School Me:Lime water/baking soda

So I've been reading several articles, threads etc on dosing limewater and baking soda. Bottom line is my tank does not have a real high demand for calcium or alk, but I seem to be going through 2 part quickly. A nilsen reactor is out of the question, so I would be using a gravity fed drip.

My questions include how much lime to add to say a 1 gallon jug used for dripping throughout the week.

My problem is with my fan on i evap about 2-2.5 gallons a day in a 100 gallon system. Topping off a full 2 gallons of limewater a day is not an option as it would be too much (right)? Can I drip the gallon of limewater throughout the week and continue topping off with rodi water as normal? Would this be sufficient?

Also I can't find a clear answer on how limewater affects my alk level. I know the limewater is great for calcium, but with using lime water will i also need to be supplementing for alk separately ie baking soda?

Im hoping you all have some good experience with this as it seems a common method

Please help

 

If you don't have a very high demand for Ca or Alk, then it sounds like your wasting a lot of the two part kit because the rest is precipitating or coating the tank or equipment. Alk and Ca just don't disappear, they are used up or react to form a new compound, calcium carbonate which does not redissolve readily.

An important question is what are your parameters and how much do you dose now? Also what types of corals do you have?

 

I'm still new with Kalk usage as well so take this with a grain of salt.

I've been topping off with my fresh RO water as well as drip Dosing the Kalk. The Kalk mix cannot also substitute your top-off, at least I don't think. I have 2 teaspoons mixed into a 1 gallon jug and drip about a quart a night- very slowly spread over at least 7 hours. This has yielded very stable results for me at maintaining my Ca and KH at their current levels. Don't think Kalk is very effective at increasing things. It depends on your tanks usage. A high demand for both elements will probably still require a 2 part supplement of some degree. I brought my levels to where I wanted with 2 part and have been maintaining them with the above mentioned Kalk drip everynight. I plan on automating it eventually.

Also I believe Kalk raises both Ca and Alk proportionally. Just need to keep an eye on PH.

 

My tank also seems to be rapidly growing coraline algae, so i think that is where much of it is going. The tank is mostly lps, frog spawn 3-4 heads, chalice, favias, some softies, some mushrooms, and 4 different types of zoas (from 10-50 polyp pieces).

Either way I've been stocking it faster than i anticipated and dont want to spend the money on 2 part every month. Right now my alk is at 8 dkh and calc at 400-420. To keep it here ive been dosing a cap and a half of alk to a cap of cal every 3rd or 4th day. Alk recently dropped to 6.5 so i've been dosing a little extra.

Plus my ph is usually on the low side 7.8-8 so i figured the high ph of dripping lime water would help raise the ph

 

Kalk will raise PH effectively but it has to be used slowly so the increase is less dramatic, enough research on it and you'd know this. Perhaps you should look to increased water agitation to increase oxygenation of the water. If you don't want to invest in necessary supplements as needed you should stop stocking.

How long did it take you to go from 6.5 to 8 dKH?

 

Im obviously not going to dump in a full dose of limewater to raise the ph. I would drip it slowly, say a gallon over a period of a week. And the lime water would definately not lower the ph. Its just a benefit to me to dose limewater knowing it will help raise it a little over time.

The 6.5 to 8 was gradual over a period of about 9 days.

And its not that i dont want to spend the money on 2 part. It seems that dripping lime water gives a similar effect as dosing two part to keep parameters stable. And as with most people, if i can get the same result for a fraction of the cost, why not.

I know limewater will not be a complete substitution for 2 part, but figure I will end up using less in the long run.

 

in low usage tanks Limewater can provide all the requirments for both Calcium and alkalinty

the only negative and the reason its not a great idea in high usage tanks is simply that the amount of Kalwasser that will dissolve in a specific QTY of water is not as great as say other additives that you can use for Calcium/ alkalinity

thus with some high demand tanks the limiting factor becomes the amount of evaporation experienced at any given time, which due to the relatively low concentration of Kalk that can dissolve in RODI water means that you may not be able to get enough of this substance into your tank in any given period to maintain levels

but as stated thats on tanks with a lot of healthy and growing SPS colonies

these 2 articles may interest you

Chemistry and the Aquarium

What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Steve

 

sostoudt

 

great thanks for the answers and articles. I agree that it would be easier to not use the lime in full concentration.

So i've paid more attention to my top off amounts. In a 24 hr period with a full light cycle on the tank and on the refugium I have to add about 1.5 gallons of top off. That being said, how much lime is a good starting point to mix per 1.5 gallons.

 

Kalk with nothing added
will dissolve at approximately 2 teaspoons per gallon - adding more just increases the amount of crusting on top and sediment in the bottom of the container
so in 1.5 gallons , 3 teaspoons is your max

this will give the mix a maximum calc level of about 800ppm in your mixture

you dont want either the crusting from the top or the sediment on the bottom getting into your tank

so set the syphon to collect from a couple of cm off the base of the container is a good idea

basically if using that to top off, keeps your calc level stable, your good with kalwasser

there are ways to increase the amount you can dissolve and thus the max calc level you can achieve ( using vinegar)but as I have never tried that personally, I suggest you research that aspect (if raw kalk is not enough to maintain levels that is) before doing so


Steve