Quote:
Originally Posted by stephaniesquires  I think I may be confused about calcium... I thought Kalkwasser was the preferred method to raise calcium. I'm not sure where I got this idea now.. I know it raises PH, but I thought the Kalk. drip or added slowly didn't cause it to jump. Did I read the wrong article?? |
Preferred....might depend on who you talk to. This is my opinion. Starting out new in salt use a 2 part Ca additive. As your load grows and your demand for Ca also, look to add kalk to your top off water in the form of a Kalk reactor. As you load increases again you can move forward to a Ca reactor. As your load increases again you can employ your kalk reactor and Ca reactor at the same time or blow the budget and get a bigger Ca reactor. Thats the natural progression for adding Ca as I see it. Im sure others have there own opinion.
Slow dripping Kalk is the old time tested method of adding and or maintaining Ca.
The main idea behind the article you linked in your post was that of adding vinegar to your kalk mix. By doing this we make the kalk mix work to its fullest capacity. More efficient if you will.
3 paragraphs that are important are:
So, you've actually hit on one good reason WHY we want to add the Vinegar to the mixing container -- the Acetic Acid in the Vinegar provides the equivalent of enough CO2 to take the reaction all the way to the desired end products for which we drip Kalk -- that is, to produce free Calcium ions and free Bicarbonate ions in solution in our tanks.
By using enough Vinegar, we can mix to our heart's content right in the container, and don't need to worry as much about dripping the solution slowly into the tank. We have already driven the reaction all the way to the desired outcome, and provided ample CO2 to produce a balance of free Calcium ions and free Bicarbonate ions. This, incidentally, is why Kalk is said to be "ionically balanced" - it produces a one-to-one balance between Calcium and Alkalinity. (This is why we dose 2 part additives to keep our systems balanced) My words.
Don't go whole-hog on the Vinegar from the start until you are sure your tank needs it and will take it without experiencing radical changes in pH, Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium, and the health of your critters and your Nitrifying bacteria. Measure ph, Alk, Calcium, Magnesium, and Nitrates with Salifert kits as you work up to more Vinegar.
Observe your livestock, especially if you have any really delicate corals or fish, to see that they behave normally as you use more Vinegar
May I suggest the Water Chemistry course by MACO?
I will be there learning too!
Good questions. Good links. Thanks!