I have been dosing Calcium Chloride in my 76g reef since day 1. My problem is the tanks demand for Calcium has grown quite a bit, and I am burning through a lot of money keeping the level up. Bulk Reef sells 7 pounds for around $14, which is way better than Kents Turbo Calcium. I actually paid $11.95 for 7oz's one time!!(I ran out and was in a pinch) I just purchased 9.5 pounds of Prestone Driveway Heat for $7.99 at Wallgreens. I searched the CAS# 010043-52-4 on the continer and it says is Calcium Chloride. The stuff looks exactly like Kents and the stuff from Bulk Reef. Does anyone else use ice melt Calcium? Do you think it is the exact same stuff??
Calcium Chloride
- Thread starter iseeweed
- Start date
Yeah that stuff will work. In fact that's where most of the cheap 2-part setups got started is from ice melting chemicals since the calcium chloride releases quite a bit of heat when it reacts with water (ice), Dowflakes was the big one back in the day. And if you're lucky enough to live in a region where you can get the stuff it's usually a much cheaper alternative.
Hi,
what exactly are you going to do with this stuff?
Making Kalkwasser?
If so, could someone also use the Lime - Kalk what is used in the Masonry? That is much cheaper I guess and reacts as violent as you described earlier. I remember using that stuff in Germany all the Time, but do not 100% know if it is the same chemical substance as the Calcium from Kent or other Marine Hobby suppliers.
We had 100Lb Bags then and one was giving a lot of Yogurt like consistency boiling Water, what later ( days) settled down and left , I guess Kalkwasser on top with a fine crust on top of that.
The stuff was extremely reactive, I think alkaline, because much caution was given in handling this "extinguished" Lime Mud.
So I was thinking if a small amount of that stuff should give You also lots of Kalkwasser, and it should be much cheaper to aquire as a Building Material, as this overpriced Hobby Chemicals.
Thanks,
Helmut
what exactly are you going to do with this stuff?
Making Kalkwasser?
If so, could someone also use the Lime - Kalk what is used in the Masonry? That is much cheaper I guess and reacts as violent as you described earlier. I remember using that stuff in Germany all the Time, but do not 100% know if it is the same chemical substance as the Calcium from Kent or other Marine Hobby suppliers.
We had 100Lb Bags then and one was giving a lot of Yogurt like consistency boiling Water, what later ( days) settled down and left , I guess Kalkwasser on top with a fine crust on top of that.
The stuff was extremely reactive, I think alkaline, because much caution was given in handling this "extinguished" Lime Mud.
So I was thinking if a small amount of that stuff should give You also lots of Kalkwasser, and it should be much cheaper to aquire as a Building Material, as this overpriced Hobby Chemicals.
Thanks,
Helmut
Looks like you get a little potassion and strontium chloride with that.
Most just calcium chloride used as ice melt.
You might also try local redimix places and ask for calcium chloride. Calcium chloride is used to speed hardening of cement especially in winter. I got a 50 pounds bag of dow flake for $23 a few years back.
I also found a place that has cal chlor which is anhydrous like kent trubo calcium. It like 94%-96% pure. Dow flake and most calcium chloride ice melters are di hydrate and therefore only 78%-81% pure. I pulled up in my SUV in business causual attire amongst the cement trucks and hard hats. The guy asked me what I wanted a single bag for so I explained for adding calcium to a saltwater aquarium. He (they) must have felt sorry for me and just gave me a bag. The bags were 25 pounds and cost $8 a bag for non charity cases like me. :lol:
The hard ingredient to get is the magnesium chlorde which is used in landscaping (but usually a liquid form) as well as ice melt. But it is like 3 times more expensive the calcium chloride and therefore not as popular.
I find both at a local industrial chemical company after checking the supplied assay. Neither has an potassium or strontium chloride listed. They do not charge shipping for the magnisium chloride even though they do have to ship it in. To them it is just another bag on the truck. Last time I got a 50 pound bag of calcium chloride and a 50 pound bag of magnesium chloride it was around $45 or so with tax.
I give this stuff away at local frag swapps.
my experiences
worth .02 at most.
Most just calcium chloride used as ice melt.
You might also try local redimix places and ask for calcium chloride. Calcium chloride is used to speed hardening of cement especially in winter. I got a 50 pounds bag of dow flake for $23 a few years back.
I also found a place that has cal chlor which is anhydrous like kent trubo calcium. It like 94%-96% pure. Dow flake and most calcium chloride ice melters are di hydrate and therefore only 78%-81% pure. I pulled up in my SUV in business causual attire amongst the cement trucks and hard hats. The guy asked me what I wanted a single bag for so I explained for adding calcium to a saltwater aquarium. He (they) must have felt sorry for me and just gave me a bag. The bags were 25 pounds and cost $8 a bag for non charity cases like me. :lol:
The hard ingredient to get is the magnesium chlorde which is used in landscaping (but usually a liquid form) as well as ice melt. But it is like 3 times more expensive the calcium chloride and therefore not as popular.
I find both at a local industrial chemical company after checking the supplied assay. Neither has an potassium or strontium chloride listed. They do not charge shipping for the magnisium chloride even though they do have to ship it in. To them it is just another bag on the truck. Last time I got a 50 pound bag of calcium chloride and a 50 pound bag of magnesium chloride it was around $45 or so with tax.
I give this stuff away at local frag swapps.
my experiences
worth .02 at most.
Yeh, the MSDS sheet was actually for some other product. I was just searching for the CAS#010043-52-4 which seems to be 100% Calcium Chloride. I mixed it up with the recipe I have been using from Bulk Reef Supply. I am going to give it a try and see what happens. I have been dosing 6-7oz a day to keep up with the demand.
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