basser9 November 29, 2009 Share November 29, 2009 (edited) check your local home depo for tetra calcium chloride flakes this is the good stuff as long as its from china..... cost 19.00 for 40/50ilb bag at a baltimore store..... ONE GOOD SNOW and it goes fast. Edited November 29, 2009 by basser9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandy7200 November 29, 2009 Share November 29, 2009 http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...t=tetra+calcium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami November 29, 2009 Share November 29, 2009 check your local home depo for tetra calcium chloride flakes this is the good stuff as long as its from china.....cost 19.00 for 40/50ilb bag at a baltimore store..... ONE GOOD SNOW and it goes fast. Tetra's quality control is pretty good. The process they use treats limestone with hydrochloric acid. This yields a very high quality calcium chloride without the bromide concentrations that the current Dow flake is showing (in the 0-5 ppm range, not the 100 ppm that Dow now has). It's actually not necessary that it come from China anymore, though that's been one reliable source over the years. That plant, I've been told, is also the same one that makes CForce calcium chloride. Anyway, there's a Tetra calcium chloride processing plant here in the US (Lake Charles, AL) as well as European sources (Finland is a common one; that site was acquired by Tetra in 2005 or 2006). Each of these sources should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 December 1, 2009 Author Share December 1, 2009 (edited) I READ SOMEWHERE THAT TETRA was going away from the limestone process because of a shortage of the acid they use in the limestone process and was changing or building a us plant this year. The article said the new product from the us would be just like dow. AS FOR CFORCE being the same as tetra the bag i got from harveys salt co was such a dirty mixture with so much brown slime floating on the top and on the bottom that i would nit recommend this product to anybody. THE tetra mixes much cleaner then the c-force i got. The article i read was some type of release from tetra i think. Edited December 1, 2009 by basser9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 1, 2009 Share December 1, 2009 I've not seen the article. I'd be interested in seeing it though if you come across it again. Tetra reportedly still maintains their limestone process according to their website. Tetra Europe reports they're still using the limestone process at their plants in Finland and Sweden. They reportedly use the (expensive) Solvay process in the Netherlands. The European site also states that the US Plant uses the (cheaper) natural brine process (which results in less pure product). It could be that this is the change that's being made - limited to the US. Also, their Chinese plant is not mentioned. So, if you find bags of Tetra from Finland or Sweden, you may be more secure in the knowing that they're still using the limestone process. I picked up 100# of Tetra from Finland yesterday from my local Home Depot. It was back in the nursery area by the grass seed and cost around $17 a bag. Upon opening the bag, I found the product to be white like snow and when mixed seemed to be (look) just fine. It would be nice if somebody could do an assay of the product.... Thanks for the feedback on CForce. I've had that clay-like slime show up in some of my boxed salt mixes, too. Sometimes I felt compelled to skim it off with a brine shrimp net just because it looked ugly. It may be an indicator of where the manufacturer is getting their calcium supplements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerseller December 1, 2009 Share December 1, 2009 HD in Merrifield has it. White bag, easy to spot since there's flakes all over the ground near it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 December 1, 2009 Author Share December 1, 2009 The article said there was a world shortage of HCA which was driving the price to high to manufacture and produce it the limestone way. HOPEFULLY this doesn't happen as tetra is the one last good diy calcium without any problems......time to stock up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extreme_tooth_decay December 1, 2009 Share December 1, 2009 this is the good stuff as long as its from china..... There's a quote you don't see often... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 1, 2009 Share December 1, 2009 Ahh, here you go: http://www.manufacturing-today.com/content/view/848/31/ It's not a worldwide shortage of HCl, it's a local shortage of it. It affects Tetra's new plant located in Arkansas which was scheduled to be opened in mid-2009. HCl is mostly produced as a captured byproduct of other industrial chemical processes. It's often used locally in other chemical processes. In fact, according to wikipedia, 75% of the 20 metric tons of HCl produced annually is consumed "captively" by the producer. Only 5 metric tons gets to market. As mentioned in the article, Tetra's Lake Charles plant saw a reduction in the availability of HCl from the shutdown of the Lyondell isocyanides plant in 2005. It was also affected by hurricane Katrina, I believe. The new plant, which is to be located in Arkansas, uses a different process - the brine process - rather than the limestone process. The article does not say that the Lake Charles plant, which uses the limestone process, will be closed. So it will likely continue to be a good source, as will be the stuff from Finland and Sweden (and possibly China). The Arkansas plant, because it uses a different process, may have higher impurity levels. Thanks for mentioning this.