Mixing Calcium Hydroxide & Calcium Formate

[mfollen]

Hey reefers,

I've been dosing both kalkwasser but also carbo-calcium as kalkwasser can not keep up with demand.

Are there any issues with mixing both calcium hydroxide & calcium formate? If so, what are the potential issues?

Thank you!

 

[admcmps]

I am doing the exact same thing. Started about 3 days ago. What are your result? How’s much did you end up dosing?

 

[Mono]

Don't know that answer at all but curious to know your brand/source of calcium formate?

 

[admcmps]

Carbo-calcium (tropic-Marin)

 

[mfollen]

I did but it wasn't done for long as it was a temporary solution.

I contacted tropic Marin and they said there should be no issue so long as both are dosed separate from one another. Mixing may result in precipitation issues.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The calcium from the calcium formate will suppress the ability to dissolve calcium hydroxide. So it is ok to do, but will not be equivalent to saturated limewater plus separate calcium formate.

 

[admcmps]

Randy, thank you for joining in along with all you do for the community. A curiousty I have with the calcium formate would be: Being that the compound (calcium formate) has to be metabolized by bacteria to be bioavailable alkalinity to the corals, what is the estimated time from dosing to the actual time the calcium and alkalinity will show up on a test kit?