BRS Pharma Calcium Chloride Mixing and Dosing Instructions

If you need to raise your aquariums calcium level or just want a high-quality additive for daily 2-part dosing, BRS Calcium Chloride is a great calcium solution for any reef tank. BRS 2-Part Pharma additives need to be dissolved in RODI water before being dosed to any saltwater aquarium, which only takes a couple minutes. We offer Pharma Calcium Chloride in bulk 7-pound bags but also pre-portioned packages that make measuring and mixing even easier.

Pharma Calcium Solution Mixing Instructions

Makes 1-Gallon of Liquid Calcium Solution

For daily 2-part dosing or even special one-time doses, making a 1-gallon solution only takes a few minutes and can be used once the solution is clear.

1. Using a clean 1-gallon jug or container, fill it 4/5 full of RO/DI water.
2. Add 2-1/2 household measuring cups of BRS Calcium Chloride or a single Pre-Portioned package to the 1 gallon jug.
3. Screw on the cap to the jug and shake it for about 10 seconds to start the dissolving process.
4. Remove the cap and fill the container the rest of the way with RO/DI water.
5. Replace the cap and give the container a few more shakes and let it sit until the salts are fully dissolved which should only take a couple hours.

Pharma Calcium Chloride Liquid Solution Dosing Instructions

Dosing any 2-part solution requires a little bit of math to make sure that you do not overdose your aquarium, however the math is made pretty simply with the BRS Reef Calculator. When adding any Calcium solution it is very important to dose it very slowly into a high flow area to help prevent precipitation of calcium or alkalinity.

General Adjustment Dosing

1. Create a 1-gallon solution by following the Mixing Instructions above and then test your aquariums current calcium level with your favorite test kit.
2. Using the BRS Reef Calculator, choose calcium for the element, Liquid Calcium Chloride for the product, and the type of New Pharma Pouch.
3. Input your total system water volume, which includes your display and sump, minus any displacement from your rock or other equipment and then click on Calculate. If you are not sure using your display tanks total water volume is a safe bet.
4. The result will be how much of the 1-gallon Liquid Calcium solution that should be required to increase your aquariums calcium level.

Daily Dosing

1. Start by following the General Adjustments instructions above to adjust your aquariums calcium, along with alkalinity and magnesium to your desired levels for your dosing regime starting point.
2. Wait 5 days and retest your aquariums calcium level and compare the results to your starting point levels to find the difference. The difference between the starting point and the final reading is how much calcium will need to be replaced over the course of a 5-day span of time. We recommend testing at the same time of day as calcium levels can fluctuate throughout the day.
3. Go to the BRS Reef Calculator and input your new desired level and your new current level along with your total system water volume. Input your values into the BRS Reef Calculator making sure to use the BRS Liquid Calcium Chloride (New Pharma Pouch). The amount calculated will be the total amount of solution needed for a 5-day span of time. To know your daily dose just divide that number by 5 (see example below).
4. Replenish your Calcium by adding the 5-day total to your aquarium and any other diminished elements back to your desired starting point levels, then wait a few hours to let your aquarium stabilize before starting your daily dosing regime.
5. Monitor and adjust your daily dose as necessary. If your calcium levels are slowly rising, we suggest subtracting 10% per day until it is stable. If your Calcium levels are dropping slowly we suggest raising your daily dose by 10% per day.

Example for 100-Gallon Aquarium

Calcium Level Day 1 @ 8pm - 420ppm (desired level)

Calcium Level Day 5 @ 8pm - 400ppm (current level)

5-Day Calcium Requirement - 102.3 mL (provided by BRS Reef Calculator)

Daily Calcium Requirement - 20.46 mL (102.3 mL / 5 days)

Calcium Dosing Tips

• If you are having issues raising your calcium, check to ensure your aquarium magnesium level is between 1200-1350ppm and that the solution is added to a high flow area of the tank.
• If a large amount of calcium is needed, we suggest raising your aquarium no more than 50 ppm per day.
• It is much safer to dose less and test again, than to overdose

• If you are having issues getting repeatable results on your calcium tests, remember not all calcium test kits are made the same, we have had great luck with Red Sea Calcium Pro Test kits and also Salifert Calcium test kits.
• It is best practice to dose calcium during the day and alkalinity at night.