Dosing kalawaser

[crazyfish]

so the saturated using vinegar adds less? I thought it was supposed to add more. Do you get more ca but less alk using vinegar?

[tmz]

When the calcium hydroxide(limewater) is added to the aquarium water ,the calcium and alkalinity in it converts to calcium carbonate. In doing so it depletes CO2. When white vinegar(acetic acid) is dosed it provides an organic carbon source that is quickly used by bacteria with a release of excess CO2. Adding about 12ml of white vinegar per quart of saturated limewater provides enough CO2 to balance the inorganic carbon used by the limewater.

So you get more calcium carbonate (the combination of calcium and alkalinity your corals use) when vinegar is added. At the 12ml per quart dose your limewater will hold about 35%calcium hydroxide.

It is better to start with a much lower dose of 3ml per quart to see how your system tolerates the acetic acid addition.

[tmz]

Correction : should read: 35% more calcium hydroxide.

[bertoni]

Vinegar will help dissolve more calcium hydroxide per gallon, to strengthen the mix, if needed, or can be added just to limit the pH swing. Vinegar can fuel bacterial problems, so I'd watch carefully when using it.

[ctripi]

Could you please elaborate about the bacterial problems mentioned. For example do you mean cyanobacteria, livestock pathogens or nutrient cycle disruptions?

[bertoni]

I wouldn't worry about pathogens. Cyanobacteria might consume some of it, but more likely, standard bacteria would be the primary consumer. The tank might get a bit of cloudy water or perhaps a bacterial film.

[jdieck]

Originally posted by crazyfish
so the saturated using vinegar adds less? I thought it was supposed to add more. Do you get more ca but less alk using vinegar?

It adds more... Read the chart as: It requires less evaporation (less volume) to achieve the same addition or you can have more alkalinity with the same evaporation.

The addition will still be balanced at 20 ppm of calcium per 1 meq/lt of alkalinity. What the vinegar does is to allow for more calcium hydroxide to dissolve in the water.