Muriatic acid reactor ?

[david8956]

Just read somewhere else the idea of using a slow drip of muriatic acid in a recirculating calcium reactor instead of CO2 to dissolve the media. No rusty CO2 tank required, trips to get it filled, expensive regulators, no pressure fittings, all the extra tubing, no excess CO2 entering the tank, etc.....and it was reported to be much cheaper & more effective. No excess algal growth because the only thing exiting would be chlorine ions. Sounds almost too easy.

Could I hear your opinion on this ?

Thanks.

 

[Roland Jacques]

sounds like it might be a good idea where did you read this?

 

[bertoni]

Hmm, interesting. I would think that would be equivalent to dosing calcium chloride, but I'm probably wrong. I don't understand how any alkalinity is going to be added when you're dissolving the CaCO3 with a mineral acid.

 

[david8956]

yourfishman - PM sent with info you requested.
(Not trying to hide anything....this was proposed by another expert somewhere else, just didn't seem proper to post the link here)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

No, it isn't suitable, and Jonathan is correct. The muriatic acid destroys any alkalinity, and what you end up adding is just calcium chloride:

CaCO3 + 2 HCl ---> Ca++ + 2Cl- + CO2 (gas bubbles off)

 

[boxfishpooalot]

We have to remember that Co2 is a temporary dissolved gas, wich does not effect alkaintiy. It can be added to the tank, lower ph, but not effect the alkalinty. The ph rises when the Co2 escapes to the atmoshere. Where the muritic acid would effect alk as Randy said, because its an acid.

 

[david8956]

Thanks everyone.....I knew that just sounded too easy to be true.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy reefing.