DIY Ca supplement replacement

[dragonfisher33]

hi Randy,

i'm reading up on your guide on DIY 2 part and unfortunately my local hardware store doesn't have Dowflakes. what i found is this

50 lb. Concentrated Ice Melt-50B-HEAT - The Home Depot

is this a good substitute? how much of it do i add since it's "concentrated"? also, how would i know if there's anything (impurities) in this product that might harm my reef tank?

 

[redfishbluefish]

Interestingly the MSDS on the link shows that this is Preston Driveway Heat....and therefore I believe it is the anhydrous form, so two cups of this to one gallon of RO/DI and you should be good to go.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

As mentioned, it appears to be Prestone Driveway Heat, which used to be made from an anhydrous version of Dowflake and was fine to use. I don't know if that is still the case or not, and Dowflake now also has more bromide in it than it used it.

So it may be OK, but there is some risk with it.

 

[dragonfisher33]

As mentioned, it appears to be Prestone Driveway Heat, which used to be made from an anhydrous version of Dowflake and was fine to use. I don't know if that is still the case or not, and Dowflake now also has more bromide in it than it used it.

So it may be OK, but there is some risk with it.

the uncertainty in your response makes me hesitant on this product. so, do you know a product that you have better confidence in for a CA supplement?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

the uncertainty in your response makes me hesitant on this product. so, do you know a product that you have better confidence in for a CA supplement?

I would have more confidence in the material sold by BRS since it comes with a high "grade" (pharmaceutical grade). Dr Foster and Smith doesn't give a grade for their material, but it is "probably" OK (and is cheaper than BRS). In reality, they may all be the same, but the question is how much risk is it worth to you vs the price difference.