So as you guys know all my tanks are now FOWLR. I have approximately 605g in my setup. When my 150g was a reef I had some really nice corraline growing but used the calcium in the bottle. Now that I'm not dosing calcium my rock is rather dull looking. As an effort to color my rocks back up is there a cheaper source of getting my calcium levels up than dosing with a bottle It would cost a fortune to dose 600+g. Seems like there was a cheaper alternative mentioned a while back but can't remember what it was.
cheap source of calcium
- Thread starter jmccown
- Start date
coralreefer
No Pistons
Dowflake.
Since I just this minute finished baking some baking soda I also have the diy 2 part recipe handy. :spin3:
There were some concerns about excess bromide when Dow changed their refining process a few years about but it seems it's become a non issue as long as you do water changes. Bromide in Dowflake.
Since I just scored 25 pounds of dowflake I hope that's true. :celeb1:
Before I've used Prestone Driveway Heat which is repackaged Perladow. My last jug was from before the refining process changed.
Since I just this minute finished baking some baking soda I also have the diy 2 part recipe handy. :spin3:
There were some concerns about excess bromide when Dow changed their refining process a few years about but it seems it's become a non issue as long as you do water changes. Bromide in Dowflake.
Since I just scored 25 pounds of dowflake I hope that's true. :celeb1:
Before I've used Prestone Driveway Heat which is repackaged Perladow. My last jug was from before the refining process changed.
rsuplido
Member
Amy, where did you get the DOWFlake from? Any local shops that carry it?
I heard that Home Depot carries Peladow but I don't think they have it constantly.
BRS has a 5 gal (35 pounds) of their Calcium Chloride, but it's about $56.
There is also a recent thread at the Reef Chemistry forum about a certain CalTac Calcium Chloride which is food grade. I think this is what BRS sells. I have made some calls and no pharma companies seem to carry it locally. The nearest distributor that might have it is over at Grayson KY, but you need to be a company to even inquire about it. If anyone is interested PM me so I can give you the distributor's contact details.
As for Alkalinity, the bulk Arm & Hammer Baking Soda from Sam's should work. If you have high pH, you can use Baking Soda as is. If pH is low, you can bake the baking soda for at least an hour at 300F to remove the excess moisture and CO2. Follow the recipe in the link the Amy provided.
Here's the best calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium online calculator around:
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html
Btw, I've heard of 'special' 2 or 3-parts being sold locally. I would ask what's in them before you even consider them. The well respected ESV B-Ionic 2-part product for example, would list what each bottle contains which is quite admirable, since they tell you what you would get, in black and white. There are just too many impure ingredients out there that we should be careful with.
I heard that Home Depot carries Peladow but I don't think they have it constantly.
BRS has a 5 gal (35 pounds) of their Calcium Chloride, but it's about $56.
There is also a recent thread at the Reef Chemistry forum about a certain CalTac Calcium Chloride which is food grade. I think this is what BRS sells. I have made some calls and no pharma companies seem to carry it locally. The nearest distributor that might have it is over at Grayson KY, but you need to be a company to even inquire about it. If anyone is interested PM me so I can give you the distributor's contact details.
As for Alkalinity, the bulk Arm & Hammer Baking Soda from Sam's should work. If you have high pH, you can use Baking Soda as is. If pH is low, you can bake the baking soda for at least an hour at 300F to remove the excess moisture and CO2. Follow the recipe in the link the Amy provided.
Here's the best calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium online calculator around:
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html
Btw, I've heard of 'special' 2 or 3-parts being sold locally. I would ask what's in them before you even consider them. The well respected ESV B-Ionic 2-part product for example, would list what each bottle contains which is quite admirable, since they tell you what you would get, in black and white. There are just too many impure ingredients out there that we should be careful with.
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coralreefer
No Pistons
Reggie,
The DOWflake came from Ashland Milling Company here in Ashland. It was around $17.00 for 50 pounds we think. Nobody remembers for sure since it was purchased it in Dec.
She can also get magnesium chloride. We have several hundred pounds of what I assume will be MAGflake on order and at least one bag is coming to the big house. :beer:
1. I'd never dose anything that doesn't list the contents to my tank.
2. Depending on the content list provided I'd want documented/ scientific reasons to add them to my tank.
3. If the special 3 part doesn't have "extra" ingredients then it's simply "off the shelf" calcium chloride, baking\washing soda and mag chloride. :smokin:
The DOWflake came from Ashland Milling Company here in Ashland. It was around $17.00 for 50 pounds we think. Nobody remembers for sure since it was purchased it in Dec.
She can also get magnesium chloride. We have several hundred pounds of what I assume will be MAGflake on order and at least one bag is coming to the big house. :beer:
Goes without saying...
1. I'd never dose anything that doesn't list the contents to my tank.
2. Depending on the content list provided I'd want documented/ scientific reasons to add them to my tank.
3. If the special 3 part doesn't have "extra" ingredients then it's simply "off the shelf" calcium chloride, baking\washing soda and mag chloride. :smokin:
ChrisKirkland
Reef and Coral Fanatic
You could use Prestone Driveway heat Ice Melt. Its pure calcium, I use it with no adverse effects.
coralreefer
No Pistons
Yea that's what I've used ever since Randy's original recipe came out. To my knowledge this may be the first year DOWflake has been available locally. I checked with this source several times over the years and they didn't carry it.
While Driveway Heat is much cheaper than commercial products 50 pounds of calcium chloride for <$20.00 is an even better deal. Especially since my 25 lbs were free.
coralreefer
No Pistons
Let me check and see what I can still get.
