# Calcium Chloride-- ok for FW?



## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

I figured Calcium Chloride would be a much more bio-available form of calcium vs the current calcium carbonate I use (cuttlebone) for my shrimp. Instant Ocean makes a liquid calcium chloride supplement. It says on the bottle it is for reef inhabitants and coraline algae. If it helps something like a SW clam or shrimp maintain a good exoskeleton, my FW giant shrimp should benefit also right? 

If so, I'm figuring I should just dose it up to a kH of about 11, and keep it there (vs tap's kH of about 6 or 7) and that way I'll know I'm maintaining the same level of calcium.. I have no other way of testing the level in the water. 

It works in my head.. Anybody? Wilson?


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## dl88dl (Mar 8, 2010)

I use a calcium test kit for my salty


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

dl88dl said:


> I use a calcium test kit for my salty


thought those only worked for SW.
I imagine given the loose value I'm looking for kH will be enough to get me in a safe constant range... I can't see how calcium chloride would be unsafe... Just need someone to say for sure.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Just PM Wilson. I think he has some lying around in massive bulk anyway.


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

AquariAM said:


> I figured Calcium Chloride would be a much more bio-available form of calcium vs the current calcium carbonate I use (cuttlebone) for my shrimp. Instant Ocean makes a liquid calcium chloride supplement. It says on the bottle it is for reef inhabitants and coraline algae. If it helps something like a SW clam or shrimp maintain a good exoskeleton, my FW giant shrimp should benefit also right?


Chloride isn't good for freshwater animals. It's the chloride in common salt rather than the sodium that has most of the bad effect. However, I don't know if the amounts you plan to add would be a problem.

Crustacean exoskeletons are not calcium carbonate like mollusc shells. They are made of chitin, a kind of natural plastic.

Seawater has a lot of calcium in it, but in a marine tank calcium levels tend to drop disproportionately because molluscs, coralline algae, hard corals and other critters all take it up. Not that I know much about marine aquaria.



> If so, I'm figuring I should just dose it up to a kH of about 11, and keep it there (vs tap's kH of about 6 or 7) and that way I'll know I'm maintaining the same level of calcium.. I have no other way of testing the level in the water.
> 
> It works in my head.. Anybody? Wilson?


Calcium chloride doesn't affect KH (alkalinity) which is a measure of carbonate buffering. It will increase your hardness without affecting alkalinity.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

what's a good source of chitin to feed then? Should I feed the building blocks of chitin or chitin itself? I guess foods rich in it would be things like brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, krill, stuff like that?

Are you sure that FW shrimp don't use any calcium in their shells? I've found the hardness is quite low in any tank where I've kept giant shrimp populations before.. I assumed this was due to them absorbing a significant amount of calcium in the time between water changes. 

If they do not actually use the calcium I'm confused. I was told by someone who is in a quite authoratative position on this that calcium carbonate in the water would be very beneficial to the shrimp, so I figure having a more bio-available calcium would be even better but I'm confused now about whether I actually need it.


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