Residual Carbon available by dosing vinegar with kalkwasser

[cnmcalpi]

I have wondered if there is any available carbon by dosing kalk+vinegar in my ATO and haven't found a good explanation until now.

It looks like the stoichiometric ratio of vinegar and kalk is pretty high and there will not be any residual carbon left over using the typical 15-45 ml/gal sat kalk recommendations.

If you need carbon for bacterial growth, it will need to be dosed independently unless you want to use ALOT of vinegar in your ATO reservoir.

See link below for details and analysis.

http://www.reefscapes.net/articles/breefcase/kalkwasser.html

 

[bozoreefer]

Vinegar added to kalk solution will allow more kalk to be saturated into a gallon of RODI. So I think 45 ml of vinegar will allow 3 tsp max to be saturated in a gallon of RODI instead of 2 tsp max per gallon

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[cnmcalpi]

Yes, My question and alot of others has been if the vinegar at those amounts will allow for residual carbon to be available to the water column, driving bacterial growth and Nitrate drive off via conversion to N2 gas.

I am posting to show the answer to that is no, that if you use vinegar to increase kalk solubility and want a carbon source that you must independently dose vinegar/vodka etc.

 

[cnmcalpi]

Also, I didnt think about this because its not my situation but it might be for others.

If you do want to increase solubility to 3 tsp and do not want to carbon dose then you are fine as there will be no available carbon dosed to the tank as it is uptaken by the reaction between the kalk and the vinegar.

 

[bertoni]

Vinegar added to the tank via Kalkwasser will feed bacteria the same way it does with other dosing methods. It forms acetate, which must be broken down to produce carbon dioxide.

 

[pisanoal]

Vinegar added to the tank via Kalkwasser will feed bacteria the same way it does with other dosing methods. It forms acetate, which must be broken down to produce carbon dioxide.

+1. The part of the acetic acid that helps dissolve lime is the hydrogen ion. There is nothing that "neutralizes" the carbon. It is still present.

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[cnmcalpi]

After further reading, I stand corrected. Good to know one way or the other. Bertoni, can you delete this thread as it may be misleading to other hobbyists?

 

[Zatoichi]

Now that is good chemistry

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[cnmcalpi]

Its definitely good correspondence. Even though I was wrong, through discussion we worked out the solution. Go teamwork!