Who loves limewater?

[Cory]

Its been a few weeks or a month now since instarted using limewater. Gotta say it beats two part!

Its so easy. My corals are looking better and corraline is starting to grow a lot.

Higher ph maybe causing growth to bloom?

 

[Downbeach]

I'm a big advocate of using kalk, and used it to keep up with my Ca and alk demands between WC's for a number of years. Ultimately, I started to add more SPS, and the use of kalk by itself was no longer able to meet the increasing demand, so I added two part to my dosing regiment, while continuing the use of kalk.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Could be. I used only it for 20 years because it was so easy.

 

[mrtian97]

agreed, been using kalk as ATO water for 5 months. and so far so good. I ended up supplementing with 2 parts as my Ca and Alk level can't kept up with just the ATO, but definitely cheaper using kalk and 2 parts instead of just 2 parts. 120 gallon system mixed reef with about 9 small sps frags and a big monti plate

 

[cmcoker]

I love it cause it's easy, my wife loves it cause it's cheap [emoji38]

 

[Harry_Y]

I run a CA reactor plus dose Lime water (I just add it to my top off barrel).

I have some really good growth especially on my monti cap.

 

[buzzword]

Have a Kalk King and love it. Never had much luck with calcium reactor but completely steady pH and Alk with kalk. When I get to the point it isn't enough i'll start 2 part. Tanks getting full of SPS and having to add more and more to the Kalk King I can see 2 part within the end of the year. Been dripping kalk since 2004.

 

[sawdonkey]

agreed, been using kalk as ATO water for 5 months. and so far so good. I ended up supplementing with 2 parts as my Ca and Alk level can't kept up with just the ATO, but definitely cheaper using kalk and 2 parts instead of just 2 parts. 120 gallon system mixed reef with about 9 small sps frags and a big monti plate

That seems like a lot of alk use for that small amount of coral. I have a 220 that is fairly full of SPS (mostly colonies) and rely only on Kalk through my ATO. I have been noticing that I may need to do something elements to supplement soon. I've been adding vinegar to my kalk water recently to supersaturate it.

 

[apmato]

I converted to kalk a few months back and I have to say I love it. All my corals are doing great, coraline has taken off, and as someone mentioned its cheap!

 

[WetWhistle]

I have been using kalk for decades and I and the corals love it. I add mine to the ATO top up water and use vinegar to supersaturate it. I use weekly water changes to keep everything in balance. I do keep on hand and use stand alone calcium and buffer from time to time if I need to adjust one but not the other. My tank is mixed but SPS dominant and it works like a charm. Coralline algae grows best for me when using Lime water.

 

[Bunnee911]

I have a BC29 and have been using lime in my ato @ 1/8t per gallon.

Tests yesterday:
Nitrate 0
Phosphate .5
SG 1.024
Ph 7.7
dKH 8
Mag 1170
Cal 400

So, I believe it is time to up the amount of lime I add to ato water. But, I believe I need to add a little two part also.
I have been adding 20 drops a day of NoPox.

Just did a 2g wc and will test again before doing anything.

Will raising my sg help with the low numbers?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have a BC29 and have been using lime in my ato @ 1/8t per gallon.

Tests yesterday:
Nitrate 0
Phosphate .5
SG 1.024
Ph 7.7
dKH 8
Mag 1170
Cal 400

So, I believe it is time to up the amount of lime I add to ato water. But, I believe I need to add a little two part also.
I have been adding 20 drops a day of NoPox.

Just did a 2g wc and will test again before doing anything.

Will raising my sg help with the low numbers?

Yes, it will help to raise salinity. I'm not sure you need any two part since alk is pretty good.

 

[Cory]

Why exactly does vinegar make limewater more potent?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Why exactly does vinegar make limewater more potent?

The dissolution of calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) is limited by the calcium concentration times the hydroxide concentration squared.

Vinegar is an acid, and it lowers pH, lowering the concentration of hydroxide.

 

[Cory]

The dissolution of calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) is limited by the calcium concentration times the hydroxide concentration squared.

Vinegar is an acid, and it lowers pH, lowering the concentration of hydroxide.

Im not sure I understand in laymans terms. But wouldnt the lowered ph be off gassed? I thought you couldn't lower ph without lowering the alk or using somethinng temporary like co2 gas.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Let's try this:

Acids lower pH. All acids do that.
As pH in any solution drops, H+ rises and OH- (hydroxide) declines.

When calcium hydroxide dissolves it releases calcium and hydroxide into the water. The more hydroxide is already there, the less can dissolve. Hydroxide hinders the dissolution.

So adding acid to limewater lowers the hydroxide and allows more calcium hydroxide to dissolve.

There is nothing to offgas in limewater (except perhaps the vinegar). CO2 is not present or involved in this process.

 

[20 gallon nano]

Would I need to watch my calcium and alk also when dosing kalk?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Would I need to watch my calcium and alk also when dosing kalk?

yes. Deliver it very slowly to maintain alkalinity (if you can, sometimes it alone is not enough). Maintaining alkalinity with it will allow calcium to very slowly rise over time (months), so it is good to use a lower calcium salt mix such as IO.

 

[AdamNC]

What I've noticed since using kalk is I dose about half as much Ca and sometimes next to no Alk. ATM I dose in a 29 gallon sps/lps/zoa tank 2tsp per gallon of freshwater in the ATO, about 5ml Alk/day and 10ml Ca/day through my dosers.

 

[chema]

I use a kalkwasser reactor and a calcium reactor. The calcium reactor does most of the job at maintaining alkalinity and calcium and the kalkwasser reactor helps to increase pH. When pH begins to go down I know it's time to renew the kalkwasser in the reactor (usually between 15 and 20 days).