Kalk questions

Dripping lime water is a tried and true method. I've never used it in conjunction with vinegar but I do use it for most of my Alkalinity and Calcium needs. I just use 2 tsp per gallon of RODI in my ATO. It does a pretty good job of keeping my levels up but as demand increases I use my CA reactor to make up for the rest. The added benefit of dripping limewater is it keeps the pH up which is really nice while running in conjuction with a Ca Ractor.

The sediment won't affect anything as long as it doesn't make direct contact with corals. I actually use a piece of ridgid airline tubing with a "J" bent into it to avoid sucking up the excess powder into my tank. This also keeps my ATO pump from getting clogged pre maturally.

As far as BRS products being crap, personally I think it's all pretty much the same stuff made in the same factory with a different label.

I've never heard of Kalk+2 but I do like the fact it adds mag as well as stronium, both are very important and are used quickly. I might have to give it a try.

 

Wouldnt the water become completely saturated no matter how much pickling lime you add? The rest left as sediment until you add more water and more would dissolve? Or am I thinking too simply.

 

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php

This is a good read.

 

I personally do not like adding the kalk to my ato resevoir as I am concerned about it gumming up my ato pump, so I use this.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/products/reactors/kalkwasser-reactor/two-little-fishies-kalkwasser-stirrer-reactor-300.html

 

Good point, eventually it will gum up the pump but I am prepared.  I use an Aqualifter pump and replacement diaphragm kits are $3.  If I had the room I would love to run a stirrer.  I used to run a Deltec stirrer back in the day but that was back when I had room and wasn't confined to cramming every thing in a 22" x 22" area.
/DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/biggrin.gif

 

The problem with brightwells Kalk +2 is that Magnesium does not disolve in limewater which makes it really useless in the same mix unless your adding the precip on the bottom of the container. (atleast from what I've read)  I personally just use kalk to keep my pH up becasue of my CA reactor.
Heres a good read on RC on it
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showt...ics+kalk+2
and Advanced Aquarist
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/12/chemistry

 

If you are using just RO, there is no real reason to measure things out, unless it just makes you feel better about it. You are only going to be able to dissolve a certain amount, the rest of which will settle to the bottom. I basically take 1/8 of a bag of pickling lime and dump it in my reservior, shake it up real well, and let it settle. Once the reservior is down to about 1/4 full I top it off with about 4-5 gallons fresh RO. The pouring itself gets everything nice an mixed up. I just disconnect my ATO for about an hours until everything settles.

Also, regarding pumps, I just dunk my pump in 50/50 vinegar and water and let it run for about 12-24 hours every 4 months or so. Seems to be working ok.

 

I think there is 2 different approaches or reasons hobbyist use kalk
1. To simply control Ph with the added benefit of adding small amounts of alk and ca
2. To control alk and ca with a single balanced additive when demand is low.

If you demands aren't very high there is no need for the vinegar. You can just dose more kalk solution with the same results unless your Ph gets to high. If your demands are higher I think a 2 part or CA reactor is a better route to go.

Basically adding vinegar will get you closer to what a kalk reactor would do with RODI water I would think.

 

Just looking through the thread, I noticed you were wanting to add vinegar to the mix as a magnesium supplement? (forgive me if this assumption is off, I skimmed, but didn't read through all 5 million pages lol). I am not sure how magnesium came into play, or would come into play in terms of the two compounds we are speaking of. The chemical compositions of vinegar and calcium hydoxide (kalk powder) are CH3COOH and Ca (OH)2, respectively. Even when we add H2O, or water, to the mix, I don't see how we are expected to come up with Mg. I am not chemist, though did have to go through more chemistry than I would like to admit (hated it), but I would expect the addition if vinegar to your RO to only increase the amount of calcium hydroxide that can be dissolved in solution slightly, alongside raising said solutions pH, again slightly, but that also doesn't seem to be your goal, thus leaving me a little confused.

 

Sorry, like I said, I skimmed the thread. On the first link, on the first page, your first post was asking the following: "How does Kalk and Vinegar replenish your Mg? I know I've read it somewhere, but why Vinegar in addition to the Kalk?" That is what got me all turned around and upside down. And yes, I am dumb. Vinegar lowers ph as it is an acid. Lower ph means more acidic, higher ph, basic. That's what, high school chemistry? Embarrassing... Did I mention I hated chemistry?

 

Kalk + vinegar will not add any Mg, but will help reduce losses of Mg which can occur when you add Kalk to a system that already has a high KH and GH - the vinegar lowers the pH of the Kalk, therefore reducing the amount of precipitation which happens in the tank water, which consumes Mg.