Kalk mixed with Magnesium

chaderic26

New member
I saw a product online that claimed to be a kalk supplement with the mag already added in. Is it possible to do this with my pickling lime at home in the correct ratio.
 
I believe the kalk will precipitate most of the magnesium if you mix them together.
 
I agree with Tom. If you add a mag. supplement to kalk water, it will most likely cause precipitation problems (calcium and magnesium carbonate).

Perhaps this product of yours uses a quicklime or hydrated lime that is naturally high in magnesium. Personally, I would use regular kalk and supplement the magnesium separately, using the proper mixture of Magnesium chloride and magnesium sulfate and add this mixture to your salt mix water changes each time. Seldom do need to supplement mag. between water changes when you do it this way.
 
I don't think they are saying that they add additional magnesium, although I could be wrong. They simply looked at the ingredients of whatever lime they obtained, saw that it contained trace amounts of magnesium, and slapped it on the label.

Sort of like how impurities in salt mixes are referred to as "Essential trace elements"
 
FWIW, I have been using this for a month or 2. I didn't buy it for that reason. And I haven't noticed an increase in my Mag levels due to the use of it.
 
I'm pretty sure its not supposed to raise mag just maintain it in the correct ratios as natural sea water. Similar to the way the mag in a diy two part solution would.
 
It won't add much, if any, magnesium to the water column. The high pH of the kalk will cause the magnesium to precipitate as magnesium hydroxide. So the magnesium doesn't get dosed, but could suck up some alkalinity.
 
It can only dissolve if it gets into the tank, which it isn't going to do when it sinks to the bottom. Some tiny amount of magnesium might make it, but I doubt it.
 
Normal lime has magnesium hydroxide in it. Its nothing different then the stuff you buy from bulkreefsupply or mississippi lime. They just chose to include "contains magnesium" for marketing purposes. I think its misleading.
 
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