Do you dose 2 part?

[Gluestick]

Do you dose two part?

[GreenBay1]

I dose Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime and reef essential elements from Kent. Oh! and Chromaplex for my filter feeders.

[Benny Z]

pickling lime in the auto topoff makeup water

[laughlin]

this may be a dumb question but why pickling lime what is its benefit

[GreenBay1]

It is great for calcium and it buffers really well.

[laughlin]

ok i am interested in this pickling lime now where can i get some i currently just use ready made calcium or kalkwasser solution but i am currently trying to locate a dosing pump

[lcashman]

I use a calcium reactor and use agramight in the top off water

[Horace]

Pending your needs, you have a few options...2-part, kalk(pickling lime) or a Ca Rx. IMO dosing DIY 2-Part is as cheap or cheaper than running a CaRx which is also very cheap (after the huge initial investment). A CaRx is the best option for one reason and that is it adds all the trace elements as well as Ca and Kh. DIY 2part does not do this. Kalk also does not do that. Kalk is easy though I must say....I just found it very hard to dial in. Because you dose it with your top off, dosing more or less based on the evap of your tank will effect how much Ca, Kh your dosing. Because I would rather have these two factors separate I find having a dosing pump for 2-part and an autotopoff on separate systems allows me to much more accuratly dose my tank than I ever could do with kalk.

[hounddog01]

I dose EVS b-ionic. I have a dosing pump that once dialed in it keeps my Cal and ALK on the money.

[Dave Dunbar]

Mrs. Smiths and reef complete and Dts
Dave

[Michelle L]

Where do you guys get your pickling lime? I know many of the larger stores carry it, but I'm too lazy to drive all over hunting for it.

I think I am going to try this method until I can get the 2-part method started.

[lcashman]

Look at your local grocery stores.
I had a bunch a just gave away about 2 months ago.

[Michelle L]

Yeah, I know I can find it with the canning stuff at the store, I just wondered specifically which stores here in Bloomington carried it regularly. Since it's the off season for canning some stores may not have it right now. :(

[tcottle]

http://mrswages.stores.yahoo.net/mrswagpiclim.html

It is about as cheap as this hobby gets :D

[Michelle L]

Mmmm, and I can make dip out of it too.

[hounddog01]

No just pickles. It would not be too good.

[Michelle L]

Ooops my bad. I saw the dips/dressings section of the webpage and thought that meant they had recipes for that too. Didn't realize it was a separate product.

Note: don't eat any dip that I make. :eek:

[Gluestick]

I was wondering if someone could explain to me how to use the pickling lime. I know you can get it in bulk. How much per gallon? Do you mix it in w/ topoff water? What does it do- calcium? Do you have to dose other stuff w/ it? What will i have to test for?

[Horace]

FYI, almost no stores in B/N carry it. I hunted all over B/N one night looking :). The only store I found it in was CUB...it was all the way on the end of the isle on the very top row. Its about half as much in the store as it is on line. I think its only about $3 per container. One container will last you quite a while too. I would stock up if you get it just in case. Good luck :)

[hubris007]

Now is the time of year to stock up. Horace, did you try wally world? I 've seen it there, and pickling season just passed, so it could be on sale. I'm looking to find some dowflake and make my own two part.


Just tested water params. Sigh, i'm a bad dad. I can't believe i can keep stuff alive sometimes. pH 7.8, Ca 310, ammo 0, nitrate 10ppm. Didn't bother to test kh or phos. I don't want to know. Definately need to start suplementing.

[Horace]

Yeah I treid Wal-Mart... I hear they carry it as well but I was looking in the dead of winter so thats probably why they didnt have it. Its hard to find in the winter :(. But like I said, I did manage to find it at Cub Foods even in the winter.

[Benny Z]

i found mine at the horace depot

:D

still working on the already-opened container with another full one waiting to be of service.

[GreenBay1]

The specialty food stores here in town carry it year round.

[Gluestick]

So do you just add a little bit to your top off water? how much do you add per gallon of top off?

[Benny Z]

you need to experiment and use what your system needs to maintain calc/alk. i only need 1/2 tsp per gallon mixed into my makeup water. some people need up to 2 tsp per gallon.

the topoff storage container will get a nasty film across the top of the water and the stuff you don't need settles to the bottom. don't be alarmed - this is normal.

i use an auto topoff switch from www.autotopoff.com and an aqualifter pump to keep the system topped off with the pickling lime water.

[Horace]

You should REALLY read randy's article about this before even considering starting. Many of the questions will be answered and you will have a good understanding chemistry wise what is going on. I HIGHLY advise reading as many of his articles as possible. Knowing how the chemistry of your tank works is perhaps the most important thing in keeping a reef tank IMO. Just simply adding chemicals by the directions on the bottle and having no understanding why your adding them to begin with is a recipe for disaster.

For example, there are side effects to pretty much ANY dosing chemical. With pickling lime you have to worry about high PH. If you dose too much too fast you will raise your PH and can cause "snow events" in your tank.

[Gluestick]

Alright guys, thanks for all the info. I'm going to read up. See yall at the next meeting!
PS, I love the trick or treating sohal tang logo :-)