Adding vinegar to top-off water

[DJG]

Hello all,

I currently run all my top-off water (~12 liters/day from a 20 L. container) through a DIY Kalkmixer and then to the sump (timers allow a sequence of mixing for 15' and 30 minutes later float-controlled top-off; dosing at night). I would like to add vinegar to the top-off reservoir in order to increase kalk solubility and as a carbon source. I read some threads on RC indicating that this might not be a good idea since bacteria metabolize the acetate and will bloom in the container.

Is this the unanimous experience or has anybody had success with such a system?
Thanks,

David

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don't know of anyone who has actually set up such a system with a limewater reactor, but I think bacterial metabolism of the diluted acetic acid is quite likely to happen. I'm not worried about the bloom per say as worried about what the CO2 will do to the lime in the reactor.

Genetics seems to say he uses vodka with a reactor. You might ask him how he is doing it:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=13272743#post13272743

[David Grigor]

Add both Kalk and vinegar to your top off resevoir and you'll be fine. It will also free up some money now that you can sell the reactor. Just be sure with or without a reactor that your automation is well thought out and redudancy in place to insure PH doesn't get too high too quick.