it differently these days... Bad habit I have...
20 years ago I also had a tank that went 3 years without a WC... Not something I do these days!