Can Chloride levels in tanks become lethal?

[dirtyreefer]

The reason I ask is because I dose Kent's Turbo Calcium, which is of course CaCl. Once dissolved, I know your corals, clams and coraline algae will use the calcium for "calcification" however what about the leftover chloride ions? I also dose baking soda which is NaCl which also has chloride ions in it. Not to mention dosing Kents Tech M Magnesium, however I'm not sure what the Mg is bound with.

Can this buildup become lethal to fish and other specimens in the tank. Can your tankwater become oversaturated with other "stuff" that there is no room for O2 or other important elements? I guess I worry about whether my tankwater is becoming "soupy" since I am dissolving so much stuff in it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Can this buildup become lethal to fish and other specimens in the tank.

Not likely, no. Chloride is by far the most abundant ion in seawater, at more than 19,000 ppm. So it takes a huge amount to raise it, and if you maintain salinity, it won't rise too much.

What might happen is that chloride can rise relative to sulfate (that is, sulfate drops). That is a concern with using calcium chloride, and I model in in this article:

An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

specifically tables 2 and 3 in the column "Final Tank Concentration (w/o Part 3)

Craig Bingman also models it here:

Simulating the Effect of Calcium Chloride and Sodium Bicarbonate Additions on Reef Systems
http://web.archive.org/web/20010210...twork.com/fish2/aqfm/1998/dec/bio/default.asp

Additional Simulations: The Combined Effect Of Calcium Chloride
/Sodium Bicarbonate Additions And Water Exchanges
http://web.archive.org/web/20010210...twork.com/fish2/aqfm/1999/feb/bio/default.asp



I also dose baking soda which is NaCl which also has chloride ions in it.

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) , so that contributes no chloride.

 

[dirtyreefer]

Thanks for the quick response Randy!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.