Comparison of Calcium from Kent Marine and Seachem

[Jamba]

Hi all:



Interesting Q&A from Seachem:



Question from me:



I am wondering how these two part calcium-buffer supplements differ (besides the fact that one set is liquid and the other dry). Is there a benefit of using one over the other?

1. Reef Advantage Calcium + Reef Buffer

2. Kent Marine Tech CB Part A and Part


The Answer from SeaChem:

Kent Marine Tech CB Part A and Part B contain 56,000 mg/L calcium and they don't list how much alkalinity. An interesting thing is that the say its "predominately in the form of calcium carbonate". Your substrate is calcium carbonate, so is your live rock... but they are not soluble. http://www.kentmarine.com/saltwater/tcbab.html

The powders are pure product so they don't have a listed concentration.

The liquid version Reef Complete contains 160,000 mg/L. Reef Advantage is a concentrated calcium supplement capable of raising 20 gallons of water by 25 ppm of calcium with only 1 teaspoon. The biggest advantage is the ability to know exactly how much product to add in order to achieve any calcium level while restoring other essential ions. As an added bonus it mixes to a pH of 8.3 to 8.6 so you can forget about the pH battles associated with other calcium supplements. Additionally, it also contains strontium and magnesium ratios proportional to typical depletion rates. If Reef Advantage is used to maintain calcium, then other strontium and magnesium supplements are not necessary.

Reef Carbonate is a concentrated (4,000 meq/L) solution. Reef Buffer the powdered version is also very concentrated each 1 teaspoon per 40 gallons will raise your alkalinity by 0.5 meq/L. Are Alkalinity products also have the user friendly dosing so that you know where your levels will be after you add the product.

We don't recommend to dose an alkalinity supplement and a calcium supplement on the same day because they are so concentrated. When these ions find each other they form calcium carbonate and precipitate out of solution.

We feel that trace elements are best added separately to make sure they are neither overdosed or under dosed.

 

[clamm]

They aren't soluable...maybe im getting confused here...but thats what we use in our reactors and add CO2 to turn it in to a liquid high in calcium...

what am im missing from this...im sure they know what they are talking about.

 

[clamm]

btw...search for randy holmes farley receipe...

make your own alk and calc from products at home depot...

 

[Jamba]

Kent Marine reply

Here is the reply from Kent Marine

"From what I can surmise of the Seachem products you refer to, their Reef Advantage Calcium is very similar to our Tech CB Part A in that it provides calcium, magnesium, and strontium, however TCB Part A also provides numerous trace elements. Their Reef Buffer increases alkalinity, as does TCB Part B. What makes TCB Parts A & B unique to most calcium and buffer products in the marketplace is that they are ionically-balanced when adding equal volumes of each solution; this merely means that the proper quantity of calcium is added to the amount of carbonates and other alkalinity-increasing molecules provided by Part B. It?s a way to simplify things for the hobbyist. In theory, if one knew the exact concentrations of all substances in calcium and alkalinity supplements, this procedure could be repeated, however that information is usually closely guarded by the manufacturer. The end result for using all of these products should be the same: ease of increasing and maintaining the calcium concentration and alkalinity in the reef system."