two part ingredient hunting

[DMBillies]

I've decided that I'm going to start dosing the improved two-part (many reasons behind this... a lot having to do with people convincing me that it isn't that tough). Here's a link if you don't know what it is or are also interested in it (two part recipe). I want to collect the ingredients for it. I've heard that some of them can be tough to come across, so I wanted to get people's ideas about places to get them. Also, a few people talked about getting together a group buy of some of the parts. I figured this thread might also start some discussion about that.

Here's my shopping list and places I think I might be able to get the ingredients. If you know for sure that these places have/don't have the ingredients, please let me know. Also, let me know if I missed anything from reading the recipe so I don't leave anything out by accident. Thanks.


Part #1 â€"œ Calcium part

• Calcium chloride dihydrate (Dowflake)
o Home depot (seasonal)

Part #2 â€"œ Alkalinity Part

• Arm & Hammer Baking soda
o Any local grocery store

Part #3 â€"œ Magnesium Portion

• Epsom salts
o A local pharmacy

• Magnesium chloride hexahydrate sold by the Dead Sea Works
company (Mag Flake)
o Home depot (seasonal)

 

[Tennsquire]

I've been looking around for these ingredients as well. Here's a place, although I'm sure that it's cheaper if you get to the source.
http://www.twopartsolution.com/

 

[waynesworld]

I think there is a sub for dow that u get from sams

 

[VikeBron]

Get your baking soda at Sams too. Large bags. 5lbs I think.

 

[DMBillies]

Good plan for Sam's... I have a Costco membership, but I imagine I can at least find the baking soda there.

 

[crumbletop]

Yeah, the baking soda bags are like $5. It is somewhere between 5 and 15 lbs. I don't have a bag in front of me so I don't know the actual weight.

I ended up ordering the Dow Flake and the Mag Flake on line (50 lb bags). You can have some of mine to get you started. It is way cheaper to buy it in bulk than to get the smaller amounts. I'll try to find the web sites I ordered the Dow Flake and Mag Flake from.

 

[waynesworld]

If we find the sites maybe we can have a 2 part discussion at the House for the next meet and help people make some up and have the supplies for people there?

 

[ocd_mariner]

That sounds like a fantastic idea. I have some bags of the calcium, but I put off making it (and ordered more 2 part solution online) because I didn't feel like figuring it out.

I would be in for a bulk order of dow and mag flake as well.

 

[coral_reefer_25]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9455467#post9455467 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DMBillies
Good plan for Sam's... I have a Costco membership, but I imagine I can at least find the baking soda there.

You can also find Epsom salts there. And for those who don't have a Sam's or Costco membership, Wal-Mart sells Epsom salts in a 4lb. bag for $1.94.

 

[Kalied20]

If you want to order the Dow and Mag Flake. I am in for some too. I want to start dosing my 90 gallon.

 

[crumbletop]

I got the Mag Flake from harvey salt:

http://www.harveysalt.com/prod01.htm

They also sell dow flake. I called to confirm. They can ship any # of bags. Without shipping, the cost is $15 / 50 lb bag for Mag Flake, and $15.23 / 50 lb bag for Dow Flake.

I've dealt with them before, and they were very accommodating.

Wayne, I like the idea of doing this for a topic at the next meeting! Will that be the April meeting?

 

[anthony34]

Part #1 â€"œ Calcium part

Also Prestone Driveway Heat

and its about that time to get it cheap cheap cheap kroger usually pretty much gives it away for about 50 to 99 cents as the weather gets warmer , have used it since I have had my tank and it stays around 450 - 500

 

[demos10]

Can get #50 bags of dow flake all year long.Free shipping.They don't carry the mag flake though.

 

[crumbletop]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9461325#post9461325 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by demos10
Can get #50 bags of dow flake all year long.Free shipping.They don't carry the mag flake though.

Awesome. Where from?

 

[KAiNE]

Got my #50 bag of dowflake a year or so ago from http://www.mainstreetseedandsupply.com/saltproducts.htm

Total cost to the door was $30 I think.

What i need is a good place to buy washing soda so i can quit baking the baking soda. One thing I do to make it easier on me is use the big box of baking soda (904g) and add enough water for that amount (~1.5gallons). This way i dont have a bunch of opened boxes and don't have to measure it. I still make up the CA part in gallon batches but store both parts in 5 gallon containers. That way i can make it up when i have time rather then when i run out. I also use a plastic paint stirrer attached to my drill for mixing it, quick and easy. The ALK part can clump up on you if you just dump it in.

I need to either get another dosing pump or a CA reactor. It seems I spend more time messing with 2-part than any other maintenance item. I dose 350ml or so of each every night. I dump the Ca right in but slow drip the alk over a 6 hour period overnight when PH would be otherwise dropping.

 

[demos10]

I'm a aprtment maintainance supervisor and do most of our ordering from home depot supply.Anything over $50 is free next day arrival.I just add it to my order and pay the complex back when the invoice arrives.I also order a 50# bag at the start of pool season since pool chemistry is maintained at 200-400 ppm.

 

[Meisen]

Walmart also carries the prestone driveway heat which a number of us have been using for several years with no issues.

Try looking into industrial/commercial supply stores for the MgCl2. Its also used as a dust reducer on dirt roads so a lot of gravel companies likely know where to get it.

 

[Shocky]

I would like to buy the 2 part and mag flake at the next meeting.
Sounds great.

 

[DMBillies]

I got a response back from harvey salt (which I tried first because they have both dow and mag flake). The prices that Jack cited were correct (~15.00 for a 50lb. bag). However, unless the guy typed the e-mail wrong, shipping would be $38.78 for each 50 lb. bag. So, two bags that would cost around $30 retail are going to be closer to $110.

I see a lot of sources of the calcium part of the mix on this thread, but harvey salt is the only place that has the mag. Any other ideas? I haven't looked into industrial/commercial supply stores, but that's probably going to take some digging.

 

[SRT80]

did you check with neuroslicer (i think is the username) from west tn.? The guy who was sellin' the dowflake at the swap. Maybe he can give you a source...

Steve