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 December 2, 2009 Author Share December 2, 2009 (edited) I New i read something good looking out..... I know alot of vendors switched to TETRA from china and alot of reefers have used it for a couple of years with no problems. I am surprised that anything but the Chinese version is around in the states what street is the home depot at that has the Finland stuff. There were some members on reefcentral that got ahold of a chemist from tetra and put his emails up on reefcentral the chemist said the tetra from china was made from the limestone process and was way cleaner then dows. As always its your tank so its your call. Edited December 2, 2009 by basser9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 December 2, 2009 Author Share December 2, 2009 I called the home depot in ashburn and they sold out already and dont know if they are getting any. If anyone sees the 100lb bags from Finland let me know please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 2, 2009 Share December 2, 2009 I called the home depot in ashburn and they sold out already and dont know if they are getting any.If anyone sees the 100lb bags from Finland let me know please. You're kidding. There was more than a pallet of the stuff there just two days ago. (It was out back in the nursery area, across from the grass seed). The store's just around the corner from my house. Maybe I'll stop in and see if they reported correctly to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sportzfish December 2, 2009 Share December 2, 2009 You're kidding. There was more than a pallet of the stuff there just two days ago. (It was out back in the nursery area, across from the grass seed). The store's just around the corner from my house. Maybe I'll stop in and see if they reported correctly to you. Which one? On Shellhorn? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 3, 2009 Share December 3, 2009 Yes. Shellhorn - across the street from the Giant. Turn left at the entrance and go back toward the nursery. As soon as you exit the doors there, turn right. It was right there. Sorry, I didn't get by tonight as I had a few things going. Maybe tomorrow morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 December 3, 2009 Author Share December 3, 2009 THATS THE ONE I CALLED she might be wrong she knew what it was and said they were out.......she might have been mistaking..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 3, 2009 Share December 3, 2009 THATS THE ONE I CALLED she might be wrong she knew what it was and said they were out.......she might have been mistaking..... More likely she didn't know or was too busy to actually go look. I confirmed about an hour ago that there's a pallet of the stuff in the garden area. It's not across from the Brute trash cans (that's in the second aisle), but it's across from the grass seed and next to the snow shovels in the first aisle. It's nearly a full pallet for Tetra calcium chloride from Finland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 December 4, 2009 Author Share December 4, 2009 Thanks for checking I am interested in seeing how the Finland stuff compares to the Chinese. The tetra from china product mixes very clear with nothing settling on the bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 4, 2009 Share December 4, 2009 I compared 2 Tbsp + 3/4 gallon RO/DI for both ESV and the Tetra, mixed into a 2-gallon white painter's bucket, and regard both to mix clear without noticeable settling. I put both into 3-1/2 inch test tubes, looking down lengthwise into each (to check color) and regard both to be clear. I also mixed up 4 Tbsp (1/4c) Tetra into 3/4 gallon RO/DI (to concentrate it more) and, in the bucket, it continued to look clear and without settling. At least the top of one of the bags that I have looks to be pretty good. Of course, if it doesn't meet your reefing needs - well, winter's coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 December 4, 2009 Author Share December 4, 2009 I used a whole bag of c-force in my reef for about a year this stuff had a brown layer of settlement that would form that was scary. MY GUESS is that it was clay as it looked like it and my tank did great but it did worry me at first. This china tetra is pure white and mixes so clean that c-force pellets and tetra flakes are not the same as some had suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 5, 2009 Share December 5, 2009 Here's a picture of the stuff from Tetra (Finland). I've included a white cardboard sleeve in the picture for reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k December 5, 2009 Share December 5, 2009 Would anyone care to sell me the 4 needed ingredients to make my own 3 part solution? I live in a condo and don't have the space to store 100# bags of chemicals. I would be interested in a 5 gallon bucket of each though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 December 5, 2009 Author Share December 5, 2009 A 5 GALLON BUCKET[35PDS]OF CALCIUM FROM BRS COST 90.00 SHIPPED TO YOUR DOOR this is why you should get some tetra. YOU CAN buy a 50lb bag for 18.00 fill up a 5gal bucket and give away the rest and still save a bundle over BRS. 1 lite soda ash bag for 20.00 will fill up another 5 gal bucket and you are set....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman December 5, 2009 Share December 5, 2009 Steve, the HD on Rt. 40 near MrCoral has 50lb bags of Tetra from Finland for $17. They had 4 pallets as of this morning (3 pallets in the garden section and 1 pallet across from the snowblowers inside. I picked up three bags for myself. Tom, are you sure the ones in Ashburn were 100lb bags? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami December 5, 2009 Share December 5, 2009 Steve, the HD on Rt. 40 near MrCoral has 50lb bags of Tetra from Finland for $17. They had 4 pallets as of this morning (3 pallets in the garden section and 1 pallet across from the snowblowers inside. I picked up three bags for myself. Tom, are you sure the ones in Ashburn were 100lb bags? No. I bought two bags.... Someplace along the line, when I mentioned that I picked up a hundred pounds, someone assumed it was all in one bag. It's snowing folks. If you're going to get some of this stuff, today's probably the day to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k December 5, 2009 Share December 5, 2009 Home Depot in Reston has half a pallet in the garden section. It's the kind from Finland. $17/bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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