[Killietalk] RE: Killietalk Digest, Vol 5, Issue 13

[David_Koran at HQ02.USACE.ARMY.MIL]

From: "Gary Smith" <rivulus at cogeco_ca>
Subject: [Killietalk] De-icer
To: <killietalk at aka_org>

Hi Everyone,
                   Today I went and bought some De-icer at home depot. I
could not find Prestone so I bought a brand from stone mason.It's called ICE
MELT with calcium chloride flakes. I plan to use this for Cyprinodons,
Aphanius and other pupfish types. There is no other ingredients on the
container so do you think this is safe to use? Also how much should I use? I
plan on adding a bit at a time and keep taking hardness readings until I get
up to the hardness I want. This de-icer is not in liquid form, but in a
granular "flake" form.
 What is the ideal hardness for these fish? I was thinking of somewhere
between 250 and 400ppm.All help is greatly appreciated!

Gary

Without a good balance it is difficult to directly prepare small batches
strictly by weight.  The atomic weight of calcium is approximately 40 and
the molecular weight of calcium chloride is about 111 so whatever you would
weight out is 40/111 th calcium by weight.  If you know a purity you can
factor that in, hence, amount of calcium = weighed amount x (40/111) x
(percent purity expressed as a decimal fraction, i.e., 99% is .99).

If you want 300 ppm, then final calcium is .0003 or .03% of your solution,
or .0003 = amount of calcium (in pounds)/amount of water (in pounds).

So if you use an 18 gallon Rubbermaid tub to condition water (i.e., bring to
room temperature, allow carbon dioxide to escape, chlorine to escape, etc.)
then you have 18 gal x 8.4 pounds/gal or 151.2 pounds or water.  So for 300
ppm calcium you need 151.2 x .0003 = .0454 pounds of pure calcium or (.0454
lbs)x(1/.99)x(111/40) = 0.127 pounds of your flake calcium chloride
(estimated the purity as 99%) or roughly an eighth of a pound per 18 gallon
tub.

It is hard to prepare a stock solution of calcium chloride and mix it with
your tank water since the solubility of calcium carbonate is just above 400
ppm.

Hope this was helpful,

Dave Koran

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