limewater prob.

[staticfishmonger]

i finally got my CA/ALK stable after a few months of low alk and high CA while using a 2 part additive. i was already to make the switch to limewater. i got some lime (mrs. wages) and last night i mixed it up in a 5 gallon water jug using 1 teaspoon per gallon. i let it sit overnight and early this morning i set the the clear limewater up, all ready to drip when the jug starts pouring out from the bottom. i quickly grabbed the jug and set in the bath tub. so my first batch of limewater is down the drain. im looking at the bottom of the bottle and it has cracked in like 4 places. i have used this jug for a long time and im almost certain it was not craked before adding the limewater. i kinda of remember reading that limewater must be kept in a certain type of container, but since the design for the dripping rig used a plastic gatorade bottle i figued that the plastic jug would work just as well. im just wondering if i made a wrong assumption and the limwater caused the cracks. and if so, what type of continer do i need to get. and as a side question how long can limewater sit before being used without going bad or loseing potency... any help or advice would be much appreciated. thanks
-chris-

[sherm71tank]

The limewater is really hard on some plastics because of the high ph of 12 or better. I am not 100% sure on this but I use a plastic drinking water bottle with HDPE recycle 2 code on the bottom which is the same as my Kent Marine Aquadoser and havent had any problemss with it cracking on me. As far as storing the limewater it will last for a few weeks as long as you dont mix air into it like putting an airstone in it.

[staticfishmonger]

yeah my bottles all have a recycle code of 7, the one in particular did not have any numbers on the bottom, but i would think it would be the same.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If you use polyethylene or polypropylene, you'll be OK. Some other plastics will be degraded by the high pH.

Recycle codes 2 and 4 are OK, and 6 is also likely OK. 7 is a catch all category that I would not trust.

[staticfishmonger]

thanks for the help. the bottle i used was a 7. ill try another batch tonight, on a smaller scale like a gatorade bottle..

[olemos]

the lime residue left on the bottom, do you douse everything or disregard it?

[staticfishmonger]

well i have not dosed yet this was gonna be my first attemp, but due to the incorrect bottle it has gone down the drain. however from all the research i have done im sure your only supposed to dose the clear lime. with the residue or undissolved lime, some people add more fresh water to it so that some of it will dissolve and be usable, and others simply dissguard it every so often (every other batch or so)..

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

the lime residue left on the bottom, do you douse everything or disregard it?

Leave the solid residue behind if you can. I may contain a numbe rof impurities taht precipitate of of the lime and water. I show that in this article:

The Self Purification of Limewater (Kalkwasser)
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/may2003/chem.htm

[olemos]

thank's Randy

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.