Alcon Calcium Carbonate

[zoafarm]

I just bought some Alcon 94% Calcium Carbonate from the Pinch A Penny pool store. Is this safe to put in my tank? Thanks for any help.

[bertoni]

Possibly, even probably, but it'd take a lot of expensive testing to be sure. People have been successful with a wide range of chemicals, though.

[disc1]

It might be safe, it might not.

What are you planning to do with it? Use it in a calcium reactor? If you are thinking you can dose it into the tank then you might be in for a rude surprise. Calcium carbonate won't dissolve in anything but acid. If you want something to dose into the tank then you need calcium chloride.

[bertoni]

Urp, I misread that for calcium chloride. Maybe it's time for dinner. Sorry!

[zoafarm]

No.. that's my bad...it should have read Calcium Chloride 94% Alcon brand. I've read a number of people say they are use supplies from their local pool store. I ask because I want to make sure before I kill a bunch of SPS.

[bertoni]

Okay, that makes sense. I hadn't heard of calcium carbonate so much as a pool additive.

The bottom line is that I have never heard of someone poisoning their tank with pool additives, but there's no way to know whether you might be the first.

[zoafarm]

Thank you. It sure looks like I could conserve some money. Think I will give it a try.

Thanks again.

[outssider]

what's the other 6%......

[bertoni]

That's the question that's expensive to answer.