calcium?
- Thread starter badhand2222
- Start date
Lime is the same as kalkwasser(the german name is used more often). When lime mixes with water it becomes Calcium Hydroxide.Calcium Hydroxide is a balnced calcium and bicarbonate supplement
A good way to add limewater is to mix it with top off water at a rate of 2tsps per gallon. The water won't hold anymore than that and excess will precipitate out.
When adding limewater you can only dose a limited amount in a period of time or it can spike your ph and create problems. Limewater has a ph of about 12.5. For a 75 gallon reef , I would guess top off is about 3/4 galons per day. Maximum amount of limewater in any one hour period would be 1 quart of 2 tsps per gallon mix.
If you pour it in this means you will probably need to dose 3x per day to cover all of your top off.
Limewater is self purifying. Most all of any impurities in it (metals,etc) will precipitate out and fall like snow to the bottom of the mixing container forming a white sludge. This requires you to mix it and let it sit for an hour or two before using it. It will be good for several days. This sludge should not be put in your tank,only the clear limewater.
Since it raises ph, it is best dosed at night an hour or two after lights out. This is when the ph in your aquarium naturally falls because the photosynthetic organisms in it stop producing oxygen and start producing carbon dioxide. The lime water uses the carbon dioxide and can help stabilize ph.
As an alternative to pouring it in you can drip in all of your doses over a 4 to 5 hour(or longer) period at night.
I use a 5 gallon buckett with a piece of rigid airline tubing glued ito the side about 2inches from the bottom. Regular flexible airline tube is attached to the rigin tube and the hose runs to my sump. At the tip there is an airline valve which I use to set the drip rate. I dose approximately 4 gallons of top off at 2 tsps per gallon( for my 400gallons) each nite over a five hour period.Ther are other ways to do this including kalk reactors and dosing pumps.
A good way to add limewater is to mix it with top off water at a rate of 2tsps per gallon. The water won't hold anymore than that and excess will precipitate out.
When adding limewater you can only dose a limited amount in a period of time or it can spike your ph and create problems. Limewater has a ph of about 12.5. For a 75 gallon reef , I would guess top off is about 3/4 galons per day. Maximum amount of limewater in any one hour period would be 1 quart of 2 tsps per gallon mix.
If you pour it in this means you will probably need to dose 3x per day to cover all of your top off.
Limewater is self purifying. Most all of any impurities in it (metals,etc) will precipitate out and fall like snow to the bottom of the mixing container forming a white sludge. This requires you to mix it and let it sit for an hour or two before using it. It will be good for several days. This sludge should not be put in your tank,only the clear limewater.
Since it raises ph, it is best dosed at night an hour or two after lights out. This is when the ph in your aquarium naturally falls because the photosynthetic organisms in it stop producing oxygen and start producing carbon dioxide. The lime water uses the carbon dioxide and can help stabilize ph.
As an alternative to pouring it in you can drip in all of your doses over a 4 to 5 hour(or longer) period at night.
I use a 5 gallon buckett with a piece of rigid airline tubing glued ito the side about 2inches from the bottom. Regular flexible airline tube is attached to the rigin tube and the hose runs to my sump. At the tip there is an airline valve which I use to set the drip rate. I dose approximately 4 gallons of top off at 2 tsps per gallon( for my 400gallons) each nite over a five hour period.Ther are other ways to do this including kalk reactors and dosing pumps.
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