kalk and vinegar

salty joe · Oct 31, 2017

Am I correct to assume that when using vinegar to boost kalkwasser concentration, you will no longer get a Ph boost for the display tank?

Could HCL also be used to increase kalk concentration?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 31, 2017

No mineral acid (HCl, sulfuric, etc) can be used. Thy permanently eliminate the alkalinity, and in the case of HCl, just converts it into a calcium chloride solution.

The effect on pH is complicated. If the solution is still saturated with calcium hydroxide (say, 45 mL vinegar and 3 tsp per gallon) the immediate pH boost is still substantial, but the acetate that enters the tank gets metabolized to CO2 and that may lower pH in the subsequent hours.