Calcium Supplementation With Dowflake

[ReefSparky]

I read a Randy Holmes-Farley article Chemistry and the Aquarium about preparing a two-part additive for to increase Ca and Alkalinity.

I attempted to find the calcium chloride at Home Depot that he refers to called Dowflake, and they don't have it. After some Google searches, I'm no closer to finding any.

Does anyone know where I can find some of this stuff? Is there an alternative form of calcium chloride I can use?

 

[schigara]

I found it at an ACE True Value Store. I live in Memphis, TN. so I didn't expect to find any at all and looked at Lowes and Home Depot and was surprised to find they did carry ice melting products but no Dowflake brand. I went to the first ACE store and they carried 50lb. bags of the dowflake for $20

 

[schigara]

I am still using up the last of my expensive Brightwell Aquatics two part part buffer so I haven't yet used the Dowflake, Baking Soda and Magflake but I have yet to read of any downsides to using this DIY solution. The only concern I have read about is the amount of Bromine in the Dowflake but no one has reported anything negative about this. Just concerns. Do a search on RC for Dowflake and Bromine.

 

[archer772]

Pealadow can be used also it just has a lower moisture content so you would be able to use less per gallon of water, and I am just useing Epson Salt for mag

 

[ReefSparky]

I'm beginning to think that with a 55 gal tank, I may be ok with calcium with my monthly 25% water changes. We'll see.

 

[Grins]

All depends on what you stock, salt mix, water change amounts, etc. With my 55g I do 10% weekly and I eventually had to start using a 2 part solution to maintain and balance my parameters.

 

[ReefSparky]

Grins, do you suppose I'll be ok with 25% monthly instead of weekly changes? I've always done it this way.

 

[Grins]

Some with big tanks do that with success. Personally I made the decision to do smaller more frequent changes since my tank is relatively small at 55g

 

[ReefSparky]

thanks! Never figured, but now that you mention, size would have everything to do with the frequency of water changes. More water, more chemical stability. Less water, the higher is the concentration of pollutants ounce for ounce. Maybe I'll switch to about 10% changes every two weeks.

 

[rsw686]

Another alternative is to just mix kalk in with your top off water. I mix up 5 gals for the week and use an aqualifter pump to dose it. A digital timer set to come on every 2 hours for 1 min keeps up with the tank evaporation and spreads the dosing throughout the day. No more remembering to dose the calcium and alkalinity supplements.