My tap water is too soft (2 dGH). I want to harden the water that goes to my tank by adding calcium and magnesium. Magnesium is easy to get as epsom salt (MgSO4·7H2O). I'm trying to look for lab grade calcium sulfate (CaSO4). Does anybody know where I can get them ?

Regards

Calcium sulphate is almost insoluble so you might as well add oyster shell --it is cheaper. Calcium chloride might be better.

depends how pure you want it, medchem sells calcium chloride in 25Kg amounts, otherwise if you're not as fussy about purity try the farm stores

Or drop a bit of soldering flux (hydrochloric acid) on some marble chips

Calcium sulphate is almost insoluble so you might as well add oyster shell --it is cheaper. Calcium chloride might be better.

Calcium chloride was my first choice when I started looking for a calcium source. But from Seachem website, they mentioned that chloride and sodium at elevated levels are not very good to plants.

Has anyone has success with calcium chloride on planted tanks ? How long have you been dosing with calcium chloride ? And how much ?

Regards

Where is the sodium coming from?

Add aragonite sand in a bag (I use pantyhose legs) to your filter and replace the bag every month as a biofilm develops on the sand.

This buffers your carbonate up and works a treat.

You can also fill the bottom of a barrel with aragonite sand and age your water in the barrel for a few days before you add it when you do your water change.

Once you work out how much the aragonite buffers then you can easily work it into water changes.

My gh is 1 and kh 2 out of the tap.

Keep in mind that once you start engineering your water parameters you must maintain those levels so there is no crash in your tank.

Cant you put calcium source in a long thin pipe standing on its end.

Buble CO2 thru teh pipe as you pass water up its lenght and back to tank.

Slows bio film developement and supplies calcium and CO2 to tank.

Just change media every few years as levels drop off.

Dont the salts do this for the reef growth..its called a calcium reactor.

Can use all sorts of media

Navarre

Where is the sodium coming from?

Thanks for your ideas.

There is no sodium from calcium sources above. I'm just quoting from Seachem http://www.seachem.com/Products/product ... brium.html that chloride and sodium may not be good for plants.

If I use aragonite in a filter, how quick and how much will it increase my GH, (and KH and PH) and how do you control it.

Regards

Your water is too soft for what exactly?

Other than old world cichlids, fish will acclimatise to your water type.

IMO Changing it "just because" is a lot of effort for naught.

The idea is to raise any parameter SLOWLY so as not to shock anything in your system.

If you go with the sand start with 1/4c and increase it enough to suit what you WANT it to be.

I use 2c per 200L to raise GH 1* and change it every 2 weeks.

AND TEST, RETEST, THEN TEST AGAIN until you are certain your system is stable.

Stability is the key.

But it depends on your setup as to how it will be affected.

There is a lot of stuff in water that may change your results.

In my experience it is a lot easier to keep fish and plants for your water type, than to engineer water for each water change just to change things a little.