What brands of alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium are you using?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'll probably switch to the BRS supplements.

I know that one of the 3 Red Sea supplements has strontium in it. Do any of the 3 BRS supplements have strontium in it?

Thanks for any info or help.

None have it specifically added (although it is often present as an impurity in calcium salts), but I also do not consider strontium to be useful to measure or supplement.

 

[Eric G]

Used BRS switched to ME. It's more pure mixes up 100% clear and I also have to dose less.

 

[cloak]

I'm curious at to what brands people are using.

Presently, I'm using Red Sea. However, I'm thinking of switching.



Allen

I'm currently using kalkwasser in my ATO, but when I need to bump things up a bit I'll use Epsom salts and Kent Turbo calcium. (rarely)

 

[marke]

Big bag of sodium bicarbonate from swimming pool supply store for alkalinity. Big bag of calcium chloride from same store for calcium. Grocery store Epsom salts combined with USP grade magnesium chloride from Greenway Biotech for magnesium.

Hello Jim
How come you step up in quality for mag chloride (USP). Assuming less impurities like heavy metals? Which I understand. But how come you go for the low grade or industrial grade that does not meet the standards for human consumption with the other two? Calcium chloride can have as much impurities as mag chloride? Just look at a coa? If I use a gallon of calcium and a gallon of alk and a half gallon of mag per month----Am I not polluting my tank if I dont use USP all around?

 

[marke]

I use Calcium Chloride Dihydrate USP
Sodium Carbonate USP
Mag chloride hexahydrate and anhydrous USP
Mag Sulfate anhydrous USP
Only accept the highest guality for my SPS!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Used BRS switched to ME. It's more pure mixes up 100% clear and I also have to dose less.

They might mix clearer, but the ME solids are exactly equal in potency to those sold by BRS, so you would have to dose the same amount.

 

[marke]

They might mix clearer, but the ME solids are exactly equal in potency to those sold by BRS, so you would have to dose the same amount.

Randy----I agree the ME mixes clearer as you mentioned. Possibly due to impurities? As Far as the potency being the same as BRS I dont think thats a fair statement! ME uses mag sulfate anhydrous not the basic epson salt others use. The anhydrous having no water is stronger on a weight or volume basis. Same has been found for those that used the Sodium Carbonate. Those using ME after BRS have had to reduce the amount they dose daily; hence more concentrated. I can get you a free sample to try Randy?

 

[Electrobes]

Alk: Baking Soda (Arm and Hammer) from Costco
Calc: BRS
Mag: BRS

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy----I agree the ME mixes clearer as you mentioned. Possibly due to impurities? As Far as the potency being the same as BRS I dont think thats a fair statement! ME uses mag sulfate anhydrous not the basic epson salt others use. The anhydrous having no water is stronger on a weight or volume basis. Same has been found for those that used the Sodium Carbonate. Those using ME after BRS have had to reduce the amount they dose daily; hence more concentrated. I can get you a free sample to try Randy?

Do you sell these products? Your post sounds rather sales pitchy, and if you do you sell it you should make that clear that you are not just a hobbyist happy with a product.

Actually I didn't say it mixed clearer. I was just allowing that it might. I've never tried it.

While you are correct about the mag sulfate (my mistake for stopping reading their description when I got to the mag chloride hexahydrate), you are not right about any of the other forms. They clearly state the calcium chloride is the dihydrate and the magnesium chloride is the hexahydrate, and no one sells hydrated sodium carbonate.

So people will not be using any less of the alk or calcium products, and only a little less of the mag product since it should be mostly mag chloride anyway.

FWIW, I'd get magnesium sulfate from a drug store instead of from either BRS or ME.

 

[FlyinBryan]

BRS

 

[47BFREEF]

BRS

 

[twilliard]

Triton elementz here!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hello Jim
How come you step up in quality for mag chloride (USP). Assuming less impurities like heavy metals? Which I understand. But how come you go for the low grade or industrial grade that does not meet the standards for human consumption with the other two? Calcium chloride can have as much impurities as mag chloride? Just look at a coa? If I use a gallon of calcium and a gallon of alk and a half gallon of mag per month----Am I not polluting my tank if I dont use USP all around?

It is only polluting the tank IF the materials used have more problematic impurities.

That is not what I found when I tested various calcium chloride products years ago. To be usp does not mean it is more pure than other grades, only that it was tested and shown to meet a particular standard. The untested materials may also meet our needs, as I showed for Dowflake.

So it can be good insurance to look for certain grades, and USP is one of several that would be good, it is not necessarily correct to assume ungraded products are less pure.

 

[Downbeach]

Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime, BRS for the rest.

 

[miamijaaz]

ESV B-Ionic 2 Part. Seachem Magnesium.

 

[ksanfranfan]

Drs. Foster and Smith supplements.

 

[aaron23]

BRS

 

[SROPE]

BRS here.

 

[beaslbob]

I got calcium chloride from local redimix companies. one had a 25 pound bag of anhydrous for $8. Cal-chlor?
Epsom salts and baking soda from grocery stores.

magnesium chloride (and actually calcium chloride) from a local industrial supplier. Been a few years but magnesium was like $.30 per pound with no charge for shipping. Calcium chloride was much cheaper. both the 50 pound bags.

 

[Justiful]

Calcium -- Seachem Reef Complete (has strontium, mag also)
Alk -- Seachem Reef Carbonate
Mag -- Kent Marine

Pretty easy to use. I like it for that reason.