Mrs Wages Pickling lime

[an411]

Does this leave the same sediment as kalk on the bottom of buckets? The issue I have been having is when the water level in my ato bucket gets to low it starts to suck the water that is near the bottom and clouds the tank a bit. I know what you guys are going to say that I should just fill it back up sooner but I cant always be there when this happens.

 

[96p993]

How much pickling lime to water are you mixing?

 

[DidYouSayReefer]

The pump, or tubing in the bucket should be kept of the bottom by at least two inches. This will keep this from happening.

 

[Anemonebuff]

Mrs Wages will do the same. two inches like said above.

 

[an411]

alright thanks Guys ya that is what I been trying to do I think that I am going to have to shorten the hose a little I was just seeing if the pickling lime didn't leave the sediment.

 

[herostar]

how much pickling lime/gallon of topoff water should be mixed?

 

[ludnix]

I made a little egg crate stand by using zip ties to keep my pump up off the bottom where it can suck in the settled powder.

 

[nanojg]

2 teaspoons/ gallon is fully saturated. Although all I use is 1/gallon

 

[amstar]

do you use this pickling lime in a reactor or just in a bucket that your ato feeds to the tank?

I have two 10 gallon storage containers that hold my ro/di top off water. it feeds the sump via a ato system. should I use a reactor with this type of set up or just dump in pickling lime to the storage containers?

 

[Anemonebuff]

I you plan on using it as a top up you will need to mix it seperately, then syphon off the clear water and dispose of the leftover pickling lime on the bottom or suspend the pump about 2" above the accumulated kalk that has settled on the bottom. If you have a reactor, it will only draw water from above the kalk stirrer.

 

[amstar]

so the idea situation would be the ato to run through a reactor then.

can you use pickling lime in a reactor??

 

[herostar]

With my kalk supplementation I mix it in a 5g jug, then a day or two later siphon out all but the bottom ~2" into my ato container. From there the ato pulls the solution at ~3" from the bottom as needed.

Will this work with the pickling lime as well?

 

[amstar]

that sounds like it would work.. interested in that idea as well. tagging along.

 

[THE ROOK]

amstar - yes, you can just add it to your current ato reservior. No reactor is needed. As mentioned, stir, let settle for a couple of hours & then pump from a few inches off the bottom via a stand. Keep container covered for best results.

No need to clean container everytime. Just add some more water & kalk. Only need to clean every month or two.

Oh & start off easy as it can spike your Alk if not added very slowly.

 

[Anemonebuff]

Yes it is very important to have a good cover. The exposure to air will drive down the pH. Pickling lime is kalwasser, Mrs Wages is food grade.

 

[ati70cutlass]

after i mix the lime i get some nasty looking stuff on the top. is this normal

 

[herostar]

I keep my topoff in a 13g trash bin with a swing type top that is in the closed position unless I'm refilling it or checking the level every couple days... is this too much air exposure?

 

[Prince916]

Are you suppose to use 2 teaspoon/ gallon in your total volume of water or how ever much water you have in the ato reservior?

 

[nanojg]

2 teaspoons/gallon in reservior. 2 teaspoons of lime is all that will disolve in 1 gallon of freshwater (unless you add vinegar)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

2 teaspoons of solid lime per gallon of fresh water will about saturate the limewater.

It is normal to get a skin of claicum carbonate on top. That is no concern, dosed to the tank or not. It is the bottom sediment that can be better to avoid dosing.


so the idea situation would be the ato to run through a reactor then.

IMO, ideal is limewater dosed from a settled reservoir, not from a reactor. I use an ATO drawing water from a large limewater reservoir. You get much better control of the potency in a reservoir, you can easily use vinegar in it to boost potency if you want to go that route, and can allow undesirable impurities to settle out without being dosed.