[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Useable source of Calcium and Magnesium?



> Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 21:09:00 -0700
> From: "Chuck Gadd" <cgadd at cfxc_com>
> 
> At the local health-food store, they have a product that contains Calcium
> Carbonate and Magnesium Oxide, and the other other ingredient is
> cellulose.    It looks to me like a good source for increasing the GH and KH
> of my water.   Is there anything I should be aware of before using it?  I know
> the calcium carbonate part is fine, and I think magnesium oxide should be 
> fine, but I'm not sure.
 
I wouldn't use health-food store pills for anything except maybe
iron.  I add calcium to my aquarium by putting an oyster shell in the
filter box and letting the disolved CO2 etch the shell and make Ca
bicarbonate.  I have no idea what the Ca rate is.

If you want to dose a specific amount of Calcium, get some "pickling
lime" from the grocery store (it will be near the bulk table salt or
the canning jars and lids) and make you own kalkwasser (I probably
really butchered the spelling there), or use plaster of paris.

Use epsom salt for magnesium.  You could even mix plaster of paris and
epsom salt and a little water and make balls out of it to put in your
substrate or in your filter.

Best regards,
Bob