Pool Time:Calcium Hardness Increaser

[mickey57]

..Hi all,
.....Looking for a cheaper way to keep my calcium up.I have 3 reef tanks and it is mighty expensive.I found the POOL TIME;Calcium Hardness Increaser at my local Home-depo.No analysis on the 7 pound bottle of granules.I did taste on though....burnt the hell out of my tounge,with the quickness.All that is on the bottle,about calcium is in the Hazard warning:Contains calcium chloride.No analysis on the web site.No contact email or number to call.From what I gleened from the web site is it is made in Australia.Just wondering if any one has tried to use it?
...................Mickey

[Ninong]

..Hi all,
.....Looking for a cheaper way to keep my calcium up.I have 3 reef tanks and it is mighty expensive.I found the POOL TIME;Calcium Hardness Increaser at my local Home-depo.No analysis on the 7 pound bottle of granules.I did taste on though....burnt the hell out of my tounge,with the quickness.All that is on the bottle,about calcium is in the Hazard warning:Contains calcium chloride.No analysis on the web site.No contact email or number to call.From what I gleened from the web site is it is made in Australia.Just wondering if any one has tried to use it?
...................Mickey

You tasted calcium chloride?!!

No wonder your tongue got hot! CaCl2 + water generates HEAT (exothermic reaction)

Check out the warning that comes on aquarium calcium chloride products, such as Kent Turbo Calcium:

PRODUCT GETS VERY HOT WHEN MIXED WITH WATER, USE RUBBER GLOVES, AND ALWAYS MIX OUTSIDE THE TANK OR ADD GRANULES TO SUMP OF WET-DRY FILTER SO THEY DON'T LAND ON ANY ANIMALS! ABSORBS MOISTURE, KEEP TIGHTLY CLOSED! http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merch...ory_Code=Kent2



Calcium chloride can be used occasionally to increase the calcium level but it shouldn't be used all the time because it's not a balanced additive like limewater/Kalkwasser (saturated solution of Ca(OH)2, calcium hydroxide) and eventually your chloride ions will get out of whack.

P.S. -- Like most chemical products, the purity of the product might be a consideration. I don't know if you can use the Pool Time product or not for your reef tanks but I do know that calcium chloride comes in various grades at various prices. I use Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime to make my limewater/Kalkwasser. It is 100% pure USDA approved food grade calcium hydroxide. It is much cheaper than the stuff sold as "Kalkwasser" in the LFS shops and online hobby sources. The only difference is that "Kalkwasser" was "invented" by Peter Wilkens and it is supposedly lab grade calcium hydroxide. I have no problems whatsoever with Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime and it dissolves instantly just like the more expensive name brand stuff. So maybe this Pool Time calcium chloride product is a similar situation but I really don't know.

[mickey57]

Thanks Ninong,
........Of couse I tasted it I had to make sure there is enough cloride in it.I once worked in a Clo2 department at a pulp mill You can bet your bottom Dollar I will find out the analysis of it,before I use it,even if I have to call poisen control.I have a can of the Balls' pickling lime and some backing soda.I asked Randy Farley,over at Reef-Cental,about that the other day and he said"that is only to mailntain the calcium level,not to raise it".I have been dripping kallawasser at night and using some kind of store bought calcium cloride that is like,8 bucks for a little tiny bottle. I have a friend who opened a new store this week and he should be getting some dowflake in shortly.

[Ninong]

Yes, Kalkwasser (limewater) is for maintaining your calcium and alkalinity levels once you have them where you want them.

[mickey57]

Yes, Kalkwasser (limewater) is for maintaining your calcium and alkalinity levels once you have them where you want them.

...........

[mickey57]

Pool Time:Calcium Hardness increaser.
..77%-80% calcium chloride.
..4%-5% potasium chloride
..2%-3% sodium chloride.
..1% strontium.
...Looks like I am missing about 11% of something.(water or arsnic?)
.....Jacksonville,Florida...Poison control Center

[Ninong]

...Looks like I am missing about 11% of something.(water or arsnic?)

