# Has anyone tried this before?



## the Widow's son (Dec 8, 2010)

Okay, friends, let me preface this inquiry by stating that I fully expect to be flamed, or at least laughed at. However, I am acquainted with the value of "thinking outside the box", as they say. And who knows, maybe this little idea of mine will end up saving aquaculture hobbyists everywhere loads of $$$ on water conditioning kits. So, for science and frugality, here goes.....

This week I have been going through the motions to set up a small livebearer tank in my studio. I'll probably be doing Platies or Guppies (haven't decided yet). In any case, I intend to run my water parameters at 78 degrees F, 7.3 pH, 10.0 dKH. No problem there; I've done this before a few times, and it is pretty "old hat" for me at my age...

Trouble is, the water hardener in my water conditioning kit is empty. The easy solution would be to just plop down 30 bucks for a new one, but I don't really need any pH down (which I seldom use), pH up (use it, but got plenty), or water softener (which I've never used), or Ammonia neutralizer (also seldom use), or testing solution (again, I have plenty). All I need is the water hardener, but to get it I have to buy the whole kit with all the extras, and I do not want to do that.

Last night, I was reading the label on the bottle of Tums Antacid in my medicine cabinet (oh, don't ask why, tee-hee-hee). To my surprise, I found that each tablet of Tums Antacid contains 500 mg of Calcium Carbonate. Not only that, plainly stated on the label in large red letters, Tums Antacid is Sodium-free. This is regular Tums, not the cherry-flavored, so it is likely that the only other thing in this stuff, besides Calcium Carbonate, is a complex Carbohydrate (i.e. starch) used as filler. Hmmmm...

So let the facts be submitted to a candid world:
1) Calcium Carbonate is the same ingredient in my water hardener (and, incidentally, is the stuff from which snail and clam shells are mostly composed of)
2) Starch filler is certainly non-toxic to fish, invertebrates, and microbes
3) If there is anything in Tums Antacid besides Calcium Carbonate and starch, it is palatable to humans, and thus, likely nontoxic to fish, invertebrates, and microbes (i.e. certainly no lead, mercury, copper, lithium, et. al.)
4) Three bucks for a bottle of Tums sure beats thirty bucks for a new conditioner kit
5) All I'm going to have to do to figure out how much to use is do a google search and a little math, oh yeah, and test the water for Carbonate hardness just to be sure I didn't screw it up...

Thoughts, comments, constructive criticism, advice, anecdotes, lame jokes, anybody? *c/p*


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

About the only thing I've heard of Tums being used in the aquatic world was as a source of calcium for inverts.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Baking soda will also work. Or get some crushed coral.


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## ValorieMackison (Dec 10, 2010)

Tums consist of Calcium Carbonate, Corn Starch, Talc, Mineral Oil (a petroleum bi-product.. petroleum its self is extremely toxic to plant & wildlife), Adipic Acid (like most carboxylic acids, is a mild skin irritant & is mildly toxic), Sodium Polyphosphate (may cause slight transient skin irritation, on prolonged contact)

Keep in mind that not all things safely consumed by humans is safe for pets. Chocolate is a decent example. The theobromine in chocolate can kill a canine.

IMO, your fish are safer if you follow the suggestion of susankat.
Good luck.


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## mfgann (Oct 21, 2010)

I think susankat is on the money for the age-old cheapskate way of doing it (crushed coral). But hey, I'm all for thinking outside the box. I will agree with ValorieMackison, that many things we consume can be toxic for pets, and in addition, what may be a trace amount of a toxic substance to us could be a lethal dose to a fish in a tank (which is a closed system). Think about adding salt to a tank... Regular iodized table salt is out, while we can consume plenty of it. 

The real kicker is that one brand will have different levels of components than another, not to mention when something is reformulated, so what you may think is safe may kill some fish that someone uses the generic brand for.

Just thinking it out.. but let us know what you find.


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

Just research it tough. You'll find Tums is more commonly used than you think. ;o)

And has no ill effects towards any of the critters.


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## the Widow's son (Dec 8, 2010)

Wow... I didn't get flamed... I didn't even get laughed at! What a friendly forum this is...

Kudos, ValMack on the ingredients of Tums Antacid... I would never have thought that they had mineral oil in them.

Ultimately, my best guess is that a controlled experiment is the best way to find out... I suppose I might drop some feeder minnows, glass shrimp, and planorbids into a five-gallon tank with a moderate amount of Tums antacid, say enough to bring the Calcium Carbonate concentration up to about 100 ppm. For now, though, I think I'm just going to suck it up and throw some $$$ at mt local pet store. It wouldn't be the first time...

Thanks for all the wonderful input, though. You guys rock... *w3


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## ValorieMackison (Dec 10, 2010)

No problem.  

My livelihood is a business that makes personal care products & spends its time trying to keep chemicals out of the products when/if avoidable. (I've spent far more hours researching such things that I ever care to relive. Which now spills over into my personal life. lol)

If I can ever be of help, just send me a message.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Gh rises with calcium or magnesium increases. calcium chloride is used to harden concrete in winter or as a driveway ice melter. Magnesium can come from epsom salts which is magnesium sulfate, milk of magnesium (magnesium hydroxide) or magnesium chloride (also) is an ice melter.

KH rises with carbonate and can be added with baking soda.

FWIW these things are used to keep calcium, alk, magnesium at correct values in reef tanks. Which can be diffucult due to calcium based algaes and corals.

Calcium carbonate (tums, oyster shells, and other sources) requires a fairly low ph do dissolve and has almost no dissolving above a pH over 8. The chlorides will dissplve readily in water.


c? you weren't all that far off after all.



my .02


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## Santaaa (Dec 20, 2010)

1 teaspoon of baking soda per 5 gallons of water is the perfect solution. If it is too high use Tetra's blackwater extract to reduce the PH without reducing the KH and then it should remains stable. You can mix 1 teaspoon of the baking soda per 5 teaspoons of water and use teaspoon of solution per gallon of water. This works for me as I have a naturally non-existant KH so the PH crashes as there is no buffer and it works great for me to keep things in check.


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## rtbob (Jul 18, 2010)

Also you should be able to feed the inhabitants real spicy chili and not have to worry about the little guys getting heartburn!


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