Vinegar in Kalk mix...

[Birdlady]

Hi!

Esp, for RayJay since you commented on this

I have seen people mention putting vinegar into the Kalk mix, how do you do it, how much vinegar?

I was reading a thread that all but terrified me from doing this. It seems like opposing thing that would cancel out, but my understanding is that the vinegar helps the water to hold more calcium.

What is all's experience with this? Thanks!

[reiple]

hi BL!

lately I do. but some experiences;

Last year I tested filtered (clear) cane vinegar. Worked fine. Then i tried ordinary vinegar. algae, algae, algae everywhere. seems some vinegar had impurities. I stopped using vinegar until around 2 months ago.

So i suggest (and use) only filtered cane vinegar or cider vinegar. Right now (I got it somewhere...anecdotal! LOL) i use 15ml per liter. Worked nicely. Without vinegar i got a lot of scumm accumulated in the lower part of the kalwasser vessel. Now i get noticeably less, almost half the height it had before.

My calcium reading ranges from 380 to 420. hagen test kit (i know not so good but it's only one available). before i had a difficult time keeping it at around 320 and it howevers dangerously at 240-280. Btw vinegar raises the ph of the water allowing more calcium to be dissolved.

My ph is kept at 8.2. Without top-off of vinegar+kalwasser it was 8.3.

[Jason McKenzie]

BL what is you CA and Alk readings?

J

[Birdlady]

I have slowly been bringing up the alk to 12 - 13 and my calcium, I have to add a teaspoon of Turbo Calcium every day just to keep it at just under 400. I do use Kalk now as well.

My pH is always under 8.1 and I cannot get it to stay up over the .1

Mag was at 1400 but now apparently the whole world is backordered on Salifert Mag test kits so I don' t know what that is.

Reiple, thanks for the info!

[reiple]

sure. anytime.

[Birdlady]

Can anyone explain in 'nit wit' terms, why vinegar (which is acidic, correct?) raises the pH of Kalwasser and/or aquarium salt water?

[mmakay]

I think he may have just mis-typed. Vinegar will lower the PH of the solution. In so doing, you can add a greater amount of calcium by dissolving additional kalk.

[Birdlady]

OK, that makes a little sense, lowering the pH of the solution allows for greater concentration of the calcium hydroxide, which in turn can increase thecalcium, pH and alkalinity of the system....yes? Since that is what kalk is supposed to do....

[mmakay]

[quote author=birdlady link=board=Water;num=1102709685;start=0#7 date=12/11/04 at 17:22:46]lowering the pH of the solution allows for greater concentration of the calcium hydroxide, which in turn can increase thecalcium, *pH and alkalinity of the system....yes?[/quote]

Everything you said except "pH." The vinegar does, in fact, neutralize some of the pH effect of the kalk. But, by adding more kalk, the net pH effect is the same as it normally would be .... with the added bonus of extra calcium and greater carbonate hardness.


-Mickey

[Birdlady]

Yay! OK! Great! Thanks for the info and I love your avatar! They are your fish? They are beautiful!