Calcium Chloride???

[stimpy4242]

I recently found out there is a salt company in my backyard so I called and asked them about marine salts and such and they said they have supplied some larger aquarium places with calcium chloride. i mean the calcium part is certainly a plus...anyone ever had experience with this? Am i going to find out that is what we all use anyway? haha

 

[teen]

calcium chloride is kalkwasser mix. used to raise your alk/ calcium.

 

[stimpy4242]

Is there any reason you could not use it as the salt? I mean while I realize it isn't a fish company, they do sell only salt...so i would think they have some idea as to what they are talking about...but maybe not.

 

[ophiura]

Yes, it is simply not sea salt. It is a component...and it has uses in marine tanks, but it is not the "salt" in synthetic salt mixes.

 

[ophiura]

I googled a recipe for synthetic sea salt and found a lab site (lab rat LOL) that lists the following ingredients (NaCl is the dominant part). Now your folks there may indeed supply parts of this to large public aquariums that may well mix their own salts.
o NaCl
o MgCl2-6H2O
o Na2SO4
o CaCl2-6H2O
o KCl
o KBr
o H3BO3
o NaSiO3-9H2O
o SrCl2-6H2O
o NaF
o NH4NO3
o Fe3PO4-4H2O

 

[moneyman]

Originally Posted by stimpy4242
Is there any reason you could not use it as the salt? I mean while I realize it isn't a fish company, they do sell only salt...so i would think they have some idea as to what they are talking about...but maybe not.
The salt in salt mix is primary NaCl, not CaCl2. Your fish will die instantly if you try to put them in a solution of Calcium Chloride.
Now, I've heard people mix their own salt using these easily found chemicals:
NaCl - Home Depot
CaCl2 - Home Depot
MgCl2 - Home Depot
Epsom Salt - Grocery Store
Mix them proportionally w/ RODI & you have ~98% by weight of the NSW composition. Sprinkle some KCl & KBr, you will be close to 99.9% by weight.
Disclaimer: Don't try to use this mix on a major scale. NSW and commercial salt mix have many many trace elements like Phosphate, Silicon, Iodine, Fluorine, and etc.

 

[fallnhorse]

Originally Posted by MoneyMan
The salt in salt mix is primary NaCl, not CaCl2. Your fish will die instantly if you try to put them in a solution of Calcium Chloride.
Now, I've heard people mix their own salt using these easily found chemicals:
NaCl - Home Depot
CaCl2 - Home Depot
MgCl2 - Home Depot
Epsom Salt - Grocery Store
Mix them proportionally w/ RODI & you have ~98% by weight of the NSW composition. Sprinkle some KCl & KBr, you will be close to 99.9% by weight.
Disclaimer: Don't try to use this mix on a major scale. NSW and commercial salt mix have many many trace elements like Phosphate, Silicon, Iodine, Fluorine, and etc.
I've talked to the worker at the public aquarium in Niagara. They use Instant Ocean in there tanks. They buy it in just huge quanties. If the pro's don't make there own. I just think it would be a train wreck to make your own. Unless maybe you have your PH in marine biology and Chemistry. Then go for it. ***)

 

[stimpy4242]

Thank you for the responses...will just keep using the other stuff.

 

[reefkprz]

hey stimpy how did you make out with those lights? did your tank recover from the crash?

 

[stimpy4242]

Recover? My take was a toxic sesspool! The only thing that made it was the tank itself, i think, and the LR which is now just "R." Although it has been sitting in a tub and I placed a few pieces of well seeded LR on top of them...if you check out my other thread about my new tank you will see the old tank below it...empty...but finally the lights are working...a bit too late though..haha.