Quote:
Originally posted by Dave P:
By my estimates, there is approx. 0.57 g of sulfate -- over half a gram -- in every gram of Equilibrium. If one follows the label, raising GH by 3 degrees would require the addition of 16 grams (1 tablespoon) of Equilibrium for every 20 gallons of water. Using the above figure, this would mean that 9 of those 16 grams is sulfate. In my opinion, this is not a small amount.
Dave
|
Hardwater in nature contains bicarbonates, sulfates, and chlorides. Wetzel (
Limnology, p. 183 of his 1983 edition) shows the sulfate concentration between 17 and 35 mg/l (the chloride range is 8 to 17 mg/l) of five naturally hardwater lakes. Just for fun, I'm going to follow up on Dave's post, to see how his Equilibrium addition compares to the sulfate concentration in these natural hardwaters.
20 gal X 3.8 liters/gal = 76 liters
If naturally hardwater contains 35 mg of sulfates/liter, the tank contains a total of 2,700 mg (35 mg sulfates/liter X 76 liters). And 2,700 mg = 2.7 g. This is less than the 9 grams of sulfates added by Equilibrium dosing to get a GH increase of 3 (according to Dave's calculations).
Adding a CaCl2/MgSO4 combination better mimics the natural condition of having a mixture of anions, not just one. It also lessens potential H2S problems. Potting soil substrates, at least mine, have been quite anaerobic (fresh ones bubble like mad for months). I am fairly sure that they have a Redox low enough for H2S production.
That said, I have never heard a single complaint about Equilibrium, and many hobbyists defend it vigorously.
