# Dosing Calcium Chloride and Mg without a scale



## MartialTheory (Dec 20, 2007)

I got to finally test my water and the kh and gh was at 2. I finally realized that my curled leaves was from a calcium defeciency. So I checked out rexgrig and it showed a way to increase my gh. But my only problem is that I have no scale. My goal is to raise my gh by 2 and possibly my kh by 1. For a grand total of 3 kh/ 4 gh. My tank is 29 gallons. Does anyone know how much to add by teaspoon wise?


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## oregon aqua (Jan 30, 2008)

I got a great scale from http://stores.ebay.com/www-OLDWILLKNOTT-com For $9 shipped. I love it! Other wise my math is horrible and my guesses are worse! So im no help with the chems. though you can use chuck's planted aquarium calculator to get grams converted to spoons, if you have the gram measurment.


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## MartialTheory (Dec 20, 2007)

Hey thanks for that store. I'm definally gonna look into getting from there.

I looked up chuck but sadly it doesn't have calcium choride.


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## oregon aqua (Jan 30, 2008)

No it doesn't i was just saying its good for converting grams to spoon. If you have a gram measurement that is.


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## MartialTheory (Dec 20, 2007)

I do but I can only do epsom salts. I will have to wait for the calcium choride.


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## ray-the-pilot (May 14, 2008)

MartialTheory said:


> I got to finally test my water and the kh and gh was at 2. I finally realized that my curled leaves was from a calcium defeciency.


I'm not sure why you came to this? My water has a gH of 2 and a kH of 1 and my plants are great! 
You didn't say what fertilization plan you are using. Are you adding Magnesium? In most water supplies Ca is 2-5 times the Mg and it is more likely that you don't have enough Mg.

If you are going to increase your gH I'd use a combination of Ca and Mg in a ration of 2 to 1.


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## MartialTheory (Dec 20, 2007)

I use standard EI dosing. There is a member not to far from me and his plants are extremely healthy. So we have the same source of water but yet such a large difference. 

Also my plants been showing deficencies for a while. Like curling leaves and extra small plants. 

I can't seem to grow toninas but this member can no problem with the same water source we started with.

So I want to optimize my water conditions.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

MartialTheory said:


> I use standard EI dosing. There is a member not to far from me and his plants are extremely healthy. So we have the same source of water but yet such a large difference.
> 
> Also my plants been showing deficencies for a while. Like curling leaves and extra small plants.
> 
> ...


Are you using the same fertilizer dosing schedule as your neighbor, the same method of injecting CO2 and the same CO2 concentration in the water, the same light intensity, with the same substrate, and the same water circulation in the tank? All of those things could affect the plant growth.


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## MartialTheory (Dec 20, 2007)

I had to think about this long and hard.

At first I thought we have should be the same.

We both have over 4 wpg. I have flourite and he has ADA aquasoil. I figured as long as I have good ferts in the water, it shouldn't make that much of a difference. So with our fert routiune, I use standard EI dosing without dosing K.

This is what he uses.
http://i340.photobucket.com/albums/o356/kotoeloncat/Dosing.jpg

For some of the plants that we both have, his is a giant. Grows thick and large. For me stays small and is tiny. His grow very fast and most stems are very thick. Even the fast growing ones. Mines grow pretty good but most of the time stay small and barely gets bigger or less leaves per node.

So I thought about this very hard.

I have PC 130w over a 29 gal tank. 
KH/GH is 0. I made it to 3 kh and 7 gh with epson salts and cacium chloride. I also have persurized co2.

Perhaps I am missing out on K. I am thinking of buying Nusalt and dosing that in mean time.

I used the fertilator calculator of this site and I noticed that when I dose standard EI, I don't get enough potassium or nitrates. Do u think I should dose heavy the first day and then dose lighter to keep the ppm up?


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## MartialTheory (Dec 20, 2007)

Also when I increased my GH by a combo of calcium and magnesium, my plants did much better.


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