Ball brand Picking Lime?

SugarFox03

SugarFox03

Animal Behaviorist
So, after lots of searching I finally scored some pickling lime. BUT it's not Mrs Wages, its Ball 100% Natural Picking Lime. Is this the same? Is it ok to use? I bought 6 lbs of it, I hope its the right stuff! If not, I guess I have to learn how to make pickles...

If I can use it, how much do I use, and can I just mix it in my gal jugs for top off water?

Or can anyone link me to a place that gives this info?

Thanks!

PS. For anyone who may need to know...I bought this at the Publix in Riverbridge, on the corner of Forest Hill & Jog Rd. I left 2 cans :)
 
Thanks everyone!

I read (and reread) that article about the lime. And it doesnt give a set amount on which to dose. I need to raise my pH. It drops pretty low at night (and this is with a light on sump!) and doesn't get aboce 8.0 during the day. I'm using a gallon dripper I made from a sun tea jar and an IV dripper. If I mixed up a gallon of RO water with a teaspoon of lime, would this be ok to drip over 2 days? I go through about 1/2 gal a day in top off.

Thanks again :)
 
It wasn't very scientific of me but when I was dripping my pickling lime mixture I would stir in enough pickling lime till it wouldn't dissolve anymore and left a little solid on the bottom of the container. I would let it settle out and once it was clear I would drip it at night till it was gone.
I think you will be fine doing it like you are.

How much of a swing in PH are you getting overnight? What is changing other than the lights going off? What kind of macro algae and how much do you have in your sump?
 
I have lots of chaeto in the sump, and its still the same swing with or without the light. It drops down to around 7.6 at night and never goes above 8.0 during the day. I think this may be why I cannot keep sps. I thought it was my 20k ebay bulb. But even after switching to a 12.5k Giesemann, I still cannot keep them. Although they arent dying as fast now, they are still bleaching. Everything else is within normal limits.
 
yikes, thats way too low. are you running a calcium reactor?

if your not, id suspect your alk is extremely low!

even with a calc reactor, going that low isnt normal, unless your co2/reactor isnt dialed in right.

another thing is you mgiht have an extreme build up of co2 in your house. you can see if this is the case by taking a sample outside and aerating it for a while, then testing that water. if this is the case, you could try running your protein skimmer air intake outside your house and it will help alot.

anyhow, hope you get it worked out.
Jaymie
 
No calcium reactor and my protein skimmer is the Tunze Nano DOC 9002. I have the Remora also I can put back on if needed.

Is there anything else I can/should do?

My house is just a studio apartment. Anything I can do to correct things? Man, I'm worried now!!
 
Ok, so my pH did not get above 7.8 today, and has been decreasing since the MH went out at 6:00. It's now down to 7.68 - what can I do? I have the kalk dripping into the tank in my top off water. It doesn't seem to be helping. I even added an air powered bubbler in the sump, but that doesnt seem to be helping either. Is there anything that can be done?
 
I'm by no means an expert but it seems to me that there could be more to this than meets the eye.

Sounds to me like your water isn't appropriately buffered.

What salt do you use?
Do you add anything to it?
What are your current water parameters?
 
I use Reef Crystals salt, I add nothing. Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphates all zero. My foster pup chewed up my alk test stuff (not the reagents, luckily) so I can't test that but I am sure its off. I ordered a new kit yesterday, I should have it by the middle of next week. Calcium is around 480.

When mixing water I leave it for a minimum 24 hrs with a MJ 1200 (works to mix it up and get it to the right temp!) Should I put a bubbler in there also?

Would it be worth it to do some water changes using sea water?

And I agree coralfragger, I know there's something else going on. But its only been the past week that its been so low. It's getting progressively worse. It used to be between 8.1-8.2 during the day, and no less then 7.9-8.0 at night.

I just started dripping kalk today, I'm hoping that will help. I mixed up 1.5 tsp in a gallon of distilled water.
 
LOL - it's the Alk test you need. I suspect it is low.

IMO it is wise to aerate your water prior to use but I don't believe that is the root of the problem.

IMO IO salt (even the reef crystals) doesn't rank too high.

Would water changes with NSW help? possibly.

If I were in your shoes I would get my hands on a reliable test kit for Alk ASAP. In the meantime, it wouldn't hurt to add some buffer to your tank.
 
Funny coralfragger mentioned he wouldn't use IO. I would use IO before I used RC. This is because I know a guy who runs an amazing deep water acro (purple monster, lokani, etc) tank using tap water and IO salt (he uses well water in Tallahassee for tap). He's never had a tank crash or nutrient problems, and he just has a calcium reactor to make up for the lack of alk/calcium in the IO. But as a salt it's fine.

Why don't they just make a simple salt that has some magflake, calcium, and alkalinity buffers already in it?

If you get some SW from Barrier Reef in Boca, their calcium is 380 and alk is around 6.5-7. It's NSW as well, just very well filtered (no nitrate, ammonia, po4, etc).
 
I did preface my statement with IMO. Opinions on most any topic will differ.

Maybe I should have added that "anyone" should use whatever salt works for them.

If you are comfortable with adding magflake, calcium and buffers to the salt you currently use then great - it works for you. If your corals are thriving then great - it works for you.

"Why don't they just make a simple salt that has some magflake, calcium, and alkalinity buffers already in it?" - they do. It's called Aquacraft Marine Environment.
 
Well the buffer brought my pH from 7.58 to 7.75 over the course of an hour or so. It's now at 7.8.

I was thinking about trying Tropic Marin brand salt. I've never heard of the Aquacraft Marine Environment salt.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10248693#post10248693 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SugarFox03
Ok, so my pH did not get above 7.8 today, and has been decreasing since the MH went out at 6:00. It's now down to 7.68 - what can I do? I have the kalk dripping into the tank in my top off water. It doesn't seem to be helping. I even added an air powered bubbler in the sump, but that doesnt seem to be helping either. Is there anything that can be done?
Click to expand...
\

Hello, Could you check for me what is the ph coming out of your Tunze calcium dispenser when it is working, it should be between 10-12.
What is your Alkalinity now? if it is < 8 which I am almost sure it will be, get an arm & hammer baking soda container place the content in a clean baking sheet, bake 300° 1 hour, mix with 1.5qt of clean ro/di water, mix wil mix milky and eventually clear, dose this slurry in 1/2 cup per day over a period of a few days. Re-check your alkalinity and adjust with mixture until you get it stable at around 10.
Let me know if you have any questions

Rogger
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10262533#post10262533 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rogger Castells
\

Hello, Could you check for me what is the ph coming out of your Tunze calcium dispenser when it is working, it should be between 10-12.
What is your Alkalinity now? if it is < 8 which I am almost sure it will be, get an arm & hammer baking soda container place the content in a clean baking sheet, bake 300° 1 hour, mix with 1.5qt of clean ro/di water, mix wil mix milky and eventually clear, dose this slurry in 1/2 cup per day over a period of a few days. Re-check your alkalinity and adjust with mixture until you get it stable at around 10.
Let me know if you have any questions

Rogger
Click to expand...

Rogger to the rescue!
 
"bake 300° 1 hour, mix with 1.5qt of clean ro/di water, mix wil mix milky and eventually clear, dose this slurry in 1/2 cup per day over a period "

Rogger, is she is talking about her 26g bowfront, that will shoot her ph off the scales .... 90ml's of baked backing soda will raise my ph around .40... and i have around 80g total volume.. I pretty much agree with what you said .... just watch how you dose it fox... be very careful
 
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