Alk and CA all in one dosing

[Dexter_SA]

Is it possible to make a calcium and alk solution in one solution. Instead of dosing alk and CA separate. Can one mix bicarb and cacl2 for instance to make one solution?

 

[Miami Reef]

Most certainly.

You can use limewater (Calcium hydroxide) or solutions like All For Reef (Calcium formate). Both options are single solutions that supply calcium and alkalinity when added to a reef tank.

Here‘s Limewater (Kalkwasser): https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/kalkwasser-calcium-hydroxide-bulk-reef-supply.html

Here’s All For Reef: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/all-for-reef-tropic-marin.html

 

[Dexter_SA]

Ive been using randy Holmes 2 part for very long. But was thinking can't one mix the alk and calcium part together. Instead of separate. I'm familiar with kalk but never tried it. I'm to scared of a doser malfunction. Thanks for the heads-up on all for reef. I've looked at it in the past. But works out fairly expensive to use.

 

[Miami Reef]

Ive been using randy Holmes 2 part for very long. But was thinking can't one mix the alk and calcium part together. Instead of separate. I'm familiar with kalk but never tried it. I'm to scared of a doser malfunction. Thanks for the heads-up on all for reef. I've looked at it in the past. But works out fairly expensive to use.

You can’t mix the standard two parts because they will precipitate calcium carbonate, which is unavailable in the tank. It‘s essentially adding “sand” to the tank.

I believe the BRS 1.1mL are very reliable and not likely to experience a malfunction.

Between All For Reef and Kalkwasser, I believe the latter is a much better choice because of the price point and pH gains.

However, two parts are more ideal for higher demand tanks.

 

[Dexter_SA]

I know there is a way to do this. Locally there's people that's accomplishing this. They dose alk and CA in one solution. I'm just not sure what chemicals they use and the amount they mix. And they not using kalk. It's some diy mix. Just need to figure out what they mix. And no. They not sharing the recipe. Hence I'm asking here

 

[Miami Reef]

I know there is a way to do this. Locally there's people that's accomplishing this. They dose alk and CA in one solution. I'm just not sure what chemicals they use and the amount they mix. And they not using kalk. It's some diy mix. Just need to figure out what they mix. And no. They not sharing the recipe. Hence I'm asking here

Interesting…

Understanding chemistry is power. You cannot mix sodium carbonate or bicarbonate with calcium chloride because it will precipitate. That is a fact. There is no way around that.

Tropic Marin All For Reef has a powder version that you can mix up…

All-For-Reef - Powder Mix

Tropic Marin All-For-Reef revolutionized aquarium additive dosing with their original pre-mixed solution, and now this same formula is available in an ultra-concentrated crystalline form that you can easily mix at home, making it more economical for systems of all sizes. All-For-Reef powder...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

How do you know they aren’t just using kalkwasser?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Any time a company has a two part additive of any sort, it is safe to bet to assume one cannot just mix them, or else they would for everyone’s convenience.

Existing one part calcium and alk solutions have various drawbacks depending on the type, such as cost for All for Reef (calcium formate) and solubility (calcium hydroxide).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I know there is a way to do this. Locally there's people that's accomplishing this. They dose alk and CA in one solution. I'm just not sure what chemicals they use and the amount they mix. And they not using kalk. It's some diy mix. Just need to figure out what they mix. And no. They not sharing the recipe. Hence I'm asking here

There is no magic recipe for mixing a new one part. There are several methods that have been known for many years. Tropic Marin with All for Reef made using calcium formate is the most recently popularized one.

 

[Faulkner’s maze]

I use tropic Marin’s carbocalcium. It’s a two in one solution. So far it has been keeping them in a decent range. It does take a bit for the “dosing” part to kick in unlike the two part solutions. I also like it as it does not raise ph levels. With a Neptune trident I maybe have to change the dosing by 1 ml every so often (like every two-three months)

 

[Dexter_SA]

I use tropic Marin’s carbocalcium. It’s a two in one solution. So far it has been keeping them in a decent range. It does take a bit for the “dosing” part to kick in unlike the two part solutions. I also like it as it does not raise ph levels. With a Neptune trident I maybe have to change the dosing by 1 ml every so often (like every two-three months)

This is exactly what I think they managed to reverse engineer

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This is exactly what I think they managed to reverse engineer

No engineering needed. It is calcium formate. They say as much.

I cannot see it being especially desirable to make it yourself from formic acid and calcium hydroxide, but you could.

Salifert All in One is calcium acetate.