# [Wet Thumb Forum]-How much to raise GH



## bobo31 (May 8, 2004)

Using CaCl2 and Epsom salt how much would I have to add to raise my GH to 3?

Currently it is 1.5 and this is in 10 gallons of water.

Thanks
Robert


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## bobo31 (May 8, 2004)

Using CaCl2 and Epsom salt how much would I have to add to raise my GH to 3?

Currently it is 1.5 and this is in 10 gallons of water.

Thanks
Robert


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## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

For Epsom salt, you can use Chuck's calculator to calculate how much of it to add to raise the magnesium level to certain ppm

http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_dosage_calc.htm

If I remember correctly one degree of gH is around 14ppm of Mg/Ca (please correct me if I am wrong...)

As for CaCl2, I am not too sure about its concentration. I am using CaCl2 to supplement calcium for my tank too...but it comes in a liquid form with stated concentration (Kent marine calcium). Would you be using the same thing too?

* btw you need a 3-4:1 ratio for Calcium:Magnesium

Steven


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## IUnknown (Feb 24, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> Alternative : 1/2 tsp of magnesium sulfate in 5 gallon will give you 14 ppm mg. Turboâ€¢Calcium will increase the aqueous calcium concentration in 5 gallons of purified water by 30 ppm; this is about 1/4 teaspoon and gives you a GH of 6.


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## bobo31 (May 8, 2004)

I was actually thinking about using Kent's Turbo Calcium. Is that what you use Steven?


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## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

No I am using the liquid calcium made by Kent...pretty much the same thing as the Turbo calcium except it's liquid.

Both would work for the calcium need of the plants.


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## IUnknown (Feb 24, 2004)

I think with Turbo Calcium you get more for your money since it comes in a dry concentrated form.


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## bobo31 (May 8, 2004)

One last question using liquid calcium how much do you add?

Thank you guys for the replies and help.

Robert.


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## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

StevenL, could you please share your math for calculating the amount of Ca in the Kent's liquid calcium. I get 10%(or 10,000ppm) as stated on the bottle divided by 236ml in the bottle=1ml has ~42ppm of calcium in it. Is this correct? DO you then need to divide by the amount of water in your tank to get your ppm or is it just 42ppm(per ml added) regardless of what it goes in? Thanks


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

StevenL, there's about 7 ppm of calcium per degree of hardness and about 4 ppm of magnesium per degree of hardness.

Dennis, if the solution is 10% CaCl2 then it will be 3.6% calcium. The rest will be chloride. A ml of the solution is also 3.6% calcium and would weigh about a gram; it would contain about 36 mg of calcium. if you added a ml to 100 liters of water it would produce a concentraion of 0.36 ppm (mg/l). It would take about 20 mls per 100 liters of water to bump the hardness by 1 degree.


Roger Miller


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## countrymouse (Jul 6, 2003)

How much of the Kent Turbo-Calcium is appropriate for dosing a 55-gallon planted tank?


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## countrymouse (Jul 6, 2003)

Maybe a better way to ask the question: How high should the GH be for a planted aquarium? If I'm dosing 2 tablespoons of magnesium sulfate (per Chuck's calculator recommendations), how do I do the math to figure out how much calcium to dose. Or does the ratio of magnesium to calcium matter?


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## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

Roger: I calculate the concentration of the liquid calcium this way

This is what's written on the bottle
Calcium (Min) 10% or 100,000ppm

100,000ppm = 100,000 mg/L = 100mg/ml

I always thought the concentration of the liquid calcium is 100mg/ml. So according to your calculation I underdosed the calcium since day 1 of my tank

So which is correct?









Thanks


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

Dennis, my numbers assumed that the solution was 10% calcium chloride. if the bottle says it's 10% calcium rather than 10% calcium chloride then my assumption was wrong. One ml dosed to 100 liters would produce a concentration of 1 mg/l and it would take 7 mls per 100 liters of water to get one degree of hardness.


Roger Miller


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by countrymouse:
> Maybe a better way to ask the question: How high should the GH be for a planted aquarium?


It seems like you can go as high as you want. Reputable folks report excellent growth from a wide variety of plants with 24 dGH and sometimes more. The problem is with how low you can go. Some people have reported healthy growth with barely-measureable hardness, but the photos I've seen don't bear out the testimony. From my experience you probably need 5 dGH or so, possibly more depending on the plants you grow and the amount of sodium and potassium in your water.



> quote:
> 
> If I'm dosing 2 tablespoons of magnesium sulfate (per Chuck's calculator recommendations), how do I do the math to figure out how much calcium to dose. Or does the ratio of magnesium to calcium matter?


 You aren't giving enough information to work with. Your dosing a 55 gallon tank? Is that for a one-time dose, or for a dose with water changes, and with what size water changes?

It might not make a difference, because I don't have much information on dosing calcium. It does matter. The magnesium concentration should not be higher than the calcium concentration. Magnesium is often 1/3 to 1/4 the calcium concentration, but that is a highly variable result.

Roger Miller


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## countrymouse (Jul 6, 2003)

I'm dosing at each 50% water change. Two tsp of epsom salt adds @ 5.65 ppm magnesium. That with 1/8 tsp turbocalcium keeps my GH at 5 degrees. Unless I've overlooked it, the Kent Turbocalcium jar doesn't say how much calcium is being added with 1/8 tsp (recommended starting dose for a reef tank). That's what I'm trying to find out.

Y'know, I guess if I emailed Kent Marine, they'd tell me. *doh*


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## countrymouse (Jul 6, 2003)

Y'all be patient with me; I did so badly in biology that I never dared tackle chemistry. 

Ok, after surfing for a little more information:

1. Is Kent Turbo Calcium simply calcium chloride? 

2. If it is, then is the 3-4:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium (in one of the earlier posts) the correct way to figure out how much Turbo Calcium and epsom salt to add? For instance, 3 tsps Turbo Calcium per tsp epsom salts? (Somewhere else on the web I saw a 2:1 ratio recommended.)


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