Kalkwasser

Jason

Jason

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Hi Reefers

Where in CPT can I find kalwasser...? I know some pharmacies do sell but I have heard that you get different grades and some pharmacies sell the not so good grade...

How do I add it to my tank, first mix it up with RO/tank water? Do I add vinegar and how much...

A nother stupid question, does kalkwasser replace calcium? I have heard that people get better results with kalkwasser than powder/liquid calcium...

My reason for asking this is calcium is working me out to expensive and I feel I would be getting better results with kalkwasser...

Help would be highly appreciated...:)

Regards
Jason
 
Hi Jason - here's what I buy, use and do, w.r.t kalkwasser/calcium:
I buy "Slaked Lime" (Gebluste Kalk) from any pharmacy that stocks it.
I mix +-15grams with +-50ml of vinegar, and then top up the rest (of 2 litres) with either RO water (takes FOREVER with my RO system ;-) or tank water.

With this mix, I dose +-50-75ml either every night, or at least 4-5 times per week (depending whether I remember, or whether I am at home to do this)... :)

I have indeed used kalkwasser to replace commercial calcium additives, as I find that it increases my calcium enough (or keeps my calcium levels stable at least), without requiring me to add any other calcium additives.


Hope this helps.....
 
Thanks that do help alot... What pharmacy do you buy it from and how much does it cost (Gebluste Kalk)? What can i use for me pH and Alk?

Thanks
 
Hi Jason - I bought mine from the pharmacy JUST past the N1 as you come down Durban Road, travelling from Durbanville to Belleville's side. Not sure of the pharmacy name. It's a huge pharmacy, right on the corner JUST PAST the N1 intersection.

There's 2 ways that I increase my pH:
1) use sodium bicarbonate (Baking SODA) - this increases my pH to +-8.2/8.3
2) If I want to increase my pH more, I then use kalkwasser, as this seems to increase the pH of water quite a LOT - so, just check your pH when you dose kalkwasser

I use sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to increase my tank's dKh (alkalinity).

Same goes for keeping these water parameters stable as well.....

Cheers mate. Hope that I have helped.
 
24H M-Chem... Like in reel baking soda, like the packets or small tins? How much do i add my alk 7 and pH 8, so its time to add my buffers. i add my buffers once a week and CA 3 times a week...

As i understand baking soda increases ph and dkh?
 
Hi Jason - I use mostly use the Moir's Baking Soda - the stuff you get from either Pick-n-Pay, Checkers or Spar. It comes in small boxes, or bigger (I think) 250g boxes...

MAKE SURE IT IS "BAKING SODA" and NOT "BAKING POWDER"....

To know how much you should add, we need to know your total water volume.

BUT, I would say start off with a very small amount, i.e. 1 tea-spoon full, test your pH/dKh after about 30 minutes, and see if these have increased, or not, and then add another tea-spoon full (+-5ml) - repeat this and then test every time - until you have been able to increase your dKh and pH to at least 8.2/8.3 (pH) and 9-10 (dKh)...

Then you would know how much sodium bicarb you would require to increase your alkalinity from 7 to 9 and your pH from 8 to 8.2/8.3....
 
I fully understand it now...

Thanks a million Jacques...:peroni:
 
so that will then be roughly 15ml per dose for a 250 liter, and another Q, there is a shop that supplies RO water in my area, they add ozone, will there be any problems ? i have my own RO unit but it takes forever
 
Just got back from the shops, got me some baking soda and gebluste kalk... Just wanted to find out first, any specific white vinegar i should buy?
 
Hi,
I've started to drip my kalk into the water.
I've asked our Vet for one of those drips which they're using one the animals.

I've connected this to a 25 l plastic drum. With this drip it dripping a drop every second or so - works like a charm for me.
By doing this there is a constant feed of kalk water, thus no sudden changes, and I don't have to dose every night.

Just another note on the PH - remember that the PH can differ between the mornings and evenings. (not to sure on the exact hows and why's, but this do have an impact on readings as well...)
 
Hi Singularity - OK - regarding the question about the kalkwasser:
I would say, start off with 5ml - and test your calcium / pH after about 30 minutes, then add another 5ml - test both Ca/pH again.... Until you reach the required levels...
Then - wait about 2 days - see how your calcium and pH has dropped, then add another 5ml to start off with - see how this impacts the figures...

This would be the safest way, in my opinion, to work out exactly how much your tank requires, as each tank is different.

I don't currently use ozone. So, I cannot tell you if it would be bad or not.

BUT - if I may take a guess - that it would not be too bad, IF the ozone that's added, is not too high in concentration....
 
Very good point about the measurement of pH, Raven, thank you. You are 100% correct.

The reason why pH would be lower after lights out, is that all the plant-like organisms then actually uses up oxygen, and exhales/excretes CO2 (carbon-dioxide), which lowers the pH of water....

Jason - I buy/use the "standard" White Spirit Vinegar..... Seems to work for me...
 
jacquesb said:
Very good point about the measurement of pH, Raven, thank you. You are 100% correct.

The reason why pH would be lower after lights out, is that all the plant-like organisms then actually uses up oxygen, and exhales/excretes CO2 (carbon-dioxide), which lowers the pH of water....

Jason - I buy/use the "standard" White Spirit Vinegar..... Seems to work for me...
Click to expand...


Just to add to that Jacques, the coral's symbiotic algae acts the same as the plant organisms. I reckon most reefers have more coral than plants in their tanks.

Run macro algae on a reverse lighting cycle and your pH won't dip at all.
 
Just dosed baking soda about 3 times, every time used 1 teaspoon and my pH stil on 8 and my dkh on 7... Dosed every 30min... Anything im doing wrong?
 
Hi Jason - how many litres of water do you have?

I used the suggestion of one tea-spoon for safety sake. It could possibly be that you might need to add more than 3 teaspoons.... Also - just to ensure that your alkalinity test is correct, perhaps you could ask someone who you might know of, who lives close by, to also test your water for you? (Alkalinity)

Just take it slowly.... don't be in too much of a hurry.... perhaps wait for another while that the sodium bicarbonate actually dissolves and flows through your tank...

Do you dose directly into the tank? Or into the sump?

Also - I might have been to quick with the timings - I would say perhaps wait at least 1.5 hours inbetween dosing... perhaps even longer.
 
Jason said:
Just dosed baking soda about 3 times, every time used 1 teaspoon and my pH stil on 8 and my dkh on 7... Dosed every 30min... Anything im doing wrong?
Click to expand...

Go slowly, dose again tomorrow, it will rise. Don't want it to rise too quickly or you will hurt your livestock :(
 
jacquesb said:
Hi Jason - how many litres of water do you have?

I used the suggestion of one tea-spoon for safety sake. It could possibly be that you might need to add more than 3 teaspoons.... Also - just to ensure that your alkalinity test is correct, perhaps you could ask someone who you might know of, who lives close by, to also test your water for you? (Alkalinity)

Just take it slowly.... don't be in too much of a hurry.... perhaps wait for another while that the sodium bicarbonate actually dissolves and flows through your tank...

Do you dose directly into the tank? Or into the sump?

Also - I might have been to quick with the timings - I would say perhaps wait at least 1.5 hours inbetween dosing... perhaps even longer.
Click to expand...

My tank is a cube 600x600x600 and water 200L... No sump at the moment..., use clip on filtres with ativated carbon and seachem phosguard and some filtre flos i change every week... I first desolve it in tank water then add to the tank...
 
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