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View Full Version : "Non-ionic" VS "Ionic Calcium"


ItsMee
10/07/2009, 09:56 AM
My Calcium is at 360 ppm. My alkalinity is at 9-10 dH. I dose limewater.

I am wanting to increase the calcium by about 20 ppm to 380 ppm. Or maybe even by 40ppm to 400 ppm or somewhere in between. I bought a bottle of Seachem's liquid calcium and was reading the bottle and noticed it said that it is not "ionic", only made to maintain calcium, and if making large changes in calcium rather than just maintaining it, to use an ionic supplement instead of this.

1.) What exactly is the difference between ionic and non-ionic?
2.)Is the only thing that makes it ionic the fact that it has a balanced alkalinity to go with it?
3.)Or is it because ionic is a more concentrated mix with more ppm per ounce of liquid and therefore better to make changes rather than maintain calcium? And if this is the case, could I make the increase of calcium mentioned above using this non-ionic calcium in a tank with a net volume of 40-50 gallons?

David Grigor
10/07/2009, 10:27 AM
Correct non-ionic just means it will only increase CA and likely chlorides.

This is want your wanting to do so your good to go.

ItsMee
10/07/2009, 11:34 AM
As opposed to increasing calcium but not chlorides?

harper
10/07/2009, 11:46 AM
As I remember from the marketing of Seachems calcium, the calcium is bound to a sugar molecule. This is opposed to "ionic" calcium which in the hobby would normally be calcium cloride. Seachem claimed at the time that only their test kit would test correctly for their calcium product. I really don't know what is in the Seachem product. I would see if you can return it and get their powder calcium cloride or one of the 2 part solutions.

Randy Holmes-Farley
10/07/2009, 12:49 PM
All calcium that reefers use is "ionic".

Seachem may also use the term to distinguish normal calcium from that bound to its organic polymer (polygluconate) found in one of their products (Reef Calcium). I'd avoid that one. It has some uncertain level of alkalinity addition and bacteria growth potential.

Boomer
10/07/2009, 02:21 PM
Randy that is only place where they use that term, for their Reef Calcium "chained organic calcium rather than an ionic calcium"