Kalk vinager carbon dosing

[Estevon]

When adding vinager to saturate kalk for top off does the kalk kill the bacteria (carbon dosing) in the vinager or do do u still get the benifits from the vinager.

Thnx in advance

[HighlandReefer]

The ingedients in vinegar will feed the bacteria in your tank water system and increase their numbers. So you will still get the carbon dosing benefit from adding vinegar to your kalk top off.

How much vinegar are you adding or plan to add to your kalk mix?

[Genetics]

Not quite. The vinegar is used to help add additional calcium to your tank. In turn, when the vinegar enters your tank bacteria will take up the vinegar as a source of energy, as heterotrophic bacteria cannot fix carbon from CO2. Once they take this up, they will absorb other needed nutrients. They can utilize inorganic forms of N/P (nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and phosphate) to grow. So the vinegar doesn't have the bacteria, it grows the bacteria. But not in the kalk water.

[HighlandReefer]

If you are interested in more details regarding the addition of vinegar to your kalk mix, here is an article written by Dr. Craig Bingman on the subject:

Expanding the Limits of Limewater: Adding Organic Carbon Sources

http://web.archive.org/web/200011021...io/default.asp

Jonathan, the link provided in the Chemistry Articles does not work when I click on it.

[MarcoPolo]

is there any good reading on dosing vinegar you can direct me to?

[HighlandReefer]

That is twice in this thread that two people have posted at the same time.

[virginiadiver69]

So if I'm reading your answers correctly...vinegar will have the dual benefit of super saturating kalk AND provide a carbon source?

I already have undetectable nitrates...so would using vinegar be advisable if all I wanted to accomplish was super saturated limewater?

Is there any negative impact from adding a carbon source to a tank with undetectable nitrates?

[MarcoPolo]

Cliff - I normally produce 1liter highly concentrated kalk mix which I keep in a sealed container. Every morning I dilute 200ml of this kalk mix into 1lt R/O water and add to the tank. Two questions: is my way of adding kalk to the tank sound, and could I add vinegar to my solution?

[HighlandReefer]

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So if I'm reading your answers correctly...vinegar will have the dual benefit of super saturating kalk AND provide a carbon source?
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Yes.


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I already have undetectable nitrates...so would using vinegar be advisable if all I wanted to accomplish was super saturated limewater?
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Based on my experience with adding vinegar, I would not recommend it. I believe that the amount of vinegar added to supersaturate lime water is too much when you have low levels of nitrates.


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Is there any negative impact from adding a carbon source to a tank with undetectable nitrates?
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Excessive bacterial growth covering glass and rock similar to what microalgae will do. Blooms in the water column also occur. Dosing any carbon source in low nutrient enviroments can be tricky and the doses for vinegar would be much less than what is used to suppersaturate lime water, IMHO.

[HighlandReefer]

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Originally posted by MarcoPolo
Cliff - I normally produce 1liter highly concentrated kalk mix which I keep in a sealed container. Every morning I dilute 200ml of this kalk mix into 1lt R/O water and add to the tank. Two questions: is my way of adding kalk to the tank sound, and could I add vinegar to my solution?

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Kalk has a very high pH and for this reason I believe kalk should be added to your system by dripping it or using a dosing pump with a float switch. Kalk overdoses seem to occur fairly frequently.

Again, if your nitrates are currently high, than adding vinegar to your kalk can be a good way to go. However if/or when your nitrates become very low, it may become a problem.

[virginiadiver69]

Originally posted by HighlandReefer
[BDosing any carbon source in low nutrient enviroments can be tricky [/B]

Would this include Vitamin C as well?
I've been looking into it as a way to deal with poor Zoa health.

[HighlandReefer]

I have not tried vitamin C, so I will leave that to others with experience.

[Estevon]

I believe it was 45ml vinager to 1 gal.RO and 2+ tsp kalk.I do think thats a lot of vinager.I dont use it all the time just on occasion.I drip kalk nighlty 2 tsp per gal RO.At the present time im only kalking at 1/2 strengh to try and keep PH more stable because im dealing with a new haddoni addition.

THNX

[virginiadiver69]

Estevon, why are you adding vinegar to your kalk if your only mixing it to 1/2 strength?

[Estevon]

Im not mixing vinegar at 1/2 strength. I only mix vinegar at 2+Tsp of kalk which is not to often. I only mixing at 1/2 strength now do to a new addition to the tank. (Which is my new haddoni)

[reefernutt]

I use 2/3 cup vinager and 3 tablespoons kalk to 5 gallons of ro thats pumped into tank when sump level falls below ato switch. my parameters are perfect and my coral is growing like crazy. My skimmer is more efficient. Thats the good. The bad is i get microalgea blooms in spots that i have to manualy remove from the rocks. I just do this rutinely and have incorporated it into my maintenance routine. yeah the algea blooms suck but are not overwhelming and my tank looks beautiful!. I do 5 gallon water changes ever week. so dosing kalk with vinager has its upsides and downsides. it depends on the demands of your tank specifically.