Calcium’s big brother

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Random chemistry question of the day.

Who am I?

 

[Nibs]

Strontium?

 

[VintageReefer]

Ca3

 

[rishma]

Bicarbonate

or perhaps alkalinity in general

 

[Subsea]

Potassium

 

[CHSUB]

Mag

 

[mizimmer90]

Strontium!

Reasoning: 1) also a group 2 alkaline earth metal, 2) bigger version of Ca thats directly below it on the periodic table, 3) can be substituted in lattice of aragonite.

The ratio of Ca and Sr in coral skeletons is actually used to infer historic sea temperatures!

 

[Miami Reef]

edit. Changing my answer to strontium

 

[BeanAnimal]

Strontium - per reasons stated above.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

And my answer is...

Strontium or Barium.

If you look at a periodic table, the columns going down group elements with similar electronic structures (and hence similar chemical properties), and from top to bottom they get bigger as you do down.

In the second from the left column, you see the row with calcium (Ca).

Above it (smaller but very similar chemically) is magnesium (Mg)

Below it are its big brothers, strontium (Sr) and barium (Ba), and the big radioactively unstable element radium.

 

[BeanAnimal]

So the takeaway, if I am reading this correctly -- You propose that we build radium reactors - which would be 100% self regulating, no Co2 valves to clog, or pH to measure. Just toss in your lump of radium-226 and your good to go.

Glowing coral and calcified structures, no need for moon lights!

Easy testing, just a geiger counter so that you can dial in the initial flow one time, then you are stable for the next -- i'd say 400 years or so, given the 1600 year half life.

I suppose this means moving up from StarFire glass to leaded crystal though, so a bit more expense. Just think about it though, Tiffany & Co. Tanks!

Thanks Randy - reef chemistry is so much fun! I can't wait to get started!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes, radium is the key to great coral color. No need to rely on the old tech of coral fluorescence. That only works when lit.

Corals getting enough radium supplement will glow all night long, and maybe even heat the tank at the same time.

What a cost savings that would be: no lights, no heaters, and almost no electricity needed at all!

 

[KrisReef]

Chemistry isn’t as STRAIGHT
Forwards as it used to be.

I hope I didn’t violate the rules, again