Kalk with magnesium stearate for dosing.

[nanomania]

As commercial kalk (calcium hydroxide) clumps, can we mix magnesium stearate with it? Will it be harmful? Brightwell has a kalk +mag supplement. How to diy it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If any dissolved to begin with (magnesium stearate is quite insoluble in water), it would precipitate as magnesium hydroxide.

The Brightwell product is useless in terms of magnesium. It is one of several Brightwell products that may have been designed by a "Marine Scientist", but should have been checked by a competent chemist.

Not only is magnesium very insoluble in limewater/kalkwasser, but the Brightwell products claims very, very little to begin with. It actually had less (by their own claim) than my bulk food grade calcium oxide I used to make limewater, and far less than would be consumed with that amount of calcium and alkalinity. It's like they saw an impurity (magnesium) and tried to make a marketing gimmick of it.

I discuss the solubility of magnesium in this article:

Aquarium Chemistry: Magnesium And Strontium In Limewater ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/12/chemistry

 

[nanomania]

If any dissolved to begin with (magnesium stearate is quite insoluble in water), it would precipitate as magnesium hydroxide.

The Brightwell product is useless in terms of magnesium. It is one of several Brightwell products that may have been designed by a "Marine Scientist", but should have been checked by a competent chemist.

Not only is magnesium very insoluble in limewater/kalkwasser, but the Brightwell products claims very, very little to begin with. It actually had less (by their own claim) than my bulk food grade calcium oxide I used to make limewater, and far less than would be consumed with that amount of calcium and alkalinity. It's like they saw an impurity (magnesium) and tried to make a marketing gimmick of it.

I discuss the solubility of magnesium in this article:

Aquarium Chemistry: Magnesium And Strontium In Limewater ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/12/chemistry

Thank you. So any idea of what should i do to keep kalk from clumping, as no matter how hard I try, it becomes stone type and i have to throw all away. So i got continuum kalk, it stays powdered. Any idea of what they use to keep it from clumping?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thank you. So any idea of what should i do to keep kalk from clumping, as no matter how hard I try, it becomes stone type and i have to throw all away. So i got continuum kalk, it stays powdered. Any idea of what they use to keep it from clumping?

How are you mixing it? I never had a problem with it clumping too much.

 

[nanomania]

How are you mixing it? I never had a problem with it clumping too much.

Not mixing, but storing. If i store it for long, kalk powder clumps and become a stone. Im talking about lab grade pure kalk

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Not mixing, but storing. If i store it for long, kalk powder clumps and become a stone. Im talking about lab grade pure kalk

Ah, yes, that will happen if CO2 and water can enter it. Sealed from air entry is the key. Otherwise, calcium carbonate forms.