pickling lime?
- Thread starter ghostrida3
- Start date
ramullinax
In Memoriam
You can most certainly overdose with limewater. Limewater is very basic with a PH over 12. If you had too much at a time you'll drive your ph way up and can kill the tank. I've been adding 1 tsp per gallon of makeup water to my auto top-off. I'm upping the dosage to two tsp per gallon of make-up water now.
I use Mrs. Wages. It is theoritically impossible for any CaOH mixture to have disolved phosphate. CaOH causes it to precipitate. If you read PO4, then you had it in the water you used to make the kalk up and it precipitated and you didn't wait long enough for it to settle (test kits WILL pick up solid Phosphates too).
Actually, Mrs. Wages is most likely a better grade than you may find in a pet store since Pickling Lime has to meet food standards and the pet store products only have to meet their own set of standards (could be better or worse if the manufacturer so chooses).
I am in GA and I found Mrs. Wages at Harvees grocery. Any old fashioned grocer or farmers market will most likely carry it. Not sure if you have a Harvees around you in GA.
Actually, Mrs. Wages is most likely a better grade than you may find in a pet store since Pickling Lime has to meet food standards and the pet store products only have to meet their own set of standards (could be better or worse if the manufacturer so chooses).
I am in GA and I found Mrs. Wages at Harvees grocery. Any old fashioned grocer or farmers market will most likely carry it. Not sure if you have a Harvees around you in GA.
Just dont add as much Kalk to your water to begin with. Aeration is a waste of money since you are effectively doing the same thing only adding less means you keep more to use later while aeration takes the excess and makes CaCO3 out of it to precipitate at the bottom of your container and eventually get thrown out.
Billybeau1
Premium Member
I'll have to disagree with you again, Jimmy.
Mrs Wages, although food grade, does contain impurities. You see it in the bottom of the container after the lime settles. These impurities are not a concern as long as they are not allowed to enter the tank. So one should not mix the container once it has settled.
A product like Seachems Reef Kalkwasser contains no impurities. I never have any settling in the bottom of the container. Pure calcium hydroxide.
Billybeau1
Premium Member
Well it's not recommended, but I do it. I just make sure I don't affect a rise in pH of more than .2 units when I dump it in. 1 tsp in a gallon of ro/di does it for my 72 gal.
garyw68
New member
Hey billybeau....do you use straight limewater for top-off? I just made my first batch of limewater. Found the pickling lime at Wal-Mart for a little over two bucks. I put five tsp in a five gallon jug with ro/di. I was thinking of putting a cup a day with my top-off water and check my params...then adjust accordingly.
Billybeau1
Premium Member
gary, yes, I mix my limewater at 1 tsp per gallon and dose topoff about a gallon per day. I never allow ph to raise more than .2 during the topoff.
I usually dump half the gallon in and the other half in about 15 min.
Works fine for me.
With a tank your size, you can likely dose more than that at one time. It helps if you have a pH monitor so you can watch how high the level goes up.
I usually dump half the gallon in and the other half in about 15 min.
Works fine for me.
With a tank your size, you can likely dose more than that at one time. It helps if you have a pH monitor so you can watch how high the level goes up.
Last edited:
mikecc
New member
from http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php#10
One mechanism for phosphate reduction in reef aquaria may simply be the precipitation of calcium phosphate, Ca3(PO4)2. The water in many reef aquaria is supersaturated with respect to this material, as its equilibrium saturation concentration in normal seawater is only 0.002 ppm phosphate. As with CaCO3, the precipitation of Ca3(PO4)2 in seawater may be limited more by kinetic factors than by equilibrium factors, so it is impossible to say how much will precipitate under reef aquarium conditions (without, of course, somehow determining it experimentally). This precipitation may be especially likely where calcium and high pH additives (such as limewater) enter the aquarium water. The locally high pH converts much of the HPO4-- to PO4---. Combined with the locally high calcium level (also from the limewater), the locally high PO4--- level may push the supersaturation of Ca3(PO4)2 to unstable levels, causing precipitation. If these calcium phosphate crystals are formed in the water column (e.g., if they form at the local area where limewater hits the aquarium water), then they may become coated with organics and be skimmed out of the aquarium.
Billybeau1
Premium Member
It just doesn't.
I have a 72 gallon with sump. At 1 tsp per gallon, my pH raises just under .2 after the addition.
Again, I dose 1/2 first and the rest about 15 min later. Doesn't seem to bother my fish at all and no cloudiness.
I have a 72 gallon with sump. At 1 tsp per gallon, my pH raises just under .2 after the addition.
Again, I dose 1/2 first and the rest about 15 min later. Doesn't seem to bother my fish at all and no cloudiness.
Billybeau1
Premium Member
No problem gary :thumbsup:
garyw68
New member
ok...i just added my first dose of limewater. I checked the params before which was ph-8.2, calc 425 was and alk - 9.7. I poured in 1/2 gallon...waited for 20 minutes then added the other half. Readings were ph - 8.3, calc 430 and alk - 10. all test were done with salifert test kits. I think i will stick with this method vise the baking soda and dowflakes and see how it goes.
Billybeau1
Premium Member
Looks good. :thumbsup:
