Who uses Vinegar in their Kalkwasser mix ???

[rikacarl]

I guess this should be a poll ?

Was wondering how many are using it and with what results.

Or who has tried it and not been happy with the result.

Found this thread when looking up info about kalkwasser top off .
http://www.reefs.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb ... 6&t=000096

My understanding after reading this is to use about 30 ml per gallon of ro/di water and calcium hydroxide? how many liters are in a gallon?

 

[Rjung1]

There are approximately 4 liters in a gallon. I use vineagar because I was convinced by the threads and articles I read. I only use about half the reccomended maximum. Been doing so for last 3 - 4 months, so far so good, no problems and corals/livestock are healthy.

 

[Anonymous]

I use vinegar with my kalk mix.

I collect 3 gallons of RO water. Then I measure out 3/4 cups of vinegar in a plastic cup. To the vinegar, I add 6 tsp of kalk. I stir it with a plastic knife and pour it into the 3 gallons of RO water. I let it sit for 8 hours.
THen I drip the stuff during the week. It works well.

 

[Newts]

I spike my kalk. with 40ml vinegar per gl. The other day when I checked cal. it was reading 470-480 range using a salifert test. I've skipped a day here and there to let it go down some, just adding top off water.

 

[nollem]

I spike mine with vinegar as well. I use about 50 mL per gallon of water [and a tsp of kalk mix per gallon]. I use the water as my evap replacement through a float switch. Seems to work well - calcium, alk, and ph readings are all good.

I add the water to a tank, add in the vinegar [letting it mix for a bit with a pump], and then add in the kalk mix.

 

[esmithiii]

i use it. I use 250 ml of vinegar to 3 tablespoons and I add this to 8gal of top off water, which lasts about 2 days in my 180G

Ernie

 

[REEFDAZE]

Does any one use vinegar via a stirrer :?: and if so how :?:

 

[esmithiii]

It is very difficult to use vinegar effectively with a nielsen reactor since you should first mix the powder with the vinegar and then mix that with the water.

Ernie

 

[reefland]

I tried vinegar in my kalkwasser when Craig Bingman first suggested a while back. Seemed to work great until I notice it clumped my sandbed. And it wasn't new sand, it was established for several years.

After a few months of use, poke around in the sand a little and look for clumping just to make sure your not adding to much vinegar and/or kalkwasser.

 

[rikacarl]

OK, Here it goes...

I am mixing 5 tsp Calcium hydroxide w/ 200 ml of Heinz Distilled white vinegar and then I'm going to dump it in 5 gallons ro/di. Then slowly drip, drip, drip

Sound good?

 

[esmithiii]

Thats about what I do only more kalkwasser powder. How big is your tank, and how quickly will you drip the kalkwasser?

Ernie

 

[rikacarl]

I have a 120 with mild load / newly started tank.

I was trying to dose a gallon a day... it hard to do with gravity drip meathod. I have a dosing pump on order should arrive any day now.

 

[esmithiii]

Sounds good to start with. I would up your kalkwasser powder later if you need more kalk. I use about 9 tablespoons to 250 ml vinegar in 5 gal. I dose about 2.5 gal a day.

Ernie

 

[rayjay]

I stopped dosing with vinegar after having used it for a long time. I found that the deposits on the power head shaft and in the magnet bore were developing at such an accelerated rate, I had a hard time keeping them all in service. I have nearly 30 power heads and it was quite time consuming.
Another thing I noticed was that I had increased alge in the tanks until I quit dosing.

 

[esmithiii]

I found that the deposits on the power head shaft and in the magnet bore were developing at such an accelerated rate, I had a hard time keeping them all in service. I have nearly 30 power heads and it was quite time consuming.

That is due to the elevated levels of calcium (the levels that our corals need.) It is also a good reason to go with a closed loop over powerheads.

Ernie

 

[rayjay]

Closed loop may be ok for setting up a new system, but my systems are all in place and I'm not going to tear them down to drill for closed loop. I had never heard of "closed loop" before my tanks were all set up. In fact, it was only in the last year that I was aware of it. Why aren't the pumps for closed loop suseptable to calcium buildup like my power heads and return pumps? I keep a spare mag 1200 on hand to change out for cleaning, all my other supreme mag pumps in use as return pumps on my systems. They get a calcium build up just like my 802's do.
My calcium levels are just fine evidenced by the skelletal growth of my corals. (hammer coral 2 1/2 inches in width grew to 44 inches in skelletal length in 7 yrs.) In the approx. 1 1/2 yrs I used vinegar, my calcium levels elevated but it didn't increase the coral growth any beyound what had occured previously. I decided that there must be other limiting factors and the calcium levels without vinegar were sufficient for the conditions of these other limiting factors.

 

[esmithiii]

With a closed loop you use an external pump which is less succeptable to buildup than powerheads, which have more surfaces which can get clogged (intake screens, the magnet which is exposed to tank water, etc). Also, 1 pump is easier to clean than 20 powerheads. You simply unplug the pump, shut off the two ball valves, open the quick release fittings and voilá! It literally takes 30 seconds to remove, another 30 seconds to connect.

Also, you do not need to drill your tank for a closed loop. You can use plumbing that goes up and over the back wall.

As for your calcium levels, the only thing that would cause more buildup would be higher levels. I use kalk and vinegar and have great results. My coraline algae is covering practically everything, and my SPS has good growth rates. My Euphilia paradivisa has really exploded after using the vinegar.

For many people, vinegar is not necessary. They can get enough Ca into the water without it. Others who have high Ca usage and lower evaporation need it to get enough Ca into the water to sustain good growth.

If what you are doing works for you, great. I didn't mean to sound critical.

Ernie

 

[royy]

What exactly are the advantages of using vinegar? I have heard of it, but I never seen a reason for doing it on the board.

Roy

 

[rayjay]

Sorry, I didn't want to imply that you were critical.
I have too much coraline for my tastes. It totally covers the back and end panes of the tanks and it's a PITA to clean with a razor. I do like it on the rocks though. You hit the nail on the head with the evaporation bit. I have fairly high evap rates so that I dose 22 litres of kalk mixed 2 tablespoons/gal each night.
Have you been dosing with vinegar long? Have you experienced any increase in algae growth?
I already have two holes in the back of the hoods for the 1" return lines (2 per tank) from the sump pumps. It's amazing how much more flow I get by having the large diamenter hoses and two outlets. Even with my 1800g/hr mag for the 90g reef, I still use more power heads in the tank for specific targeted areas.

 

[esmithiii]

I have been using vinegar for about 6-8 months. I have not noticed any additional algae growth. If anything, it is less than before.

I have too much coraline for my tastes. It totally covers the back and end panes of the tanks and it's a PITA to clean with a razor.

Amen to that. I spent close to an hour today cleaning the front and two sides of my tank. The magnet will not get the coraline off so I, too use a razor.

As for circulation, I plan on limiting the flow through the sump. Right now it is too much. I don't think you can beat a closed loop for money, total flow and ease of maintenance though.

Ernie