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ed8t
06-19-2007, 02:08 PM
For those of you that supplement their soft water with Calcium Chloride, ice melt is tough to find this time of the year. Several pool supply retailers sells Calcium Chloride in quantities up to 50 pound bags. Does anybody uses Calcium Chloride from pool suppliers? Just wondering how pure it is as I've heard others suggest that it's not that clean.

Another source is Kent Marine's Turbo Calcium:

http://www.kentmarine.com/saltwater/calcium/turbocalcium.htm

I may go this route for my source of Calcium Chloride.
brewmaster15
06-19-2007, 02:29 PM
Try feed and grain stores...its sold there as calcium suppliment for livestock.


hth,
al
Ed13
06-19-2007, 02:45 PM
Or you could try a sponsor :D I bet not many people know Russ sells this

http://www.buckeyefieldsupply.com/showproducts.asp?Sub=124&showspecials=124

Can a water softener salt be used if it says 99% sodium chloride?
brewmaster15
06-19-2007, 03:26 PM
Thanks Ed!


I didn't know that either!:)

-al
kaceyo
06-19-2007, 03:28 PM
Hah, you beat me to it Ed13. I noticed that a while back and was just waiting for it to come up again so I could jump in and plug Buckeye F.S. I wonder how many people knew that? And it's ALOT cheaper than Kent Marines stuff. You can also get it as Prestones "Driveway Heat" ice melter. Under $10 for a large jug of the stuff.

Kacey
Ed13
06-19-2007, 03:31 PM
Hah, you beat me to it Ed13. I noticed that a while back and was just waiting for it to come up again so I could jump in and plug Buckeye F.S. I wonder how many people knew that? And it's ALOT cheaper than Kent Marines stuff. You can also get it as Prestones "Driveway Heat" ice melter. Under $10 for a large jug of the stuff.

Kacey
He, he I also like to plug sponsors when possible even more when the price is good!

Anybody on the water softener salt? Yes or no?
ed8t
06-19-2007, 03:48 PM
Didn't know about BFS either...I was interested in ordering goods before but the shipping cost to Canada was almost equal to the item's price. For something heavier like calcium chloride...

Not to many feed supply stores around here in the city, otherwise I'll keep that in mind when I'm driving through the country.

No idea on the water softener salt - it's not a popular item with our water so soft. 99% pure is darn good, just wonder about the other 1%.

I have a limited supply of ice melter now. Calcium chloride @ pool supply stores are easy and very economical just like water softener salt - how pure is it?
Greg Richardson
06-19-2007, 07:20 PM
What Kacey mentioned the ice melt is pure. You can really score good on the price at Walmart starting in March about. They drop it twice with last price around $6.00 for a 9.5 pound container. I bought quite a bit of it and hope to get by tell next time it's at $6.00. This is a great way to cut costs.

BTW. Walmart also sells BH in easy to clean strips for decent price.
Buckeye Field Supply
06-22-2007, 07:22 AM
Thanks guys! We have MAGFlake as well if you are looking to supplement magnesium...

Russ
jeep
06-22-2007, 09:21 AM
He, he I also like to plug sponsors when possible even more when the price is good!

Anybody on the water softener salt? Yes or no?

As long as there are no additives, salt is salt. Beware though, a lot of water softener pellets have additives. I get mine at Home Depot - called Solar Salt for about $4 for a 40lb blue bag...
Ed13
06-22-2007, 10:15 AM
As long as there are no additives, salt is salt. Beware though, a lot of water softener pellets have additives. I get mine at Home Depot - called Solar Salt for about $4 for a 40lb blue bag...
It says 99% pure sodium chloride, but I don't think the bag says what makes the remaining 1%. But yeah that is what I'm going for, mega quantitiesfor little money. There are a million Home depots in a 100mile x 35 mile Island yet none carry Salt. I can get it from a specialty store at ~$10 per 40 pounds
jeep
06-22-2007, 10:24 AM
It says 99% pure sodium chloride, but I don't think the bag says what makes the remaining 1%. But yeah that is what I'm going for, mega quantitiesfor little money. There are a million Home depots in a 100mile x 35 mile Island yet none carry Salt. I can get it from a specialty store at ~$10 per 40 pounds

The only reason it's not more pure than 99% is because salt comes from the ground and they can't guarantee the other 1%, lol... Sounds perfect! And in your situation, $10 for 40lbs isn't bad either. That much will probably last you several years, lol...
Ed13
06-22-2007, 10:35 AM
Thank you very much for clearing that up Jeep!!!!:)
ed8t
07-06-2007, 06:12 PM
What Kacey mentioned the ice melt is pure. You can really score good on the price at Walmart starting in March about. They drop it twice with last price around $6.00 for a 9.5 pound container. I bought quite a bit of it and hope to get by tell next time it's at $6.00. This is a great way to cut costs.

