From: laurence@cco.caltech.edu (Dustin Lee Laurence)
Subject: Re: [M] Cheap Calcium?
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 07:57:12 GMT

tse@ra.nrl.navy.mil (Anthony Tse) writes:

>In article <1992Apr6.221801.9557@cco.caltech.edu> I write:

[...]

>I dissolve 6 table spoon of
>CaCl2 in 16oz of water and use a couple shot glass worth everyday.  I
>have not been able to get pass 350ppm.  Best I can do is maintain it
>at the low 300.  I just mixed up a new batch of CaCl2 last night using
>9 table spoon of CaCl2 in 16oz of water, maybe I can nudge my Ca level
>a little higher still.

The only thing that matters is the amount of CaCl2 you are adding.
Clearly 6 Tbsp is not enough.  It does sound like a lot of calcium,
though I can't compare to my tank unless you know the mass of a
tablespoon of CaCl2.  I don't.

>>For comparison, in my 55gal tank, it seems to take about 150ml to
>>raise the calcium concentration by 40ppm.
>    150ml of what? At what concentration?

500g CaCl2 dissolved in de-ionized water to a total of 4l of solution,
which ought to be less than one-eighth saturation.  That is to say,
I was adding 18.75g of CaCl2 per day while raising the calcium
concentration.

>    I have a derase clam that grew 1/4 of new shell in the pass 8
>months.  The clam is 5" across, so 1/4 inch of shell is a lot of CaCO3,
>maybe that's why I can't keep my Ca and KH up.

'He' ought to really love the added calcium.  Though, if he likes it
too much you may someday find that he's a bit confined in your tank...

>-Anthony

>PS My turbo snails are growing a lot of shell too.  Some double in size
>in the pass 8 months.

I have my suspicions that a large fraction of the calcium loss goes
to precipitation, especially at a high KH.

tse@ra.nrl.navy.mil (Anthony Tse) writes:

>In article <1992Apr7.034230.19278@cco.caltech.edu> I write:

>>I bought 500g of CaCl2 * 2(H20) for $8.00 US.

>  So did I.  I bought a kilo of CaCl2, a kilo of CaOH, .5 kilo of Sodium
>Carbonate, and 1 kilo of Sodium BiCarb.  The DEA is probably on my back
>already, all those white powder.

Shh, don't tell them about my calcium chloride/calcium hydroxide
smuggling operation.  We ship it in little tiny plastic bags, see, and
then if we're caught we offer to give some to the officers.  They
always agree for some reason.  I suppose that on a policeman's wages
any sort of reef equipment is expensive, though why reef-keeping should
be so popular in law enforcement I have no idea.  They always ask if
it's "good stuff".  Reagent grade was always good enough for me, but
perhaps they are perfectionists.

>>probably last me a century, even if I don't use the 500g of Ca(OH)2 I
>>bought for $10.00US to use for comparison.

>   Wish I can say the same.  At the rate I am using CaCl2 now, a kilo
>may last me 2-3 years.

Perhaps I exaggerated.  If I have to add 4.6875g CaCl2/day (my best
current estimate, and no I can't justify so many decimal places) then
the CaCl2 will last 107 days.  Surprise.  Perhaps you are not using
so much compared to me after all.  Well, $8.00 every three or four
months I can live with.

>-Anthony

-- 
Dustin

laurence@alice.wonderland.caltech.edu
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