Anyone dosing with powderd Calcium and Soda Ash?

[Animal-Chin]

I was talking to the owner of a frag/coral store and he turned me on to using cheap Calcium and Soda Ash for alk. I desolve it and have made a dripper out of a bottle so I add the supplements over a 4 hour period.

Have any of you done this method? Tips and tricks? Is it a good method to replace what the corals are taking? Seems daily, like 3 days ago my calc was at 440 and not it's 400. My alk drops from 9 to 8 to 7 if I don't dose daily.

Thoughts?

 

[Shirtlessbill]

I buy a pre powdered calcium from salifert so I can't speak to your method but I can speak somewhat to calcium consumption. Chances are your tank is not actually consuming that much calcium (in terms if coral consumption, coralline, etc.) unless all your corals are very mature colonies. What is your magnesium like? Trace elements? The balance of calcium and alk are heavily affected by the other elements in the tank.

Can we have your parameters?

 

[ccCapt]

I use DowFlake calcium chloride (Ice melt) and Arm&Hammer baking soda. I bake the Arm&Hammer in the oven at 350° for 1 hour. That turns the sodium bicarbonate into sodium carbonate (soda ash). Just make sure whatever you use for calcium and alk is "food grade".
An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[Gregcoyote]

I use DowFlake calcium chloride (Ice melt) and Arm&Hammer baking soda. I bake the Arm&Hammer in the oven at 350° for 1 hour. That turns the sodium bicarbonate into sodium carbonate (soda ash). Just make sure whatever you use for calcium and alk is "food grade".
An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

This is also what I have done for decades. Basic and cheap.