Where do you buy calcium chloride or soda ash?

[Larry L]

I had been buying calcium chloride and soda ash from BRS but they discontinued their original products in favor of a "pharma grade" version that is kind of expensive. Where are good places to buy reef-quality calcium chloride or soda ash at decent prices?

 

[Greenstreet.1]

I have been on the hunt myself since they made the change. So far I found these guys and they are not far from me. I’m trying to get a list together before I ask the Big Brother.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You can easily DIY baking soda from a grocery store (baked if you want to get sodium carbonate) or food grade sodium hydroxide versions of the DIY.

I'd probably get calcium from BRS.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

What Randy said. I've been using baking soda since I started my reef tank. I don't bother baking it to make it soda ash (sodium carbonate), I just dose it as it is (sodium bicarbonate). There's a slight drop in pH from dosing baking soda as opposed to soda ash. Since most of the carbonate in seawater already exists as bicarbonate, the drop is minimal and may not be measurable at all depending upon the dose and tank size.

The calcium chloride has increased in price by about 50% with the new packaging. It's mathematically a big increase and the new purity might not be necessary. But you might not be able to find food-grade calcium chloride for much cheaper than the new stuff at BRS.

 

[dragon99]

https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4680+4676+27647&pcatid=27647

Same price as the old BRS stuff

 

[SilentSloth]

I know this is an old thread but I just did the math and here's what I got
BRS sells it buy the Gallon (G) of solution made so I had to do some maths.
google says 22g/100ml is saturated for sodium carbonate.
22g/100ml = 100ml/~.02G = ~832.8g/G (I used full decimals when doing the math)
832g/1G = 1.836lb/832g = 1.836lb/G
so BRS is selling 1.836lb for ~7$. After shipping for me it is 14$ which comes out to 7.63$/lb
BRS had a 10pack for 74.86 with free shipping this is 18.36lb total for 75$ which ends up being 4.07$/lb
on amazon Fritz sells it in 1.25lb/4lb/10lb and 40lb amounts. only the 1.25lb and 40lb have free shipping with prime
the 1.25lb for 12$ with free shipping is 9.6$/lb and the 40lb for 70.7$ is 1.768$/lb which is the best deal... if you don't mind having a 40lb container of soda ash lol I only use about a pound a year for my 25G tank so I went with the BRS 1G pack.

tldr; between BRS (their website) and Fritz (Amazon) the 40lb fritz on amazon with free shipping is by far the best deal.
the best low quanity option is BRS 1.836lb (1G mix)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I know this is an old thread but I just did the math and here's what I got
BRS sells it buy the Gallon (G) of solution made so I had to do some maths.
google says 22g/100ml is saturated for sodium carbonate.
22g/100ml = 100ml/~.02G = ~832.8g/G (I used full decimals when doing the math)
832g/1G = 1.836lb/832g = 1.836lb/G
so BRS is selling 1.836lb for ~7$. After shipping for me it is 14$ which comes out to 7.63$/lb
BRS had a 10pack for 74.86 with free shipping this is 18.36lb total for 75$ which ends up being 4.07$/lb
on amazon Fritz sells it in 1.25lb/4lb/10lb and 40lb amounts. only the 1.25lb and 40lb have free shipping with prime
the 1.25lb for 12$ with free shipping is 9.6$/lb and the 40lb for 70.7$ is 1.768$/lb which is the best deal... if you don't mind having a 40lb container of soda ash lol I only use about a pound a year for my 25G tank so I went with the BRS 1G pack.

tldr; between BRS (their website) and Fritz (Amazon) the 40lb fritz on amazon with free shipping is by far the best deal.
the best low quanity option is BRS 1.836lb (1G mix)

BRS uses my recipe, and neither solution is saturated.

 

[SilentSloth]

BRS uses my recipe, and neither solution is saturated.

One is a solid by weight so I think I did alright on that calculation for $/lb
If the BRS is assuming a not saturated solution it would be less weight for the same money and I think that would mean it's even less worth it. I just assumed the best case scenario of the BRS' weight. I don't think it would effect the end result of the price per pound very much.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

One is a solid by weight so I think I did alright on that calculation for $/lb
If the BRS is assuming a not saturated solution it would be less weight for the same money and I think that would mean it's even less worth it. I just assumed the best case scenario of the BRS' weight. I don't think it would effect the end result of the price per pound very much.

The cheapest way to make it is to buy baking soda at a cheap grocery store, bake it, and you have food grade sodium carbonate for less than commercial sellers.

I describe that and the recipes BRS uses, here:

An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[Cell]

I buy large boxes of Arm and Hammer for like $4 and bake it. Super easy. Throw it in a tight sealing container and you are good to go.