Calcium Chloride

[iseeweed]

I am using Ca purhcased from bulk reef supply at this time. Does anyone use the Calcium chloride for ice melting purposes, like the bags you get at Home-Depot? It looks the same to me, just wondering about impurites.

 

[bfessler]

I've heard of people using Ice Melt before but I prefer the stuff from BRS. Its purity is much better and you don't have to worry about other chemicals that may have been mixed with the Calcium Chloride. Some brands of ice melt use a combination of chemicals so if your going to use Ice Melt make sure its 100% Calcium Chloride.

 

[Anonymous]

As long as it is calcium chloride it will probably work. But some ice melters are not pure calcium chloride but a mix of sodium, calcium, and magnesium chlorides.

One source is redimix concrete places. Calcium chloride is used to speed hardening of concrete especially at lower temperatures. Several years ago I got a bag of the "good" dow flake from a redimix concrete place. It was like $20 for a 50 pound bag. Some time later I got a 25 pound bag of cal-chlor which is anhydrous (94-96%) calcium chloride (compare to kent turbo calcium). It was $9 a bag and the guy asked me what I needed it for. I explained for adding calcium to a saltwater aquarium. I must have felt sorry for me and my suv in the middle of all the concrete trucks. So just gave me a bag. Ask for calcium chloride at the redimix places.

I now get calcium and magnesium chloride from a local industrical chemical supplier. They do not charge for shipping and both are technical grade. Last time I got a bag of calcium and a bag of magnesium for like $45 or so. I give it away at local club meetings and frag swaps.


my .02