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Unread 10/02/2006, 02:10 PM   #1
bass1000
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lime water mix for top off

found my lime can any body help me how much do i add to a gal of water. thanks


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Unread 10/02/2006, 02:25 PM   #2
Billybeau1
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To Reef Central

You'll have to experement a little. maybe start out with 1 tsp per gallon and up to 2 tsp if your tanks pH doesnt raise to much.

Any more than 2 tsp wll just settle to the bottom.

Are you planning on slow dripping ?


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Unread 10/02/2006, 02:31 PM   #3
bass1000
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no am not driping i have 38 gal trash ona float vaule that refills as the water evaporates the ph of the ro water is low i think its why my tank stays low will i be ok doing this thanks


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Unread 10/02/2006, 02:39 PM   #4
Billybeau1
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You'll have to watch the first time it kicks on to make sure its not adding too much at one time. Another good reason to start out with 1 tsp. Just whatch your pH the first time it refills and your fish. I've got a couple of fish that get really mad if I put too much in at one time.

Do you have a feel for how much gets dispensed at a time ?


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Unread 10/02/2006, 03:20 PM   #5
bass1000
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thanks 4 your help i have it on a manual float it fill as the water evaporate should be a real small a mount at a time thank agin 4 your hepl


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Unread 10/03/2006, 04:55 AM   #6
Randy Holmes-Farley
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This article has more details:

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


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Unread 10/03/2006, 08:12 AM   #7
bass1000
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is this lime water agood choice for top off water with ca reator or should i use a ph buffer


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Unread 10/03/2006, 08:47 AM   #8
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Limewater is the best choice if the goal is to raise pH.

Buffers are almost never a good option, as they do not raise pH much, and always boosts alkalinity relative to calcium.


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Unread 10/03/2006, 08:47 AM   #9
Billybeau1
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pH buffers are a poor choice as they raise alkalinity. Limewater raises pH without raising alkalinity much.


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Unread 10/03/2006, 09:01 AM   #10
bass1000
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thanks billy for all your help im go to mix the lime water


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Unread 10/03/2006, 09:48 AM   #11
Billybeau1
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Good luck. Watch your pH and your fish the first time it doses.


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Unread 10/03/2006, 03:30 PM   #12
Serioussnaps
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limewater does raise alk by the way.....it raises CA and ALK to a great deal..but not if you have tons of stonies in your tank but thats another topic

buffers will raise your ph for a very short period of time... i mean short

use Kalk...start with about 1 tsp of Kalk per gallon of RO and drip slowly.....dont go dumping it into the tank at once....i think the ph of limewater is 12.0 if i am not mistaken so dosing large amounts at once is very dangerous

you can get up to 2tsp per gallon but i would start slowly and monitor wiht a ph monitor if you can otherwise test it a couple times a day until you find the range you are looking for


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Unread 10/04/2006, 11:02 AM   #13
Randy Holmes-Farley
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it raises CA and ALK to a great deal..

Well, I wouldn't say it quite that way. It can't ever raise calcium a great deal, because alkalinity would get too high and increase precipitation of CaCO3, dropping it again. Also, it doesn't raise one relative to the other, so that's the big plus, relative to a buffer.


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Unread 10/04/2006, 07:51 PM   #14
sjfishguy
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Don't we want alk to be high? I mean not ridiculous, but I always though high was better than low? No matter what I do mine is always low. My tank is PACKED with SPS (and its only a 10g). I top off with lime water with no problems to the inhabitants, but my alk is low so the pH jumps a bit.


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Unread 10/04/2006, 08:02 PM   #15
Billybeau1
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Well, I like 9 dkh because it is right in the middle of the recommended range. This allows for test kit noise.

If your alk is low when dosing limewater, you may have to suppliment. This all depends on your pH and calcium levels.


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Unread 10/05/2006, 10:06 AM   #16
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Don't we want alk to be high?

High is better than low, but just right is better than high.

The context of the question, however, is not what we want, but what actually happens.

If you add enough limewater to raise calcium by 100 ppm, alkalinity would try to rise by 5 meq/L (14 dKH). Even if we ignore the huge pH rise, that won't actually happen, because calcium carbonate will Precipitate, bringing down both calcium and alkalinity, pretty much back to where you Started.


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