Let's hope it's not potassium cyanide!

:eek3:

[Ninong]

Mickey,

For comparison purposes, Kent lists only anhydrous calcium chloride (CaCl2) under contents for their Turbo Calcium product: http://www.kentmarine.com/saltwater/tc.html

I don't believe they could get away with that if it was only 80% anhydrous calcium chloride.

I would recommend that you pass on the cheapy Pool Time product. Why are you looking for this stuff anyway? What method do you use to maintain calcium and alkalinity in your tanks? I don't have a calcium reactor, so I drip limewater for all evaporation replacement. In the beginning, I used B-Ionic two-part stuff but once my calcium was above 400 ppm, I switched to limewater using cheapy Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime. If I ever want to boost my calcium, I would simply add a little of the liquid calcium component of one of the two-part products. Kent sells calcium in both the dry form (Turbo Calcium) and the liquid form. I've never tried their products myself.

[Ninong]

I would definitely pass on the Pool Time product. Check out what ESV has to say about their calcium chloride: http://www.esvco.com/prod3.html

[mickey57]

I would definitely pass on the Pool Time product. Check out what ESV has to say about their calcium chloride: http://www.esvco.com/prod3.html

............................................
..Ninong,I am going to pass until I am 100 and 10% sure of the product.I wish I would have added up the numbers when the guy at poison control was rattling them off.That's at least 11% of comething unaccounted for.
.....I have three reef tanks and am building a stand for a 240 gal now.I just need to be economicol in a safe way.
....................................Mickey

[mickey57]

..........I found out the MSD on this Pool Time product.I am waiting on the email now,Hotmail is screwed up again,but I did get them to tell me orally.Calcium chloride,75-97%;potasium chloride,2-3%;Sodium chloride,1-2%;Stronium,0-1%;Water,0-7%:
...I do have a question about the water content......how could you have 0%?? Oh yeah.I just ran a few test and I got;Calcium,400ppm and a KH of 14.Should I start dripping the lime water now?or get the cal up to about 460???then use the pickling lime and backing soda?????
....Mickey...........

[Ninong]

..........I found out the MSD on this Pool Time product.I am waiting on the email now,Hotmail is screwed up again,but I did get them to tell me orally.Calcium chloride,75-97%;potasium chloride,2-3%;Sodium chloride,1-2%;Stronium,0-1%;Water,0-7%:

What I found when I looked into this topic online yesterday is that anhydrous calcium chloride (used mainly for concrete) is sold in two construction grades: Minimum of 77% CaCl2 and minimum of 94% CaCl2. It is also sold in laboratory grades at much, much higher prices.

Calcium,400ppm and a KH of 14.Should I start dripping the lime water now?or get the cal up to about 460???then use the pickling lime and backing soda????

If your alkalinity is 14 dKH, it's high enough already. I wouldn't go any higher. You might want to get your calcium up to 425 ppm before switching to limewater (saturated solution of Ca(OH)2, aka Kalkwasser) or you could make the switch now.

You do NOT use baking soda with limewater (Kalkwasser). It's balanced already.

[mickey57]

Thanks for conversing with me Ninong I Started to make the switch tonight,Then I checked to see how much test supplies I still had and.............About 1 test for calcium left.I don't even know what my magneesium is.So I will not rock the boat tonight.Lets see; to raise calcium by 50ppm,10,000 gal (that's the low on the chart) 5 lbs.Looks like 1 pound will raise 10,000 gal by 50ppm.Uhmm,Time for the calculator
.................

[mickey57]

.....Calcium is back up to 460ppm;KH-12;ph-8.2.Just have to test the magmesium.No test kits in this backward town:mad2: I took a gamble and added 1 tablespoon of epsom salts though Going to order one from salferit
......................Mickey