Making Kalkwasser: Need some info

[Fishboy9227]

Looking at adding kalkwasser to my ATO system. I have read that I lot of people use pickling lime.

Who does this, what brand do you use and how much of it do you add per gallon of water?

-Josh

[rezaktp]

Mrs. Wages pickling line from Walmart, it is in the canning supply area, by the kitchen stuff. Mix a maximum of 2 teaspoons of kalk per gallon of RO/DI water.

[HighlandReefer]

Randy goes into details regarding using lime water (kalk water) in this article:

What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm

[tmz]

I get kalkwasser( calcium hydroxide ) from Bulk Reef Supply.

[tegee]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15699027#post15699027 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tmz
I get kalkwasser( calcium hydroxide ) from Bulk Reef Supply.

+1. I get mine in bulk from Get Tanked Aquariums. I do not mess around (IMHO) with supplements like kalk, etc. They are so affordable from bulk reef suppliers why mess around at WalMart. Last a long time too.........

[Mathfreak71]

I have very few corals right now. But I add 1 teaspoon of Ms. Wages per gallon of TO water. I have seen a rise in my calcium from 330-350 to 400-420. I don't have an ATO, so I would be slightly concerned that you would have settling.

[Fishboy9227]

Could i place an extra pump in the reservoir to keep it from settling?

[sjm817]

No. You want it to settle. Have your ATO pickup set so that it doesn't pull in the settled stuff.

[Billybeau1]

The settleing from lime is usually either impurities in the lime or undisolved lime due to saturation.

A lime like Mrs. Wages does have some impurities which harmlessly fall to the bottom of the container. I have used a lime from Seachem that basically had no impurities and therefore mixing would be ok.

I have not tried the BRS lime, so I can not comment on if there are impurities in it or not.

Bottom line is, like Scott said, just leave the undisolved stuff on the bottom. If you mix it again, the impurities will just settle again. :)

[Fishboy9227]

So would you say that using Mrs. Wages pickling lime would probably be just as effective as using a product designed for this use? Im just trying to get the best advice from personal experience. I have read a lot on it but would rather base my decision off of personal experience.

[tmz]

Kalk is lime. It's all calcium hydroxide. When mixed with water it's limewater. In the hobby the German name kalkwasser is frequently used which means limewater. The difference from product to product may be in the level of impurities. Any food grade or lab grade lime is fine and is no different from kalkwasser bearing a hobby label.

[tegee]

But this begs the question, if you can purchase kalk from a "bulf reef supplier" (many out there) for the same price or just a fraction higher than Mrs. Wages than why wouldn't you not go with the safer bet? JMHO

[sjm817]

I've use Kent, ESV, Mrs Wages, and now use the BRS lime. Its all the same. The Mrs Wages did leave a brown film on the sides of the topoff container and the settled precipitant had a brown tint. None of the others did this. I never noticed any I'll effects from this, maybe it was just iron. The BRS is cheap and convenient. Good way to go.

[Fishboy9227]

I appreciate everyones comments. You guys have been very helpful.

[kjord97]

I make a 2 gal jug every day of the BRS Kalk, I add 2 teaspoons of kalk to the water, mix and then let set for 24 hours prior to dosing. I then drip the container of 2 gals at night. I put my hose so that it is about 1 inch from the bottom so I dont suck up any of the white milky liquid on the bottom.

Does everyone get the milky liquid on the bottom.

[tmz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15709253#post15709253 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tegee
But this begs the question, if you can purchase kalk from a "bulf reef supplier" (many out there) for the same price or just a fraction higher than Mrs. Wages than why wouldn't you not go with the safer bet? JMHO :) I use the BRS kalkwasser. It's a good product in my opinion. However, there is no reason to think it's a safer bet than Mrs Wages. Randy Holmes-Farley suggests the use of Mrs Wages or any food grade lime and that's good enough for me.BRS could be the same Mrs Wages by another name.Many have used Mrs. Wages successfully.