I've been trying to raise Ca+, and Alk. who's using Piclking lime?Baking soda?Borax?

Like the title says?

Anyone Using Calcium Chloride?- I also bought a small plastic jar if this at the grocery store- also used as a pickling agent!
I've heard/read that the CaCl has way more available Ca that the Ca Hydroxide- pickling lime aka Kalwasser?

I thought I read CaCl and Borax was a great Ca raiser?

The brilliant chemists thoughts please?

PS- I've read MANY an article/post on this!! Including the stickies on this forum

 

I use driveway salt (Prestone Heat I think) and baking soda (Arm & Hammer)

 

I use baking soda for alk and CaCl from BRS for Ca+. I use their calculator to get my doses and solutions right.

 

I just dose 2 part solutions, easy, reliable, known to work.

 

Ya know, I saw a plastic gallon bottle of that stuff at church a few days ago- read the ingredients and it said something like MgCL, CaCl, and NaCl!
I thought wow, that'll work!

*As I'm sure you are too, I'm always wondering if there are any and the amounts of other trace metals in it though- like heavy metals- thanks heavy man.

Thanks for your method, sounds good, duely noted.
Do you BAKE your baking soda, or use it straight!-- NO PUN intended.

I'm trying to do the same thing, for a fraction of the cost, thanks.
And is the Ca part CaCl, of CaOH(I think thats the way you write Calcium hydroxide?)


Back to the CaCl vs CaOH(Pickling lime).
Hey all you brilliant chemists out there- it's true that the CaCl has much more available Ca than tne piclking lime, per unit volume?

 

LOL Todd, I use it straight. I don't care if my pH gets a boost from dosing alk. If you bake it it becomes sodium carbonate and will boost your pH a tiny bit.

It needs to be dosed more carefully once baked as the NaCO3 reacts more easily with the CaCl than Na(CO3)2 and precipitates out causing your tank to become a snow globe or super cloudy.

 

Ok, thanks, I had read that not bsaked could actually lower Ph slighlty, whereas baked would raise it?

Have you heard of mixing like 6 parts baking soda to 1 part of the Borax, to keep things proper?
Borax is sodium Tetraborate

 

Correct on the baking soda.

I think there is something on that. I don't think you need to do that since your salt has the right amount of borax if not more. This of course is dependent on making sufficient water changes.

 

True IME. (talking like .1 or .15 difference).

You may already know it, just didn't see it mentioned. Bring it up bc you said "been trying". But need to get Mg on par first. Ca and Alk will be a lot easier to raise then.

 

My Mg has been OK, over 1300 anyways.