# Calcium chloride and fish death



## Dave_Discus (Sep 10, 2006)

You can't just use calcium chloride...you need magnesium sulphate too...

Use ro right or equilibrium until you read up on water some more.


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

I use calcium chloride to add calcium to my RO like tap water. Never had a problem.

What kind of problems are you having?


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## Dave_Discus (Sep 10, 2006)

But Rex don't you blend the two together? 

I add a mix of both calcium carbonate/magnesium sulfate to reconstitute my water to a specific tds..then buff kh...then age and air for a few hours to off
gas some c02. Those are the two main ingredients in ro right or equilib.

School me if I'm wrong...


Source water....you mean tap? Unless your on a well...you probably have
chlorine/chloramine in your tap water. Unless you have a di on your ro
you will still have chloramines...Did you test the ro output?

How did fish die? Run all the usual tests?


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

I do mix the two together.

My source water is tap. I treat for the chloramine. But I have very close to no hardness in the tap water.


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## Dave_Discus (Sep 10, 2006)

No hardness in your tap or make up water? 

My tap is like 400 tds...ph 8.5 and 4 kh... great....for a reef tank.
Lots o chloramines..I use an rodi unit and mix in some dry chemcals
or ro right if Im lazy...then add some baking soda for some kh.

My water skills are oreinted towards Discus, rather than plants...
but I am commited to removing my Discus back to bare bottom tanks
and get this 125 rocking with plants again...

Where did our guy go here?


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## Brilliant (Apr 11, 2006)

Sorry...had a hot date 

I use magnesium sulphate for that. I was specifically talking about my calcium additive, calcium chloride.

I do add both calcium chloride and magnesium sulphate one after the other. Thinking about Equilibrium again just because it contains calcium sulfate and I dont have any of that yet.

I ran a bunch of tests and I never see nitrites or ammonia. I even purchased another test kit. My source water is 0ppm RO/DI water, I dont think there is much there either.

When I used RO right or Equilibrium I did not have any problems. I cant help but think this is causing me problems....maybe just a recent string of events is making me think this way. I wanted to use specific additives to know what my water is comprised of....being I couldnt find a list of ingredients in RO right......so I went with Equilibrium...it seemed more plant friendly...then I wanted to know more and started using each separately. Now I think I will go back, not because of inexperience because of grief.


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## Dave_Discus (Sep 10, 2006)

Ro right is mostly calcium and magnesium...these make up 80+% of total 
hardness or gh. If you dose ferts...you are adding all the traces you need too. 

Explain how the fish died...any disease first? Or just random floaters?


Now if you got ahold of some junk icemelter for calcium chloride that some impurities...that could be something to look at.


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## Brilliant (Apr 11, 2006)

Dave_Discus said:


> Explain how the fish died...any disease first? Or just random floaters?
> 
> 
> Now if you got ahold of some junk icemelter for calcium chloride that some impurities...that could be something to look at.


Just some curiosity about no dechlors and calcium chloride use. Thinking out loud. Nothing to see here move along  Thank you for your input everyone.


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