water hardness

[mojo215]

hardness :bum: :bum: Could someone please tell me how to LOWER my hardness levels.

I am at dkh 20 should'nt I be at 12 or so? I do kalkwasser for my rock and it makes the hardness higher so I stopped it.

Please advise.

Thanks,
MoJo215

[Skipper]

Hey mojo. I am going to move this to Randy's forum. He is our resident chemistry expert.

[moved]

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

MOJO215:

In order to answer your question, I'd need to know the calcium level, since alkalinity and calcium are intertwined.

There are two possibilities:

1. Calcium is low, and you need to add a calcium additive besides limewater to raise the calcium. This in turn may well result in lower alkalinity.

2. Calcium is normal to high. In this case, you should just stop adding limewater until the alkalinity drops to more normal levels.

PS:
Be careful how you use the term hardness. As you used it, you are asking about calcium and magnesium: that is hardness. I assume from the fact that you quote dKH, you are actually asking about alkalinity, which in old german had units called "degrees of carbonate hardness". That isn't the same as hardness.

[mojo215]

Thank you Skipper and Randy,

I will try adding calcium. It is my dkh that is high. Will give it a try and see what happens. In the meantime I'm doing nothing.

THank you
Mojo215

[mojo215]

Randy, what did you mean by adding lime water? I never heard of this before. What do I do and how?


Mojo215
Sandy

[Skipper]

Hey Sandy. Limewater = Kalkwasser. The term Kalkwasser is just German for limewater. :D

[mojo215]

Skipper,
I'm so embarrased. I should have known. Oh well. I'm only in this since May, still learning.

THanks a lot.

Sandy MoJo215