BTW. Walmart also sells BH in easy to clean strips for decent price.

Northern Walmarts aren't as well stocked as cross border Walmarts :)

Good excuse to go cross border shopping though in early Spring...

FYI, one pool supply dealer up here fills their Calcium Chloride containers from 50 lb. bags of Dow Chemicals calcium chloride or "Dowflake". I can buy the 50 lb bags or the handy dandy buckets.
kaceyo
07-06-2007, 06:51 PM
ed8t,
Do you know what it's used for in pool applications?

Kacey
SriAngel
07-06-2007, 09:36 PM
Okay so a totally Newbie question?

Why add the calcium chloride? and how would you add it into the water, also what are the advantages of adding in the Magnesium???
ed8t
07-06-2007, 09:46 PM
ed8t,
Do you know what it's used for in pool applications?

Kacey

I don't have a pool, but from what I understand pool people like to keep the hardness at least 150 ppm. This protects the plaster and prevents staining and corrision of equipment.
ed8t
07-06-2007, 09:54 PM
Okay so a totally Newbie question?

Why add the calcium chloride? and how would you add it into the water, also what are the advantages of adding in the Magnesium???

Our water in the Pacific Northwest is just about RO water, practically zero GH, my TDS meter reads 13ppm out of the tap. I'm supplementing the water with Calcium Chloride and some Epson salts (Magnesium) to raise the TDS for juveniles to help with growth rates and skeletal development. I could just ensure they get the calcium and minerals from the food, but it's just easier for me to add it to their water.

Not sure what Magnesium adds to the equation and I can probably get away without using it but people are having good success growing out youngsters with a 4:1 calcium/magnesium ratio. You can check out the recipe here:

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=34286

I add the minerals to my water storage containers when filling them up.
Ed13
07-06-2007, 10:37 PM
Not sure what Magnesium adds to the equation and I can probably get away without using it but people are having good success growing out youngsters with a 4:1 calcium/magnesium ratio. You can check out the recipe here:

To prevent sodium and chloride from rising significantly relative to the other major ions.Preventing magnesium depletion is especially important in maintaining appropriate calcium and alkalinity in aquaria
ed8t
07-07-2007, 02:16 AM
To prevent sodium and chloride from rising significantly relative to the other major ions.Preventing magnesium depletion is especially important in maintaining appropriate calcium and alkalinity in aquaria

uhmmm...like what Ed13 said! Thank you! :)
SriAngel
07-16-2007, 01:34 AM
Our water in the Pacific Northwest is just about RO water, practically zero GH, my TDS meter reads 13ppm out of the tap. I'm supplementing the water with Calcium Chloride and some Epson salts (Magnesium) to raise the TDS for juveniles to help with growth rates and skeletal development. I could just ensure they get the calcium and minerals from the food, but it's just easier for me to add it to their water.

Not sure what Magnesium adds to the equation and I can probably get away without using it but people are having good success growing out youngsters with a 4:1 calcium/magnesium ratio. You can check out the recipe here:

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=34286

I add the minerals to my water storage containers when filling them up.


So I saw the formula:


Here is the one I use.

I just post it. It is not from me though.

3 grams Calcium Sulfate
1gram Calcium Chloride
1gram Magnesium Sulfate

Calcium Sulfate is gypsom and is available at chemical supply
Calcium Chloride is sea salt-- available at chemical supply or pet store-- get the finely ground type so as to disolve easier
Magnesium Sulfate is merely Epsom Salts and is available just about anywhere "

I use Lab grade calcium sulfate.
For me this rec. works out just fine.

hth Ronald


Hmm is this formula for every 10/50/100gallons???
ed8t
07-17-2007, 04:29 PM
So I saw the formula:


Hmm is this formula for every 10/50/100gallons???

I don't use Calcium Sulphate so I substitute approx 3-4 parts Calcium Chloride with some Calcium Carbonate (crushed coral w/aragonite in the HOB filter) instead. I use a TDS meter to measure to a certain range ppm in the water storage container. So for me in a 44 gallon storage container, it takes approx 2 tablespoons Calcium Chloride to 2 tsp Epsom Salts filtered through crushed coral to raise the TDS to about 200 ppm.