Adding Vinegar to Kalkwasser

[GoPitt88]

I've dosed my ATO with 2 teaspoons of Kalkwasser per gallon, but my alkalinity still drops over 0.5 dKH per day. I have a 55 gallon mixed reef with 4 SPS, 4 LPS, and a mix of 7 softies and leathers. I've heard of mixing in vinegar to get an extra teaspoon of kalkwasser per gallon, but I'm reluctant to. Is there any danger to doing this? What are the benefits and what are the dangers? Thanks

 

[Ty Hamatake]

The benefit is that you can "oversaturate" your limewater, increasing its potency.

The danger is that now you're technically dosing a carbon source (the vinegar), a method people use to reduce NO3 I believe.

Are you currently struggling to keep your nutrients up or down? The vinegar could potential replace whatever media you might be running to keep them down. If they are already low, you might end up starving your system. This sounds like a question for @Randy Holmes-Farley, though.

 

[GoPitt88]

The benefit is that you can "oversaturate" your limewater, increasing its potency.

The danger is that now you're technically dosing a carbon source (the vinegar), a method people use to reduce NO3 I believe.

Are you currently struggling to keep your nutrients up or down? The vinegar could potential replace whatever media you might be running to keep them down. If they are already low, you might end up starving your system. This sounds like a question for @Randy Holmes-Farley, though.

My nitrates are around 3 to 5 ppm (hard to tell exactly from color test), and my phosphates are 0 (using GFO and Hanna checker). I have to scrape my glass every 2 to 3 days, so I do have some nutrients. Should I stop using GFO?

 

[GoPitt88]

OR.....since everything looks healthy, should I worry about it? I mean, if my dKH ends up at 6.0 and things look good, should I just go with that? My magnesium is high by the way (1500+).

 

[GoPitt88]

Here's a picture of my tank.

 

[Holy_makerel]

I add 60ml of vinegar to a gal of kalk. I keep my kalk concentration at 2tsp per gal. Use it as a carbon source and to help keep the kalk in solution better.

60gal cube with 10gal sump. I add 600ml/day of kalk which is roughly 9.1ml of vinegar dosed a day

 

[GoPitt88]

I add 60ml of vinegar to a gal of kalk. I keep my kalk concentration at 2tsp per gal. Use it as a carbon source and to help keep the kalk in solution better.

60gal cube with 10gal sump. I add 600ml/day of kalk which is roughly 9.1ml of vinegar dosed a day

Okay, thanks!

 

[Holy_makerel]

Okay, thanks!

Folks add more than that, i think i recall up to 150ml/gal but this has kept my nitrates down to about 5ppm so i don't mess with it

 

[Ty Hamatake]

If things are running smoothly and you aren't currently trying to fix something, I'd just leave it be. Have you thought about 2 part?

 

[GoPitt88]

If things are running smoothly and you aren't currently trying to fix something, I'd just leave it be. Have you thought about 2 part?

Well, to be honest, I was lax in testing for Alkalinity for over a year. Now that I have a descent number of corals (15), I thought I better check it. I bought the Red Sea Reef Foundation Pro test kit, and to my dismay, my alkalinity was below the low range of the test (under 5.3 dKH). I then bought the Hanna alkalinity checker, and it read 4.0 dKH.....YIKES!! My calcium was over 530, and my Magnesium was over 1500. Next, I bought the Bulk Reef Supply Kalkwasser Starter Package, and slowly started dosing Sodium Bicarbonate, raising my alkalinity approximately 1.1 dKH per day. Once I was up to 8.0 dKH or so, I checked my calcium and it was approximately 420. My magnesium was still high (1500). I then slowly started dosing my ATO water with Kalkwasser, and after getting to the point where I have 2 tsp per gallon, my alkalinity continues to drop. It's at 6.5 dKH right now. I'm going to watch it the rest of the week, just using my saturated Kalkwasser in my ATO, and see what happens. If saturated ATO doesn't do it, that's why I was thinking about dosing with vinegar, but to be honest, I'm afraid to.

 

[GoPitt88]

Ugh.....so I just checked my alkalinity, and it is 5.6 dKH. Was really hoping to avoid daily dosing

 

[OREGONIC]

Ugh.....so I just checked my alkalinity, and it is 5.6 dKH. Was really hoping to avoid daily dosing

I was not able to keep up using kalk in my ato, I switched to dosing 2 part with the BRS dosing pumps and BRS 2 part. Only issue i had was finding a timer that worked with the pumps. I eventually switched to running the dosing pumps on the apex once i got an apex. BRS dosing pumps are cheap and work well. Water is much alk and cal are much more stable then they were when using kalk.

 

[GoPitt88]

I was not able to keep up using kalk in my ato, I switched to dosing 2 part with the BRS dosing pumps and BRS 2 part. Only issue i had was finding a timer that worked with the pumps. I eventually switched to running the dosing pumps on the apex once i got an apex. BRS dosing pumps are cheap and work well. Water is much alk and cal are much more stable then they were when using kalk.

Thanks for the feedback

 

[wooglins]

I have been using vinegar and kalk for over 10 years. All I dose. Don't test tank stopped doing that about 8 years ago.

It is in my autotop off with water.

 

[YumaMan]

I mix about 1/8 cup white vinegar and 8 tsp of BRS Kalkwasser, 8 drops of magnesium, 8 drops of strontium, and 2 drops of iodine in 5 gallons of
RO water in my ATO. Additionally, I dose 2 ml of two part manually once a day. I do a 1% water change every day using a semiautomatic water change system. I feed small amounts of phytoplankton, rotifers, and oyster eggs every day. Everything from Montiporas to zoanthids are doing well, but especially all of my LPS. My thinking is, whatever you do, do it consistently. This approach works for me in my 33 gallon reef tank.

 

[YumaMan]

I forgot to mention that my ALK stays at about 8.5.

 

[GoPitt88]

Alkalinity was 5.5 dKH and calcium at 400. Hmmm

 

[Holy_makerel]

I also dose 2 part on top of kalk and i don't use it in my ATO. i dose a measured amount and 2 part. I feel like this is safer and more stable.

 

[ChuzUThisDay]

I have been using vinegar and kalk for over 10 years. All I dose. Don't test tank stopped doing that about 8 years ago.

It is in my autotop off with water.

I just started mixing kalk into my ATO (5 gallon bucket w/ lid for now). The problem I'm seeing is that i'm not getting a good mixture/solution because there's a ton of precipitate in the bottom of the bucket (1/4" or better). I stir it quite a bit while filling with RODI water and continue once it is filled as well.

Does the vinegar also help dissolve the kalk and minimize the precipitate?

 

[Holy_makerel]

I just started mixing kalk into my ATO (5 gallon bucket w/ lid for now). The problem I'm seeing is that i'm not getting a good mixture/solution because there's a ton of precipitate in the bottom of the bucket (1/4" or better). I stir it quite a bit while filling with RODI water and continue once it is filled as well.

Does the vinegar also help dissolve the kalk and minimize the precipitate?

Yes, the vinegar helps the kalk dissolve but you will still get sediment. CaOH doesn't dissolve too well on its own and there will be more sediment over time as CO2 gets onto the water and percipitates some Ca out of solution.

I've been doing this for about 6 or more months now and i haven't found that the precipitate does anything negative except it's unsightly. I also try to not get that slurry into the lines or tank(i dose it with a dosing pump)