Biocalcium dosing directions.....??????

[blondenaso1]

Ok, well this is kinda an ongoing debate/question that me and the lfs guy are trying to figure out. In the directions for biocalcium it says to "sprinkle" the powder on the surface of the water. Well, neither I nor the LFS guy like this idea so we would always premix it with RODI water and then add to tank. I was actually using it mixed in with auto top off water. The other day he ways that he talked to another customer who read on a message board or heard from a chemist or something else of the sort that if premixed it bonds with free carbonate ions in the water to form CaCO3 and actually sucks additional Ca out of the water. This could also explain why I have experienced problems with the sand clumping in my tank. We are trying to get in contact with people from TropicMarin or whatever the comp that makes biocalcium is and find out if there is any truth to this. In the meantime I figured I would consault the gurus on this board and see what you guys thought...........

 

[broomer5]

blondenaso1
I've never used this product - but I have read about it.
As I recall - this stuff is a single dry powdered product that's supposed to add carbonate/bicarbonate AND calcium chloride at the same time.
The TWO components are in the powder dry - and when they hit water - they add the two components to the water.
Basically - bicarbonates/carbonates and calcium.
Sort of like having baking soda and turbo calcium powder mixed together dry ........... then adding them together at the same time.
I'm sure there are other things in the Biocalcium as well .. although I really don't know for sure.
I thought this sounded funny from the get go ...... using a "single" powder to delivery both alk and calcium together at the same time.
Mixing it in freshwater would allow the precipitation of CaCO3 in my way of thinking. RO/DI water has no buffer capacity, and contains no calcium ions. It's basically just pure water with some gasses dissolved in it ( if aerated prior to use ).
Adding this Biocalcium to saltwater that already has some level of alkalinty ( bicarbs and carbs ) and calcium - must be the way they instruct you to use it - and apparently it would not precipitate out as CaCO3.
I don't understand the chemistry fully of why that would not occur as they claim - but I'm interested in looking into it further.
I would imagine that it has to do with another compound in the Biocalcium that is causing a reaction to occur - and is producing CO2 gas as a result of that reaction. If CO2 gas is added at the same time - it may prevent the precipitation. Maybe.
This stuff could contains acetate, or acetic acid, or some other compound that contributes CO2 ????
Not really sure.
Maybe someone here who knows for sure will share what they know.
Let us know if you hear back from manufacturer - it's interesting.
Thanks