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Some people use them, certainly, but they are very different products with different issues.
Biocalcium is just a dry mix of sodium bicarbonate/carbonate and calcium chloride. For that reason, it cannot be dissolved into a dosing solution and must be added dry.
Carbocalcium (calcium formate) and similar products using calcium acetate (e.g., Salifert All In One) have the complexity that you are tying organic carbon dosing (the formate for carbocalcium) to the need for alkalinity and calcium, and those may not necessarily be the same desired doses in many tanks.
You cannot mix this type of additive in water prior to adding it to a tank. If you do, the calcium will react with the carbonate present to form insoluble calcium carbonate. Consequently, the directions advise adding it directly to the tank. If you do, be sure to add it in a high flow area away from corals (like a sump), as the solids are reported to irritate corals if they land on them.
If you use a product like this, be sure to keep it as dry as possible, even to the extent of keeping it in a sealed container to keep out atmospheric moisture. If moisture enters the mixture, it may allow the formation of undesirable calcium carbonate.
Carbocalcium (calcium formate) and similar products using calcium acetate (e.g., Salifert All In One) have the complexity that you are tying organic carbon dosing (the formate for carbocalcium) to the need for alkalinity and calcium, and those may not necessarily be the same desired doses in many tanks.
While I appreciate this comment, and agree to some extent, I have a couple of additional comments relative to it. First, it is extremely important to make a distinction between calcium acetate products and Tropic Marin Carbocalcium. It is very difficult, nearly impossible, to be able to add enough calcium acetate to a system, that is well stocked and growing aggressively, due to the associated oxygen depletion caused by the acetate. So for the average reef system, calcium acetate will generally NOT meet the Ca demand. This is not the case with Carbocalcium. In contrast to calcium acetate it is possible to fulfill the calcium needs of most reef aquariums with calcium formate, without the O2 depletion issue.
I have a bucket Of Red sea abc+ foundation powder, I figured I would try it, that is based on calcium uptake, which is already high. so now I'm dosing BRS alk to keep those levels up. noob question 1 Is coraline depleting Alk at a faster rate?
@Lou Ekus Carbocal If this product was used what would be chased or monitored for dosing CAL or ALK ?
I have a 90g roughly 6 months old. Been dosing ca,mag,alk,other elements separately so far . Went to my lfs to figure if i need to get into any two part dosing and he handed the BioCalcium and said one spoon a week is all you need to add . Its now with me and i have read the instructions. I have 2 questions
1. I spoon 28 ppm ca 4 dkh for 10 g , is the calculation straight forward to derive the effect on 100 gal i.e an increase of .28 and .4 ca,dkh respectively
2, The 70 other elements and effects ate unexplained , is there better documentation elsewhere ?