bigmatt1992
New member
does anyone know were i can get pickling lime and did anyone use this in there tank befor i know tim has but i need to find some in the inner city area
anyone use pickling lime
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bigmatt1992
New member
ok how do i mix it and it what portions and could i set this up in a drip system so i dont have to dose everyday
cloakerpoked
New member
I use a DIY reactor with a resevoir for my kalk. I add about 1-2 gallons per night into the sump, about halfway between the time the lights go off, and they come back on.
the2ofus
Premium Member
I have an "I V" drip line I use to drip mine. PM me if you want it.
Make sure you let the lime water settle out a couple hours before you use it and keep the drip tube about 3/4 to an inch off the bottom. Keep an eye on your Alk and Cal when you start until you figure out a good amount to keep it balanced......I only use 1/2 tsp every day with a 10 gal. weekly water change and Alk stays at 11 and Cal stay between 450 and 480.
Make sure you let the lime water settle out a couple hours before you use it and keep the drip tube about 3/4 to an inch off the bottom. Keep an eye on your Alk and Cal when you start until you figure out a good amount to keep it balanced......I only use 1/2 tsp every day with a 10 gal. weekly water change and Alk stays at 11 and Cal stay between 450 and 480.
bigmatt1992
New member
so if i wanted to when i top off each day add the pickling to the water let it settle then add the water in ?
the2ofus
Premium Member
Nope............It needs to be introduced slowly.
READ THIS!
Randy has several good links listed for pickling lime.......They should get you straightend out....
READ THIS!
Randy has several good links listed for pickling lime.......They should get you straightend out....
bigmatt1992
New member
so drip method i need something to drip it with then and at the right pace
the2ofus
Premium Member
An I V line is metered, (20 drops = 1ml) or some thing to that fashon.......I use the I V line because it has a drip counter (visual) and a manual pinch point to control drops/min. I get the "out of date" ones by the box full, they're cheap, last a couple months.
I drip over nite due to PH swings at nite, this tends to keep the PH more stable...IMO
I drip over nite due to PH swings at nite, this tends to keep the PH more stable...IMO
bigmatt1992
New member
ok if ima do this i need some help deciding how much how long to drip at nite doring the day what not so if any one has a full game plan lets here it lol i got ideas but not a complet picture
ive never used it myself but came across this when this spread sparked interest. Any thoughts? http://www.2partcalculator.com/
Tswifty
New member
I just dose it via my auto top off unit. Mix it into the RO/DI top off reservoir at 1 TEASPOON per gallon, and leave it alone. Then it is just dosed in small increments throughout the day as the tank tops off to replace evaporation.
Takes all the thinking right out of it. :lol:
miatawnt2b
New member
I really hate even mentioning this because it goes completely against everything people say about the issue. I take a 16oz water bottle and fill it with 7 tbsp of pickling lime and water. Then every day, I shake the bottle and dump in 5 capfulls directly in the tank in front of the powerhead before the lights come on. Been doing this almost 5 years now on both my old 55 and my 90. Never noticed problems, SPS and coraline growing great, fish aren't stressed. When I started this method, I tested PH to make sure I wasn't spiking it too much, and from my tests (to tell you the truth I can't remember the exact params, just the outcome) My tank could take much more pickling lime slurry than it needed to support the CA/ALK.
I'm not suggesting you just go dumping kalk slurry in your tank, I studied and tested quite a bit during the initial phases.
-J
I'm not suggesting you just go dumping kalk slurry in your tank, I studied and tested quite a bit during the initial phases.
-J
miatawnt2b
New member
double post
cloakerpoked
New member
As I stated earlier...I use a DIY reactor. If you want more info than is here, I'd be happy to tell you how I built this one.
Basically, it's a reservoir (the black trash can), which is drilled on the bottom, and plumbed down to the reactor chamber. I currently have this running on a timer, but may eventually switch to an ATO. There is a Maxijet 1200 circulation pump plumbed to the chamber as well, with the output at the bottom. You just dump a bunch of lime into the chamber, and it settles out in the bottom. When the timer kicks on the MJ, it also starts a dosing pump (aqualifter 3gph) which pulls from the top of the reactor chamber, through the lid. I want to say the whole thing, including the pumps and timer cost me about $100. I just open it up once a month or two, and make sure there is enough lime in there to supersaturate the mixture. Only other thing to do is keep the reservoir full, and it will hold about 8 gallons of water.
I dose for 1 30 minute cycle early in the morning, about 9 hours after the lights go out, and 6 hours before they come on. It adds about 1 gallon of kalkwasser to my system, which is currently around 200 gallons (give or take). So adding about a gallon of the stuff for that long doesn't cause any significant shift to the system. It will bump my pH about .10 over the course of that time, but I suffer greater swings between the light/dark cycles of the tank, so I don't worry about that much at all.
Basically, it's a reservoir (the black trash can), which is drilled on the bottom, and plumbed down to the reactor chamber. I currently have this running on a timer, but may eventually switch to an ATO. There is a Maxijet 1200 circulation pump plumbed to the chamber as well, with the output at the bottom. You just dump a bunch of lime into the chamber, and it settles out in the bottom. When the timer kicks on the MJ, it also starts a dosing pump (aqualifter 3gph) which pulls from the top of the reactor chamber, through the lid. I want to say the whole thing, including the pumps and timer cost me about $100. I just open it up once a month or two, and make sure there is enough lime in there to supersaturate the mixture. Only other thing to do is keep the reservoir full, and it will hold about 8 gallons of water.
I dose for 1 30 minute cycle early in the morning, about 9 hours after the lights go out, and 6 hours before they come on. It adds about 1 gallon of kalkwasser to my system, which is currently around 200 gallons (give or take). So adding about a gallon of the stuff for that long doesn't cause any significant shift to the system. It will bump my pH about .10 over the course of that time, but I suffer greater swings between the light/dark cycles of the tank, so I don't worry about that much at all.
cloakerpoked
New member
Sorry, tried to figure out how to get it turned back the right way, but couldn't figure it out. Here's the link in case you hate turning your computer sideways
http://s364.photobucket.com/albums/oo85/cloakerpoked/Random pics/?action=view¤t=IMG_1509.jpg
http://s364.photobucket.com/albums/oo85/cloakerpoked/Random pics/?action=view¤t=IMG_1509.jpg
bigmatt1992
New member
miatawnt2b
i like your method best seem easyer as you tired to exsplain out your house briefly but for my size tank 75 wat would you say with my alklinty being 13
i like your method best seem easyer as you tired to exsplain out your house briefly but for my size tank 75 wat would you say with my alklinty being 13
miatawnt2b
New member
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
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
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