Dripping Kalk / in salt water

[CoMMaNdeR]

If you have low salanity, to raise it slowly, can I mix Kalk with Salt water instead of fresh RO/DI Water ?

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Nope, the limewater will react with the saltwater and cause the calcium to precipitate out. Your best bet is to top off with saltwater as it evaporates.

 

[rjwilson37]

Just mix your Kalk with RO/DI water, no salt and then drip it at night after the lights are out. This is a great way to replenish evaporated water, but never replace evaporated water with a salt mix water, or you will get salt creep.

When your water evaporates, it leaves the salt behind which over time can raise your salinity, which we don't like, which is why we top off with just water and no salt mix with it.

 

[Pandora]

But the poster is not asking about just topping off an already normal tank, he has a problem with low salinity. Evaporation takes with it mostly pure H2O, but will also take small amounts of salt with it. This is why my top off water has a very, very small amount of salt (in addition to kalk), as suggested by the Reef Aquarium Vol 1.

Commander, if you are trying to raise salinity slowly, don't add kalk to the solution. And don't forget to measure with an accurate refractometer (or accurate hydrometer, many of the swing arms are not), so that you don't go overboard the other way.

 

[aquaman67]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6602857#post6602857 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rjwilson37
but never replace evaporated water with a salt mix water, or you will get salt creep.

HUH????????

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6602857#post6602857 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rjwilson37
When your water evaporates, it leaves the salt behind which over time can raise your salinity, which we don't like

Except this is exactly what he wants to do, raise his salinity.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6602790#post6602790 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Travis L. Stevens
Your best bet is to top off with saltwater as it evaporates.

Yep.

 

[rjwilson37]

Oooops.. sorry. I would just raise it by a half step every day for how long it takes to get it where you want it, which will be hardly noticeable to the tanks inhabitants. I would not mix kalk with any saltwater though, kalk is made to be mixed with plain water and I would not mix a salinity mix to adjust salinity with dripping kalk.