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Re: Calcium Additives?

> Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 20:07:35 EST
> From: IDMiamiBob at aol_com
> Subject: Calcium additives?
> 
> I am trying to decide how best to add calcium without introducing carbonate
> hardness.  Myy NO3 tests around 10 ppm, so I could go with CaNO3.  Also CaCl
> is an option.  Is either of these available commercially, or do I need to make

Aquarium Systems make a CaCl additive intended for reef tanks called Reef
Evolution, but it looks like just straight CaCl (I didn't realize CaCl was
okay for a freshwater tank, otherwise I'd have tried some myself!). It's
about $12.00 for a 16oz bottle (catalog #ECC-16).  They also have a
Calcium Hydroxide additive.  I don't know if that's okay for freshwater or
not. 

> maybe just not as soft as I have.  I'll pick up a hardness test tomorrow and
> detirmine GH and Calcium hardness before I start this.  Dosing recommendations

I highly recommend the LaMotte hardness kits, by the way (they are fairly
inexpensive compared to some of the other LaMotte kits too).  I picked up
a used calcium test kit at an LFS clearance sale for $5.00, and I love it. 
After using their Direct Reading Titrator, I never want to go back to the
old add a drop-put cap on tube-shake tube-remove cap-add another drop-put
cap back on-etc. method of titration again!  I know they have a kit that
tests calcium, magnesium, and total hardness, but I haven't been able to
find it anywhere, except as part of a very expensive master test kit. 

Paul