Re: Ca and Mg levels with RO water

[Susi Barber <wanderer35 at operamail_com>]

>Calcium pills from the grocery store (read the ingredients, get the one that
>comes closest to pure CaCO3 -- it's usually a cheap brand), marble chips from 
a
>nursery or oyster shell. They all work.

I found calcium tablets very difficult - if whole, they didn't seem to do 
much, if crushed, they caused a very messy tank with white bits everywhere, 
and I still didn't get much of a response on my test kit.

I find powdered dolomite works best and is most immediate, I put about 1/2 
teaspoon per 10 gal into the sump of my filter for gradual dispersion, but I 
have 0 to start with, to get a reading of 40 ppm.  I tried dolomite chips and 
crushed coral at different times, found it frustrating trying to get the dose 
correct with the long lag times, especially if water changes happened more 
frequently than usual sometimes.

I also use Equilibrium - great product, but it needs the extra calcium!  At 
least, I used to need it - have now added some Profile substrate to differing 
amounts in different tanks to test it, it has Ca and Mg in it, and it 
certainly gives a strong initial burst of Ca readings - that has settled down 
after several water changes in my mixed substrate tanks, the Profile only tank 
has been set up for just over a week, to early to tell yet.  But the plants 
seem to love it!

Kind regards,

Susi Barber
in rainy Vancouver

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