Calcium affects fish in much the same way osmotically as sodium--lots of
euryhaline species can adapt to water with calcium in it when sodium isn't
available. That's why fishes like mummichog and sheepshead minnows will
survive in water with high carbonate hardness instead of their usual
brackish water.
Another advantage of calcium salts is that you can grow plants in your
aquarium that you couldn't grow with higher levels of sodium.
Finally, my hunch is that, in addition to sodium in the water, sailfin
mollies will also benefit from some carbonate hardness--although I haven't
done any comparisons and don't have proof.
Rather than using cichlid salts, which tend to be expensive, I use a marine
salt mix, which already has calcium salts in it, and a teaspoon or so of
garden limestone, mixed first in a gallon of hot tapwater so it dissolves
somewhat. Like I said before, I'd have better luck dissolving calcium
chloride, which is far more soluble, but I haven't been able to locate a
good source of it yet.
> [Original Message]
> From: James Smith <jbosmith-in-gmail.com>
> To: <nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org>
> Date: 3/23/2005 7:40:23 AM
> Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- Rediscovery of the state-listed Iowa darter in
DuPage Co., Illinois
>
> Crushed shells or limestone pebbles in a HOB filter keeps the
> carbonate levels of the water plenty high enough. If you are looking
> for freshwater salts to add instead of NaCl, rift lake salt addatives
> will work wonders.
>
> For mollies, the salt they are used to is NaCl though, so in my
> opinion, that is what they should get. I personally use canning salt
> with mine. If they don't get it, they get eye infections or worse.
>
> On the other hand, when I keep rift lake African cichlids, I wouldn't
> even think about using canning salt instead of calcium based salts.
>
> Jim
>
>
> On Wed, 23 Mar 2005 06:22:49 -0500, Bob Bock <bockhouse-in-earthlink.net>
wrote:
> > Yes, thanks, Lee. I misspoke. I typed "calcium carbonate" when I
meant
> > to type "calcium chloride" I meant to tell Sajjaad that it would be
better
> > to use calcium chloride than calcium carbonate--the latter is far more
> > soluble--only I haven't found a good source of calcium chloride.
> >
> > Still, I'd bet that calcium carbonate is probably better for plants than
> > calcium chloride.
> >
> > > [Original Message]
> > > From: <EELReprah-in-aol.com>
> > > To: <nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org>
> > > Date: 3/22/2005 7:38:49 AM
> > > Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- Rediscovery of the state-listed Iowa darter in
> > DuPage Co., Illinois
> > >
> > >
> > > In a message dated 3/22/05 6:39:04 AM, bockhouse-in-earthlink.net writes:
> > >
> > > << Probably better still would be to
> > > add some calcium carbonate (which I haven't used because I haven't
been
> > > able to find some around here.). >>
> > >
> > > Bob, garden limestone is calcium carbonate. Not lime (slaked or
hydrated)
> > as
> > > used in cement which is calcium oxide.
> > >
> > > Lee Harper
> > > Media, PA
> > >
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