Calcium Sulfate vs Calcium Chloride

[Phish Tank]

GH booster seem to use calcium sulfate, yet Walstads book details using the more soluble calcium chloride to boost the calcium portion of GH.

Which do you use, and why? I've been using Equilibrium, but it's got other things in it besides just GH booster. My measured Calcium ppm in my tap is about 10.

 

[Unexpected]

I use CaSO4 from Alpha Chemicals. It has some impurities, but still better than Equilibrium. Equilibrium has too much unnecessary TDS via K and Fe.

 

[Kwyet]

I use CaSO4 from Green Leaf Aquariums.

 

[*Ci*]

I use Calcium Chloride (CaC12) in my aquariums because I’ve used it for many years in my koi pond, so it’s what I’m used to. It’s cheap and I use 2-3 cups per week in the pond.
I don’t notice any ill effects from the chloride component in my planted tanks. I disolves easily when shaken in a bottle and does not separate or leave sediment when I make a bulk stock solution.
I buy it by the bag from a hardware store:

 

[ElleDee]

I use calcium chloride because my husband had some from home brewing for some reason. I have never had a reason to switch to anything else.

I have used Equilibrium off and on, mainly to use it up at this point. I still have to add more calcium and magnesium though, otherwise it's so, so much K. Also the iron in it isn't chelated at all, so that's a bummer. It's such a a weird product.

 

[Pepere]

It's such a a weird product.

My opinion of the company mirrors your opinion of the product.

 

[BenB]

I use CaCl2 because it dissolves fast. When I've used CaSO4, Equillibrium, or any other product with CaSo4, I always have to put it in at night so that it is dissolved the next day. Annoying to me because I want to enjoy my tank. Also, my tap has almost no GH, but it does have a little Ca. What I need more is Mg.

 

[Pepere]

When I've used CaSO4, Equillibrium, or any other product with CaSo4, I always have to put it in at night so that it is dissolved the next day

I put my measure of CaSO4 and MgSO4 and dechlor into a quart mason jar with hot water and stir it up. I then put in a piece of rigid airline attached to soft airline and run a siphon into the tank as I refill with the Python.

Any cloudiness of water is gone within 20 minutes or so, and no white powder anywheres.

 

[BenB]

I put my measure of CaSO4 and MgSO4 and dechlor into a quart mason jar with hot water and stir it up. I then put in a piece of rigid airline attached to soft airline and run a siphon into the tank as I refill with the Python.

Any cloudiness of water is gone within 20 minutes or so, and no white powder anywheres.

I just use CaCl2 and don't have to do any of that.

 

[Pepere]

I just use CaCl2 and don't have to do any of that.

I started doing this to make sure I dont forget.. I make the mason jar up and set it on the table next to the aquarium before I ever grab the python.

When my wife spent a month in the hospital I was doing a waterchange and forgot to put the dechlor in and lost all the inhabitants over it….

Since then I mix everything up before I siphon.

 

[TRyan]

I use CAS04 and front load my holding tank 2-3 days before water change.

 

[Hanuman]

The use of CaSO₄ or CaCl₂ will have little to no consequence to your tank. Once in the water they both dessociate and you are left with calcium and sulfates or chlorides depending which compound you use. Here are the plus and minus of each:

CaCl₂ : very soluble but highly hygroscopic so you need to store this in an air tight container else it will keep absorbing water with time. CaCl₂ is actually used as a desiccant eaxtly because of its hygroscopic properties. CaCl₂ will also increase your EC more than CaSO₄ so if you are after the lowest EC possible then CaSO₄ is probably the better choice but in also honestly I don't think it matters.

CaSO₄: poorly soluble but for our purposes it will be fine. We commonly use CaSO₄∙2H₂O (Calcium Sulphate Dihydrate) because it is stable and it is not hygroscopic like Calclum Chloride. It is also very cheap.

Forget Equilibrium. I still don't understand why that product is being used in planted tanks. The amount of K is absurdly high and unnecessary. It probably won't do harm to your plants but will definately hit hard your wallet. Also Seachem claiming this:

Both sodium and chloride are not rapidly depleted elements in a planted aquarium, and, in the case of chloride, can do more harm than good.

This is very misleading and clear marketing propaganda. Yes everything is detrimental in excess but not at the levels we commonly use chloride-based compounds in our tanks. It's always a good idea to reduce those elements that are not used (or very minimally used) by plants though.

 

[Phish Tank]

Thanks for all of the responses, I've been wanting to get away from Equilibrium, which sounds like the same conclusion others have found.

This morning I discovered that I already own CaCl2, since I have an unopened jar of "pickle crisp". I think I'll try that for a bit. Ill be watching my new anubia and AR leaves to see if they stop curling/deforming.

 

[OmidNiav]

The use of CaSO₄ or CaCl₂ will have little to no consequence to your tank. Once in the water they both dessociate and you are left with calcium and sulfates or chlorides depending which compound you use. Here are the plus and minus of each:

CaCl₂ : very soluble but highly hygroscopic so you need to store this in an air tight container else it will keep absorbing water with time. CaCl₂ is actually used as a desiccant eaxtly because of its hygroscopic properties. CaCl₂ will also increase your EC more than CaSO₄ so if you are after the lowest EC possible then CaSO₄ is probably the better choice but in also honestly I don't think it matters.

CaSO₄: poorly soluble but for our purposes it will be fine. We commonly use CaSO₄∙2H₂O (Calcium Sulphate Dihydrate) because it is stable and it is not hygroscopic like Calclum Chloride. It is also very cheap.

Forget Equilibrium. I still don't understand why that product is being used in planted tanks. The amount of K is absurdly high and unnecessary. It probably won't do harm to your plants but will definately hit hard your wallet. Also Seachem claiming this:

This is very misleading and clear marketing propaganda. Yes everything is detrimental in excess but not at the levels we commonly use chloride-based compounds in our tanks. It's always a good idea to reduce those elements that are not used (or very minimally used) by plants though.

I use sulfate salts of Ca, Mg, and K and always wondered if too much SO4 would be an issue. Never did any experiments or tried other salts but just wondered!

 

[Hanuman]

I use sulfate salts of Ca, Mg, and K and always wondered if too much SO4 would be an issue. Never did any experiments or tried other salts but just wondered!

I think the very vast majority of people will use calcium suphate and magnesium sulphate for remineralising purposes. By now if sulphates were a major issue I think we would know it. Your tanks are a testament that eveything is fine