replacing 2 part recipe with

[secretreefer]

hi guys,
just wondering if anyone know if pooltime calcium hardness increaser from home depot is safe to replace the calcium chloride part of the "randy 2 part recipe". oh: this is the only form of calcium chloride i can find near me.

 

[secretreefer]

:sad:

 

[kuyatwo]

I use pool calcium it the same thing. I use hardness plus from leslies pools. I usually bought alk and ca in 45 pound buckets when they 20% off sale

http://www.lesliespool.com/Home/Pool-Chemicals/Pool-Adjusters/14428.html


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[secretreefer]

thanks for responding. i think i'm going to buy it and just try it. anyone else wanna chime in on what other forms of calcium (you can buy from a grocery store) you use to dose your tank?

 

[pickupman66]

many folks I know do use the Pool calcium products. I am currently looking do to the same. you may want to contact them.

Pool Time®, Balancers - Calcium Hardness Increaser

 

[tampasnooker]

Mrs Wages pickling lime is Calcium Hydroxide - Kalkwasser.
Epsom salts are an important ingredient in making your own magnesium solution - Magnesium Sulfate. You'll need to order some Mag Chloride to balance out the ions.
Arm and Hammer baking soda is Sodium Bicarbonate - used to raise alk.

If you haven't seen it already, here's a good write up on DIY chem additives: An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[beaslbob]

hi guys,
just wondering if anyone know if pooltime calcium hardness increaser from home depot is safe to replace the calcium chloride part of the "randy 2 part recipe". oh: this is the only form of calcium chloride i can find near me.

Probably but you might check with the manufacturer. sometimes all pool shock (or hardiness increasers) are just repackaged peladow.

Before doing all that have you checked you locak redimix concrete places? And ask for calcium chloride not brand names like dow flake and so on. Calcium chloride is used to speed hardenting of concrete especially in cold weather. One source here had 50 pound bags of down flake, another had 25 pound bags of cal chlor (I think). the later was anahydrous so 92-96% pure.

I finally settled on an industrial chemical supplier here because the also had magnesium chloride they would truck in with no shipping costs.


my .02

 

[pickupman66]

Bob.. hadnt thought about that... we have a few plants close by so I think I will go by there. I looked at some products at the pool store and they dont list their concentrations.

 

[-Logzor]

I use pool calcium it the same thing. I use hardness plus from leslies pools. I usually bought alk and ca in 45 pound buckets when they 20% off sale

Hardness Plus | Pool Adjusters | Leslie's Swimming Pool Supplies, the world leader in residential and commercial pool supplies.


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I used this for awhile with no problems.

 

[secretreefer]

thanks alot guys. yep, after looking at Randys 2 part recipe I wanted to look for "alternatives" to replace what "brands/manufacturer" was listed.

 

[beaslbob]

thanks alot guys. yep, after looking at Randys 2 part recipe I wanted to look for "alternatives" to replace what "brands/manufacturer" was listed.

Dr. holmes-farley only tested dow flake and mag flake.

Since that time dow has changed the process and now dow flake has elevated (i think) bromide.

Mag flake is from the red sea and the stuff I use is from the north american salt company (great salt lake).

Calcium chloride I got a tetra flake(i think) and the cal chlor. the later was 25 poung bag and was anahydrous so equilivant to turbo calcium which I understand sells for like $20 a pound or so. The 25 poung bags were $7.95 from the redimix place. The guy there felt sorry for this obviously non construction worker and out of curiosity asked what I wanted this for. I explained and he just gave me a bag. So hard to beat free.

The concern is that very small amounts of some kind of nastie may be present. But when I checked the quality control assays it seemed fine even though untested by dr holmes farley.

additionally and most expecially after the initial adjustments, we dose very small amounts. For instance on my 55g it was like 100ml or so every few days. and that is with a cup of dry per gallon of water. So IMHO my macro refugium more than kept up with the parts per billion of whatever contaiminate was being added each week.

To me bottom like is most of this stuff used for driveway icel melter is fine. But you should check the assay if avaiable just for a warm fuzzy.



my .02

 

[secretreefer]

thanks. good updated info.

 

[pmgaudio]

many folks I know do use the Pool calcium products. I am currently looking do to the same. you may want to contact them.

Pool Time®, Balancers - Calcium Hardness Increaser

Could you also use THEIR ALK adjuster product too for KH>?

 

[_sludgefactory]

I use regular old Prestone Driveway Heat (its anhydrous calcium chloride), baking soda and epsom salt. Ive been using them for a couple years now in my corals look good and grow great.

 

[secretreefer]

thanks! awesome to know we have alternatives to buying from aquarium manufacturers who bottle up the raw form, throw a purdy wrapping on it and mark it up 10x it's worth.

 

[_sludgefactory]

The jug of driveway heat was lasting so long i actually used it to melt ice the one winter. lol

 

[pmgaudio]

Do you make TWO different jugs, one for CA and one for ALK>? And How much HEAT and water do you mix to get a dosing amount equal to something I would add to my 29 gallon. I currently use TECH CB and add 5 ml of each once daily to maintain 10 -11KH and 460-470 CA

 

[secretreefer]

yup , 1 jug for calcium, 1 jug for alk. you might want to make some magnesium to balance things out. check out BRS and the reefkeeping randy's 2 part article. there's instructions.

 

[_sludgefactory]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2004/4/chemistry

There ya go.

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[_sludgefactory]

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html

Calculator for dosing all sorts of variations of the 3 parts.

Also I never use mag flake. Dow released a statement specifically sighting mag flake as not being suitable for aquarium use.

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