Is pickling lime a bad idea?

[kv69]

Is pickling lime a bad idea? I have been using it for quite some time. It is not expensive and easy to find. If it is, what type of Kalc would you reccommend?


Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It is perfectly fine, if dosed in an appropriate manner (meaning slowly).

Limewater (kalkwasser) is the only calciuma nd alkalintiy supplement that I've used on my tank for the past 19 years.

Any food grade lime or quicklime is fine. For years I used bulk material from the Mississippi Lime Company (about $0.50 a pound). Mrs. Wages is also fine.

I currently use calcium hydroxide from BRS.

These have have more:

What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Chemistry And The Aquarium: Metals In Limewater ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

The Degradation of Limewater in Air - Reefkeeping.com

Aquarium Chemistry: Magnesium And Strontium In Limewater ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

Chemistry And The Aquarium: How To Select A Calcium And Alkalinity Supplementation Scheme ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

 

[kv69]

I have a 120 gallon system that uses close to 10 gallons of limewater a week. My Alkalinty keeps dropping. And I have recent white spots and bleaching on some sps. I like to try to stay around 9 dKH but it keeps dropping by .5 or so weekly.

I usually only add reef cabonate to get back to 9 dKH, but as I research, I see some people are also adding calcium as well.

I WC with ESV B ionic at 1.025 sg. 5 gallons every 4 or 5 days.

my calcium is steady at 430 and my mag is around 1390.


I currently use two level teaspoons per gallon of rodi water, the article says three, so I think I will try the three teaspoons before I try vinegar addition.

Does this seem to be the right course of action?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Only two teaspoons will dissolve without vinegar.

Adding some extra alkalinity is a fine plan. If your extra need is only 0.5 dKH per week, the calcium decline that matches that will only be a few ppm per week, so it isn't worth worrying about unless you notice a decline.

 

[kv69]

Okay, I see that now, thanks for the help.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

 

[Big Wave]

I mix up ten to twenty gallons of Mrs. Wages at a time in a Brute in the basement. An electromagnetic dosing pump pumps it upstairs to my reef as needed. My question is, should I clean out the old gunk between batches? I've just been adding more powder and RODI to whatever is left in there.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I rarely clean mine out. Leaving the solids sitting there is not a problem.