calcium supplement or two part sol'n?

[robertjamesgallardo]

I'm thinking of buying a calcium supplement (API Eco Calcium) for supplementing calcium for my 55 gal tank. it is cheaper than sera's calcium plus, and i believe that aside from supplementing calcium, it does have other benefits (as per API), and so on... well, two part solution is way way cheaper than this, but i do not have the idea on how to do the mixing/dosing, etc... and with my experience, i could not store sodium bicarbonate solution because it rots. gusto ko makatipid, goal ko kasi sa sarili ko na nag e-enjoy ako, pero mas mura, kaysa manood ako ng sine linggo linggo... :p

api said that their supplement provides calcium needed by invertebrates, etc., without affecting the pH, nor the alkalinity. but if there is still a way to save money, i'll go for it. calcium supplement is ±500php, sodium bicarbonate and calcium chloride is ±200php lang. and i like the thing where you get busy with your tank especially for a lonely home boy like me :p

any inputs will greatly be appreciated...

[jerickson81]

Been using this recipe for months now:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

seems to be doing ok, all parameters are stable Nd corals all happy . Saved me alot on all the brightwell stuff i used to dose. Sir nes of RP sells the chemicals that i use. For the price of one bottle of that API stuff i got a kilo of each and i still have some after 4 months na

HTH

[obet_carlos]

sir how do you know if nag rot na yung sodium bicarbonate? how long does it usually take? yung akin kasi ilang taon na.. wala naman ill effects..

[robertjamesgallardo]

i think maybe it is food grade? i was buying the queen all purpose baking soda in our palengke. or i did not just clean the bottle... after 24 hours iba na amoy e. usually pag may nag se settle na natitira yung yung bumabaho...

[ryanuy]

You bake your sodium bicarbonate in the oven and it turns to sodium carbonate. That is what you should be using for your alk supplementation. Aside from increasing alkalinity Sodium bicarbonate lowers your PH while sodium carbonate increases it.

You can do a search here on RP and it was a post obet started if im not mistaken. It has a very good link to an article my Randy Holmes-Farley about how to mix your 2 part which is WAAAAAY cheaper than buying the prepared branded stuff.

You can also contact naivete if you want a good and cheap source of calcium carbonate(for cal) and sodium bicarbonate.

[oliveros]

Gud am, mga guru's how do you prepare the two part solution... I bought kasi kay sir nes, but unfortunately wala sya dun nung kinuha ko. Pa help naman po... Tnx in advance

[jerickson81]

[robertjamesgallardo]

aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh.................. so i need to bake it pala... kala ko hahaluin ko lang. do i have to bake the sodium bicarbonate agad, or mix ko muna sa water before baking? and di po ba pwede microwave nalang?