DiscusHeckel
Acropora Gardener
Hi,
I have been using "food grade" bicarbonate of soda, Calcium chloride flakes (I am not sure if it is anhydrous or not) and magnesium chloride hexahydrate flakes for more than a year. I used to use FM salts, but switched to these unbranded salts due to cost considerations as they are significantly cheaper than FM salts.
My corals grow vigorously and their colours are very good according to my friends who see them in the flesh, but I get a lot of residue in my CaCl2 dosing container. In addition, calcium levels rise after dosing magnesium solution (note that I mix Magnesium chloride with some magnesium sulphate (FM) 7:1 for the time being but will switch to 5:3 soon). This makes it difficult to adjust dosing amounts. I am supposed to dose equal amounts of CaCl2 and bicarbonate of soda according RHF Recipe 2. I have to dose slightly less CaCl2 due to impurities in MgCl2.
I would like to know if, in your expert opinion, these salts are really fit for purpose. I extracted their specification from my retailer's web site, which are shown below:
Specification (Sodium bicarbonate):
Description: White odourless powder
Synonyms: Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate
Purity: 99+%
CAS NO: 144-55-8
FORMULA: NaHCO3
MW: 84.0
EINECS NO: 205-633-8
Sodium Bicarbonate Assay (%) 99.0 "“ 100.5
Carbonate (%) 0.23 max
pH of a freshly prepared 5% solution 8.6 max.
Loss on Drying (%) 0.25 max
Chloride (mg/kg) 150 max
Sulphate (mg/kg) 150 max
Calcium (mg/kg) 100 max
Ammonium (mg/kg) 20 max
Iron (mg/kg) 20 max
Heavy Metals (as Lead) (mg/kg) 5 max
Lead (mg/kg) 2 max
Arsenic (mg/kg) 2 max
Insoluble Substances 1g dissolves completely in 20ml of water to give a clear solution.
Specification (calcium chloride flakes):
Description: White odourless flakes
Purity: 77+%
CAS NO: 10043-52-4
MW: 147.02
Bulk density: 820 kg/m3
CaCl2 : Min 77%
Mg and alkali salts: Max 4%
Alkalinity as Ca(OH)2: Max 0.3%
Heavy metals as Pb: Max 20ppm
As: Max 3ppm
Pb: Max 5ppm
F: Max 40ppm
Insoluble in water: Max 0.20%
pH in 5% soln at 20°C: 9 - 11
Sieve Analysis:
6mm: Approx 100%
4mm: Approx 90%
2mm: Approx 40%
1mm: Approx 10%
Specification (Magnesium):
Formula: MgCl26H2O
MgCl2: Min 46.5%
MgO (magnesium oxide): Max 0.1%
KCl: Max 0.50%
NaCl: Max 0.80%
CaCl2: Max 2.2%
Sulphate (SO4): Max 0.02
Heavy metals (Pb, Hg): Max 0.1ppm
Fe: Max 5ppm
As: Max 0.1 ppm
Cd: Max 0.01ppm
Thank you in anticipation
:beer:
I have been using "food grade" bicarbonate of soda, Calcium chloride flakes (I am not sure if it is anhydrous or not) and magnesium chloride hexahydrate flakes for more than a year. I used to use FM salts, but switched to these unbranded salts due to cost considerations as they are significantly cheaper than FM salts.
My corals grow vigorously and their colours are very good according to my friends who see them in the flesh, but I get a lot of residue in my CaCl2 dosing container. In addition, calcium levels rise after dosing magnesium solution (note that I mix Magnesium chloride with some magnesium sulphate (FM) 7:1 for the time being but will switch to 5:3 soon). This makes it difficult to adjust dosing amounts. I am supposed to dose equal amounts of CaCl2 and bicarbonate of soda according RHF Recipe 2. I have to dose slightly less CaCl2 due to impurities in MgCl2.
I would like to know if, in your expert opinion, these salts are really fit for purpose. I extracted their specification from my retailer's web site, which are shown below:
Specification (Sodium bicarbonate):
Description: White odourless powder
Synonyms: Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate
Purity: 99+%
CAS NO: 144-55-8
FORMULA: NaHCO3
MW: 84.0
EINECS NO: 205-633-8
Sodium Bicarbonate Assay (%) 99.0 "“ 100.5
Carbonate (%) 0.23 max
pH of a freshly prepared 5% solution 8.6 max.
Loss on Drying (%) 0.25 max
Chloride (mg/kg) 150 max
Sulphate (mg/kg) 150 max
Calcium (mg/kg) 100 max
Ammonium (mg/kg) 20 max
Iron (mg/kg) 20 max
Heavy Metals (as Lead) (mg/kg) 5 max
Lead (mg/kg) 2 max
Arsenic (mg/kg) 2 max
Insoluble Substances 1g dissolves completely in 20ml of water to give a clear solution.
Specification (calcium chloride flakes):
Description: White odourless flakes
Purity: 77+%
CAS NO: 10043-52-4
MW: 147.02
Bulk density: 820 kg/m3
CaCl2 : Min 77%
Mg and alkali salts: Max 4%
Alkalinity as Ca(OH)2: Max 0.3%
Heavy metals as Pb: Max 20ppm
As: Max 3ppm
Pb: Max 5ppm
F: Max 40ppm
Insoluble in water: Max 0.20%
pH in 5% soln at 20°C: 9 - 11
Sieve Analysis:
6mm: Approx 100%
4mm: Approx 90%
2mm: Approx 40%
1mm: Approx 10%
Specification (Magnesium):
Formula: MgCl26H2O
MgCl2: Min 46.5%
MgO (magnesium oxide): Max 0.1%
KCl: Max 0.50%
NaCl: Max 0.80%
CaCl2: Max 2.2%
Sulphate (SO4): Max 0.02
Heavy metals (Pb, Hg): Max 0.1ppm
Fe: Max 5ppm
As: Max 0.1 ppm
Cd: Max 0.01ppm
Thank you in anticipation
:beer:
