anyone use pickling lime

[the2ofus]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14273844#post14273844 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by miatawnt2b
you need to do a bit of reading on the matter before you jump into it. Do some searches on 'kalk slurry' There are a few good posts on the matter by people much more experienced than I.

I will say that you need to be careful not to spike the PH. You MUST test CA, ALK, and PH at the very least as you begin. I can't give you any guidelines on where to start, because every tank is going to be different in how it reacts. There are just too many factors. Start small, test, edit your tek, repeat.

It's only a simple process after you get it down. It's a lot of experimenting and testing to begin with.

-J

+1 Well put !!!

 

[tcmfish]

IMO, I prefer to use kalk with a calcium reactor. The calcium reactor runs the pH a little lower and the kalk bumps it up. I used kalk to top off and keep pH stable. That is my opinion as the easiest way to use it, as top off. I also ran a reactor for the kalk it was easy that way.

If just using kalk why not use a two part additive less worries IMO.

 

[cloakerpoked]

I don't have any problems with mine, and it's a set and forget system. It's also a LOT cheaper in the long run than 2 part would be for my system, but as stated earlier, I have a 200 gallon system, so I'd go through 2 part like there is no tomorrow. Checked my parameters and they've held steady for about 3 weeks now with what I use...

Alk--10.5
Calcium--400ppm
Mag--1260ppm

 

[cloakerpoked]

Also, I would NEVER add something to the tank without testing for it. If you aren't testing alk, and calcium at least, and you're keeping a lot of sps or lps, I'd recommend doing a lot of water changes until you get the testing kits for them. As stated earlier, the last thing you want is to shock your system and kill everything because you weren't paying attention. Adding 1 gallon via my method to my system would be totally different than adding it to a 50 gallon system. In that case, I'd use 2 part or a drip method.

 

[miatawnt2b]

And water changes with IO are not enough at all to keep CA up. IO is very low in Calcium... much too low to keep SPS without additives.

-J

 

[cloakerpoked]

Still safer than going blind though. I'd rather too little and have slow growth than have an imbalance and kill everything off.

 

[bigmatt1992]

the2ofus
inbox is full pm me to let me know its cleared thanks

 

[Tswifty]

Well the big unknown here is the draw on the tank. Matt may not even need some type of supplement initially, and routine water changes may be enough to get by.

Once the tank is up and running and you get some livestock in there... monitor your Ca & Alk levels for a few days and see what happens. Once you figure out your daily draw... choosing a method to maintain your levels will be much easier.

Until you understand your water chemistry... 2-part is probably an easier (safer) method to use, as you can't really jump your levels into the danger zone in one shot. When I started 2-part, I used the recommended dosage on the bottle then monitored my levels at the beginning and end of the week. If they went up, I cut back... if they went down... well you get the idea.

Then once I got fed up with dosing daily, I moved to Kalk. I personally think Kalk is MUCH easier to use, especially when combined with an ATO unit. About as "set it and forget it" as you can get.

 

[cloakerpoked]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14276384#post14276384 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty


Then once I got fed up with dosing daily, I moved to Kalk. I personally think Kalk is MUCH easier to use, especially when combined with an ATO unit. About as "set it and forget it" as you can get.

+1

 

[bigmatt1992]

ok i will consider all that was said and test and test and test and test lol to make sure im not going to kill anything off