home made kalkwaser?

pohtr

Member
I tried the search but no luck. What's the formula for home made kalkwaser? Which forum should I use for chemistry questions? (could have sworn there used to be a chem forum....)
Thanks
 

saltygerman

Member
Originally Posted by pohtr
http:///forum/post/2894007
I tried the search but no luck. What's the formula for home made kalkwaser? Which forum should I use for chemistry questions? (could have sworn there used to be a chem forum....)
Thanks
1 Teaspoon per gallon.
 

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by pohtr
http:///forum/post/2894998
does that mean I coud also just add it to the fresh water before I add it to the tank?
I can be dangerous to add a lot all at once. The Hydroxide in limewater will remove CO2 from the water. Doesn't sound too bad but if you do a lot all at once the PH can go from 8.3 up to 8.8 almost instantly. This will kill delicate organisms. Drip it ;)
 

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by pohtr
http:///forum/post/2895155
so the idea would be to find a drip that equals the rate of evaporation?
Ideally but like I said it's not important to be precise.
Some people drip it in over 8 - 12 hours overnight to help maintain a constant PH. I see nothing wrong with that.
 

jackri

Active Member
All my topoff water (using an auto-top off) is a pickling lime/water combo. I add a few tablespoons per 5 gallons of water once or twice a week. I don't really overdue it as I add 2 part as well but helps keep the calcium up.
I'd rather underdose than overdose as a rule of thumb!
 

saltygerman

Member
Originally Posted by pohtr
http:///forum/post/2895771
where do you get the pickling lime water?
Check your local grocery or department store or wherever they sell canning supplies in your area..Ms Wages Pickling Lime. And mix as specified above...1 Teaspoon Per gallon of ro water.
 

pohtr

Member
Originally Posted by jackri
http:///forum/post/2895276
All my topoff water (using an auto-top off) is a pickling lime/water combo. I add a few tablespoons per 5 gallons of water once or twice a week. I don't really overdue it as I add 2 part as well but helps keep the calcium up.
I'd rather underdose than overdose as a rule of thumb!
Just checking.....
Do you mean that for a 90 gal that would be 45 tbs (surely not), once or twice a week?? Or do you mean that your top off water is in 5 gal containers and you add a few tbs to that water & you top off once or twice a week?
Is the 1-2 tsp of Mrs. Wages per gallon the formula for making kalkwasser? Or is it the amount you use instead of kalkwasser?
I thought I had this down but now that I reread the thread I am confused.
 

tdog7879

Member
get a jug of you choice put r/o water in it then get some kalkwasser (mrs wages....very cheap or some from your LFS ) then get some airline tubing and a air control vaule....set the drip to 1-2 drip per second +/- but i would start slow so you can match your water vap.. I personal fill a 1 gal jug and 2 teaspons of kalk and drip it for 4-6 hours and repeat 5x a week.
 

veni vidi vici

Active Member
Originally Posted by pohtr
http:///forum/post/2968173
Just checking.....
Do you mean that for a 90 gal that would be 45 tbs (surely not), once or twice a week?? Or do you mean that your top off water is in 5 gal containers and you add a few tbs to that water & you top off once or twice a week?
Is the 1-2 tsp of Mrs. Wages per gallon the formula for making kalkwasser? Or is it the amount you use instead of kalkwasser?
I thought I had this down but now that I reread the thread I am confused.
You want to add 1-2 Tablespoons per gallon of fresh water.90 gallon would be 90 or 180 tablespoons of mix(Kalkwasser)
This part is very important,you have to drip it into you system slowly you cannot add kalkwasser in large quantities or ot will surely kill everything in your tank by sending your pH through the roof.
Kalkwasser and pickling lime are the same thing ,Calcium Hydroxide. Kalkwasser is German for limewater.
*Opps i meant teaspoons not tablespoons*
 

tdog7879

Member
Originally Posted by Veni Vidi Vici
http:///forum/post/2968220
You want to add 1-2 Tablespoons per gallon of fresh water.90 gallon would be 90 or 180 tablespoons of mix(Kalkwasser)
This part is very important,you have to drip it into you system slowly you cannot add kalkwasser in large quantities or ot will surely kill everything in your tank by sending your pH through the roof.
Kalkwasser and pickling lime are the same thing ,Calcium Hydroxide. Kalkwasser is German for limewater.
Hey vini do you add 2 teapsoons everyday or just one and restir they leftover kalk at the bottom of the container?.........
 

pohtr

Member
O.K. I have 2 1/2 gal jugs. So I will add 4 tsp or so of straight kalkwasser or straight Mrs wages to the jugs.
Then I should drip (already have that stuff for drip acclimating), BUT without a float valve or something it would/could run over. I don't know where the jug would go that would be higher than the fuge.....Do you keep a little stool or something next to your tank all the time with the gal jug on it dripping? 5xweek??
Will it be safe if I don't drip? In which case if it is then with a 90 gal what would be the max amount of "mixed" top off water to add at one time?
It seems like the stool next to the tank with the jug on it would kind of take away from the aesthetics of the tank. How do you guys do it?
 

tdog7879

Member
Originally Posted by pohtr
http:///forum/post/2968236
O.K. I have 2 1/2 gal jugs. So I will add 4 tsp or so of straight kalkwasser or straight Mrs wages to the jugs.
Then I should drip (already have that stuff for drip acclimating), BUT without a float valve or something it would/could run over. I don't know where the jug would go that would be higher than the fuge.....Do you keep a little stool or something next to your tank all the time with the gal jug on it dripping? 5xweek??
Will it be safe if I don't drip? In which case if it is then with a 90 gal what would be the max amount of "mixed" top off water to add at one time?
It seems like the stool next to the tank with the jug on it would kind of take away from the aesthetics of the tank. How do you guys do it?
I have a 80 tank and i use a one gal jug that just so happen to be higher then the tank itself ..i add 2 teaspoon for one gal of r/o to it and start a syphon and drip it overnight and i repeat this 5x a week cause sometime my CA levels start to get a little higher then i like and i do a weekly water change so thats one day i dont drip and then skip the next day after that its really something i just di thats works for me. Also i have a line marked on my sump where the water should alwys be at.
 

veni vidi vici

Active Member
Originally Posted by tdog7879
http:///forum/post/2968224
Hey vini do you add 2 teapsoons everyday or just one and restir they leftover kalk at the bottom of the container?.........
I have a 30 Gal drip reservoir that i fill about every 2 weeks with 2 teaspoons per gallon.Without the help of vinegar you cant concentrate the solution any more that 2 teaspoons or the calcium hydroxide will fall out of solution.If i add less then 2 teaspoon the leftover in the bottom of the reservoir would dilute.
 
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