DIY CarboCalcium powder from Tropic Marin??

[villouta]

Hello!
I've noticed that some folks started using the All for Reef from TM, and I also saw the DIY recipe here with TM supplies:

DIY All-For-Reef Recipe from Tropic Marin! Thanks Zack!

Did you know you could make your own Tropic Marin All-For-Reef....cheaper than the premixed solutions?? @Zack@BRS put together the list of ingredients and demonstrates how to mix your own All-For-Reef for a fraction of the cost and the BEST part is that it's scaleable! Make a little or make a...

www.reef2reef.com

But a question arises... what in the h... is the CarboCalcium? Of course is a powder that can raise Ca and Alk at same time, but how it does it? what are the ingredients? why it doesn't precipitates one or another? and the main question.... can we do it as an DIY solution?

I was looking around on the Internet but couldn't find any of those answers... maybe here someone has more insights or info that can be shared...

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[SliceGolfer]

At 21 minutes Lou provides an overview

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The main way to combine calcium and alkalinity is to use an organic calcium salt. Carbocalcium is calcium formate. Salifert All in One is calcium acetate.

When the organic is metabolized (oxidized), it produces bicarbonate:

Ca(HCO2)2 (calcium formate) --> Ca++ + 2 HCO2- (formate)

HCO2- + 1/2 O2 -> HCO3- (bicarbonate)

 

[Miami Reef]

Another fantastic way to combine calcium and alkalinity in a single solution is through calcium hydroxide (kalkwasser).

Calcium is like your moody aunt. She doesn’t like to get along with everybody. If you combine calcium with carbonate or bicarbonate, it will precipitate calcium carbonate.

However, calcium will not precipitate with hydroxide! It‘s just one of the solubility rules they make us remember in Chemistry 101.

Fun fact, carbon dioxide combines with hydroxide to create carbonate, and that will lead to a domino effect of precipitating calcium carbonate when the new carbonate ions react with calcium. This will lower the pH, alkalinity, and calcium potency of the kalkwasser solution.

That’s why we keep kalkwasser closed from the outside air.

 

[villouta]

Thanks guys, great answers!!
I'm currently using Kalk + 2 parts dosing (DIY), so I was trying to understand if can I move to a one DIY dosis, the problem with Kalk is that I still need to keep dosing to maintain the levels...
There's is a way to achieve a DIY one dosis using formate or acetate calcium?

Thanks again guys!!

 

[Miami Reef]

the problem with Kalk is that I still need to keep dosing to maintain the levels...

Can you further explain this? Any calcium and alkalinity dosing regimen will require continued use of the product indefinitely as the corals continue to grow.

 

[villouta]

Can you further explain this? Any calcium and alkalinity dosing regimen will require continued use of the product indefinitely as the corals continue to grow.

I mean that if I use all the reposition water with Kalk, I still need to add a 2 part dosing to keep the levels... That's why a balanced solution maybe can be a better solution.