Calcium chloride and Magnesium questions

[Jonas Bergkvist]

Is it ok to mix Calcium chloride together with Magnesium in the same container? I have the Calcium chloride in powder form and the Magnesium i have had in a bottle for a couple of weeks now. It's the Aqua Forest Magnesium salt.

One more question, is Calcium chloride sensitive to carbon dioxide?

Oh one more! Is there a "best before use" for either of them?

Thank you!

 

[Saltyreef]

Is it ok to mix Calcium chloride together with Magnesium in the same container? I have the Calcium chloride in powder form and the Magnesium i have had in a bottle for a couple of weeks now. It's the Aqua Forest Magnesium salt.

One more question, is Calcium chloride sensitive to carbon dioxide?

Oh one more! Is there a "best before use" for either of them?

Thank you!

You can mix them without issue if the magnesium is mag chloride as well.

The whole system is sensitive to c02 so i would try to keep that as reduced as possible.

And i would use them until you see visible signs of contamination.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

As noted above, you can mix calcium chloride additives with the Aquaforest magnesium supplement because, IMO, it is not an optimal product and consists only of magnesium chloride. Better magnesium additives will also contain magnesium sulfate, and those cannot be combined with calcium chloride since calcium sulfate will precipitate. That is the whole reason my DIY two part is really three parts.

CO2 has no impact on calcium chloride.

They will last forever.

 

[Saltyreef]

They will last forever.

Maybe in a dark cool place but in the humidity and illumination of my tank room, the bottles develop biofilm before the gallon is used up

I still dose it.......im cheap lol.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Maybe in a dark cool place but in the humidity and illumination of my tank room, the bottles develop biofilm before the gallon is used up

I still dose it.......im cheap lol.

Nothing can happen to calcium chloride to hurt it.

How diluted is the dosing solution?

 

[Saltyreef]

Nothing can happen to calcium chloride to hurt it.

How diluted is the dosing solution?

Happens in all my containers. Alk cal and mag. Your recipie lol.

I think its just bacterial biofilm from the humidity and light.
Im not the most sterile person lol.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Happens in all my containers. Alk cal and mag. Your recipie lol.

I think its just bacterial biofilm from the humidity and light.
Im not the most sterile person lol.

Humidity? Inside a liquid solution?

 

[Saltyreef]

Humidity? Inside a liquid solution?

I meant the ambient conditions being hot and humid contributing to growth (not light). The biofilm is growing inside the liquid solution container.
Similarly i get small amounts of black mildew forming inside my ato container due to the moisture and heat always present in the room.
Its like a large incubator

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The biofilm is growing on the inside surfaces above the liquid? That's plausible.

 

[Saltyreef]

N

The biofilm is growing on the inside surfaces above the liquid? That's plausible.

On my ATO yes. In my dosing containers...Nope. Its on the surface of the water bottle below the surface of the liquid.
So when the calcium liquid gets low and i stir it up, there is a film that sluffs off the surface of the bottle.
Maybe feeding off leaching plastic....idk...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

N

On my ATO yes. In my dosing containers...Nope. Its on the surface of the water bottle below the surface of the liquid.
So when the calcium liquid gets low and i stir it up, there is a film that sluffs off the surface of the bottle.
Maybe feeding off leaching plastic....idk...

I'm surprised anything can grow in the liquid, and it may not be a biofilm.

In any case, I'd ignore it. it's not hurting anything.

 

[Saltyreef]

In any case, I'd ignore it.

Thanks...i do lol.

 

[Jonas Bergkvist]

As noted above, you can mix calcium chloride additives with the Aquaforest magnesium supplement because, IMO, it is not an optimal product and consists only of magnesium chloride. Better magnesium additives will also contain magnesium sulfate, and those cannot be combined with calcium chloride since calcium sulfate will precipitate. That is the whole reason my DIY two part is really three parts.

CO2 has no impact on calcium chloride.

They will last forever.

Thank you Randy!

 

[Jonas Bergkvist]

You can mix them without issue if the magnesium is mag chloride as well.

The whole system is sensitive to c02 so i would try to keep that as reduced as possible.

And i would use them until you see visible signs of contamination.

Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thank you Randy!

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.