dripping lime water?

[dzhuo]

i have recently dripping lime water. i prepare it with distilled water and mix it (1tsp per gallon) with the following pickling lime:

http://mrswages.stores.yahoo.net/mrswagpiclim.html

the solution is somewhat milky. is this normal? has any one else try this before?

thanks!

 

[strictlySPS]

yes thats normal...most people wait a while before adding it in so their is clear stuff on top and white on bottom....The thing to look out for when adding kalk is your ph swing...

 

[dzhuo]

i waited for 24 hours (prepare them overnight and start dripping this morning) before adding them. it drips approx. 1 drip per 4 seconds. i guess i am just a little worry that it will make my tank milky as well. good to know. as far as i know, this will keep the cal and alk more stable correct? and this stuff is basically the same as the more expensive kalkwasser right?

 

[wsun083]

what are you using to drip?

 

[Elite]

I dump 1/2 gallon into the tank at once ... I haven't have any problem with that yet.

 

[juaninsac]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10017454#post10017454 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dzhuo
i waited for 24 hours (prepare them overnight and start dripping this morning) before adding them. it drips approx. 1 drip per 4 seconds. i guess i am just a little worry that it will make my tank milky as well. good to know. as far as i know, this will keep the cal and alk more stable correct? and this stuff is basically the same as the more expensive kalkwasser right?

Yes and yes. Ideally you should drip it in during the "nighttime" of your tank. At night the corals respire, pH drops, and adding limewater (pH=12) counteracts this effect. It will stabilize your pH.

 

[ViPeR_930]

lol Phong that's walkin' the line! If you've got a pH meter handy test the tank water after doing that next time. Just a little bit of limewater can raise the pH a lot.

I have my limewater containter hooked up to my float switch in the sump and the pH controller on my ACJR to keep the pH stable in the tank.

 

[nashorn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10017660#post10017660 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ViPeR_930
lol Phong that's walkin' the line! If you've got a pH meter handy test the tank water after doing that next time. Just a little bit of limewater can raise the pH a lot.

I have my limewater containter hooked up to my float switch in the sump and the pH controller on my ACJR to keep the pH stable in the tank.

Hi Viper
Note in your picture you have a "Grafted Simplex2" What is that?

 

[dzhuo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10017560#post10017560 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wsun083
what are you using to drip?

i have a DIY dripper. it's a gallon bottle, i made 2 holes in the cap and then insert 2 airlines: one almost always down to the bottom while the other one is very short. when everything is seal tight, the air pressure will force the water to drip out the longer tube. i then use a air value controller to control the drip rate. the whole set up take 10 minutes to build and cost $5

works really well for auto top off and water level is always constant. i can take picture if you want it's so simple but it works well in my 10g nano.

 

[dzhuo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10017645#post10017645 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by juaninsac
Yes and yes. Ideally you should drip it in during the "nighttime" of your tank. At night the corals respire, pH drops, and adding limewater (pH=12) counteracts this effect. It will stabilize your pH.

yes i was told it's better to drip at night to offset the pH but it's more work what i am planning to do is to instead of mix 1tsp per gallon, i will mix maybe 1/2tsp. what do you think?

 

[Elite]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10017660#post10017660 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ViPeR_930
lol Phong that's walkin' the line! If you've got a pH meter handy test the tank water after doing that next time. Just a little bit of limewater can raise the pH a lot.

I have my limewater containter hooked up to my float switch in the sump and the pH controller on my ACJR to keep the pH stable in the tank.

I have the ACjr controller. Yeah the pH jump but so far it's ok. Nothing die because of that yet.

 

[flyingphish]

dz...i would drip 24/7. buy a digital ph monitor so you can watch what your tank is doing...they are not too expensive.

youll need to top off no matter what so may as well do it with kalk. it will keep your Ca and Alk super stable. you just need to make sure the ph doesnt get too high during the day when dripping, hence the digital ph monitor...youll have to shut the drip down manually if ph gets too high. thats where the neptune aquacontroller comes in, itll shut it down automatically when ph reaches a certain value.

and test for Ca and Alk...the drip will keep your parameters 420 Ca and 3.5 meq Alk but only for a certain coral load. the more or bigger your corals are the more demand for Ca and Alk.

thats where the "randy's two part solution" comes in, that combined with your kalk drip will maintain your parameters after your corals start growing...using randy two part is analogous with using the picking lime...just the raw product.

have fun!

 

[flyingphish]

i think elite is pullin' your chain...

 

[juaninsac]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10017704#post10017704 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dzhuo
yes i was told it's better to drip at night to offset the pH but it's more work what i am planning to do is to instead of mix 1tsp per gallon, i will mix maybe 1/2tsp. what do you think?

More work? Welcome to reef keeping man! It just means you do it before you go to bed rather than in the morning. I tend to think it's not all that critical, but every little bit of stability you can add to your system will help.

 

[ViPeR_930]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10017704#post10017704 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dzhuo
what i am planning to do is to instead of mix 1tsp per gallon, i will mix maybe 1/2tsp. what do you think?

It would really depend on your cal/alk usage for your tank.

nashorn, it's the Tyree LE grafted simplex, but since I have two pics of it I just named that one 2. And just before anybody asks, no I do not have frags available.

 

[sfsuphysics]

the kalk will most likely precipitate once it hits water too, so don't worry too much if you see it, however if your water becomes too cloudy I would cut back.

I need to start dripping myself again, kalk makes a nice phosphate removing tool, just your alk will climb faster than your calcium.

 

[GreshamH]

I have my Kalk reactor hooked up to a float switch. I dose continually. I make for more evep by placing fans over my sump and tanks and still can not get enoughe evap to put enough Kalk to keep either Alk. or Calc. in line. I have to dose Two Part every day. I loose 1.5 DKH and 50 ppm Calcium daily with only dosing Kalk.

 

[Mr. Ugly]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10018201#post10018201 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ViPeR_930
And just before anybody asks, no I do not have frags available.

Hey Justin,

When will frags be available? j/k

 

[Elite]

hehehe Mr. Ugly... Ain't you have enough frags?? I was going to get you if you have any frags for me ..

 

[stubbsz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10018946#post10018946 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GreshamH
I have my Kalk reactor hooked up to a float switch. I dose continually. I make for more evep by placing fans over my sump and tanks and still can not get enoughe evap to put enough Kalk to keep either Alk. or Calc. in line. I have to dose Two Part every day. I loose 1.5 DKH and 50 ppm Calcium daily with only dosing Kalk.

Ditto. Fans, Top-off all going through Tunze Kalk dispenser and I still dose a fair amount of home made 2 part solution. I also have a calcium reactor but it's going up for sale soon, It takes up room and just doesn't seem worth the hassle anymore.