Adding calcium to your reef: a replacement for Dowflakes

[neuroslicer]

If you make your own calcium and alkalinity solutions, you've probably heard that ever since Jan 1, 2007, the Dow Chemical company has stopped extracting bromide from their calcium flakes (Dowflakes). Now while there is bromide in sea water, it is not known to what extent marine life or macroalgae extract it from sea water and use it. So daily additions of the new Dowflake solutions could potentially elevate bromide levels. Whether this happens or not is not known, or whether if it does happen and it is a reason for concern is another unknown. Not trying to arouse fear, just passing on some knowledge.

www.twopartsolution.com (aka Bulk Reef Supply) in its wisdom bought up stockpiles of the pre-2007 Dowflakes and is currently selling it for $45 for 35 pounds. All the local pool companies that sell Dowflakes as a water hardener sell the more recent (high bromide) calcium, and frankly I wouldn't recommend the new stuff if you're adding daily calcium for an SPS tank like I am.

The good news: www.tetrachemicals.com uses food grade hydrochloric acid to extract calcium from limestone, and the result is a low bromide product. I just ordered and received 50 pounds of the stuff, which should last me several years!

I still have some of the original Dowflakes from when I bought it two years ago, six gallons worth to be exact. If anyone wants it, I'll sell it at $2 per gallon.

If you'd like some of the Tetra calcium, I'll sell that for $7.50 for 10 pounds (you bring your own container). That much should make about 11 gallons worth!

As always, you can learn a lot about adding calcium and alkalinity from the Reef Chemistry forum on Reef Central!

Best fishes,
Neuro

 

[glitzyone]

Tetra calcium, I'll sell that for $7.50 for 10 pounds

i'll take some of this
Malisa

 

[Del123]

I sure would like to have you speak at a meeting again, I really got alot out of you when you were at the meeting last time. I really need to know something about reef chemistry, with my new tank (if I can ever get it up) I will need to know alot more about it.

 

[ducklabdad]

I am really curious about your dosing method, how often you do your testing etc... Are you driping with an IV bag using a dosing pump etc... I bet you know of a "paper" on this some where??

Several of the books that I have and have read give some information on calcium levels, but I am really curious about the levels of the other chemicals, magnesium, iodine etc...

I have been reading through the threads in the Reef Chemisty section and there is sure a lot of "conficting opinions on so much of this . Is there any of the books you would specifically recommend??

 

[neuroslicer]

Here are the details. Sorry for the length... but they are rather.... uh... detailed ...because you asked. Many clubbers have heard the spiel before at club meetings, so I'd rather not speak for a third time for fear of putting them to sleep! :lol:


Rather than slowly dose with full strength kalkwasser (aka Mrs. Wages pickling lime), I just top off my tanks with half strength kalkwasser all at once. That's not a big enough pH surge to do any damage. Even if I were to dose with full strength kalkwasser (slowly), that wouldn't be enough added calcium to keep the levels high enough, so I then add calcium to bring calcium to 420 - 450 ppm. I add carbonate to to keep alkalinity between 9 and 10 kH. Since Mg isn't metabolized to the same extent, it doesn't have to be added more than once a month or so, and I keep that around 1300 - 1350 ppm. Iron is the only other additive I ever use.... I don't add strontium, iodine or manganese or anything else. And the the iron is for the macroalgae (chaetomorpha in the sump), to promote growth which then keeps nitrate levels low. I add that twice weekly. I have a homemade recipe for chelated iron that I got off of Reef Central. Any other essential trace elements probably get replenished enough with water changes... but I only do a 10% water change about once every 6 weeks. IMO more frequent water changes are just making more work and cost for themselves. And results speak for themselves. The SPS grow like wildflowers! I do have a bottle of lugol's iodine in the cabinet but that's for a brief iodine dip for new coral.

I do these additions in the morning, daily before I leave for work. Takes all of 3 minutes. When you're just starting out with a dosing regimen you should test Ca and Alk frequently until you figure our how much to add daily. But then you can test once every week or two weeks. The weekly tests are for Ca and Alk. I don't test for nitrates because they're always zero. But until you get your reef to that level you need to be testing for nitrates and phosphates (and doing something different to your system if they are detectable at all).

I have a Milwaukee pH/ORP controller which monitors pH and ORP. pH is usually lowest in the morning (~8.0 - 8.1) and highest in late afternoon (8.3 - 8.4). I inject ozone to keep ORP levels at 325. I also UV my water, and have a carbon/phosban cartridge running 24/7.


In terms of reading, the basics are covered on the Reef Chemistry forum of Reef Central.

Neuro

 

[zebrafish]

Tetra calcium, I'll sell that for $7.50 for 10 pounds (you bring your own container).

Put me down for 1 portion.

 

[ducklabdad]

I test with the kits that I have ,but have seen quite a bit of variance with the two calcium test kits I have.

Although I am sure that you have acess to much more sophisticated testing equipment than my (cheap) mind can afford.
I was wondering if there is a specific brand of test kit you prefer.

 

[neuroslicer]

Definitely, I like the Salifert test kits best (Ca, alkalinity, magnesium and nitrates - NO3). The most sensitive (<1mg/l) kit for ortho phosphate (PO4) is made by Hach, though it's pretty expensive. But I found it a worthwhile one time investment... it lasts forever.