Calculate vinegar/lime water to up concentration?

[DFW]

I have a system with about 120 actual gallons of water, with a touch more than 1 3/4 gallons of evaporation each day. I drip each night 1 3/4 gallons saturated lime water, but am lately falling short on my system needs. I have been supplementing baked baking soda, and Seachem Reef Advantage Calcium to make up the difference. I know that I can add vinegar to get more lime to dissolve in my nightly drip, but is there some way to calculate exactly how much to add to get the desired amount? For example, if I need 1 more teaspoon of lime to dissolve in my nightly 1 3/4 gallon saturated solution, how much vinegar must I add to accomplish that? Is there any other way to get more than 2 teaspoons/gallon to dissolve into the solution?

Thanks!
David

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You can dissolve about 3 teaspoons in limewater that includes about 45 mL of vinegar per gallon of limewater.

 

[DFW]

You can dissolve about 3 teaspoons in limewater that includes about 45 mL of vinegar per gallon of limewater.

Thank you, Randy, for your very quick reply! Please let me make sure that I understand! Are you saying that 3 teaspoons lime will dissolve in a gallon of water if I will add 9 teaspoons of vinegar to it? If so, that would mean that I could add about 1 1/2 gallons mixed this way each night to my 120 gallon system. How will this affect the system? I understand this is a carbon source, too. That would be about 65 ml vinegar each night. Is that too much to start off with? Should I start off with less vinegar, and work my way up? This is basically an all acropora system skimmer less with an algae scrubber, and chaeto.

Thanks again!
David

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, that's the mix you can make.

The vinegar will be boosting bacterial growth just as if you were organic carbon dosing (and you are).

It is a pretty substantial amount of vinegar, but probably not "too much". If you get unsightly bacterial growth, or if nutrients get too low, you might need to look for another plan.

FWIW, I' currently dose 177 mL per day for my 120 DT with about 300 gallons total water volume,.

 

[DFW]

Yes, that's the mix you can make.

The vinegar will be boosting bacterial growth just as if you were organic carbon dosing (and you are).

It is a pretty substantial amount of vinegar, but probably not "too much". If you get unsightly bacterial growth, or if nutrients get too low, you might need to look for another plan.

FWIW, I' currently dose 177 mL per day for my 120 DT with about 300 gallons total water volume,.

Thank you so much! What "other plan" would you consider in this case? And do you add the vinegar to the lime water like I will be doing?

 

[RandoReefer]

Thank you so much! What "other plan" would you consider in this case? And do you add the vinegar to the lime water like I will be doing?

Yes you can add the vinegar to lime water solution. I would imagine that another plan would be to start 2 part dosing exclusively, and cut back or stop using vinegar (if you succumb to the issues Randy described.)

On a grander scale, hopefully not stealing your show, I am currently dosing vinegar through my calcium portion of my 2 part. I recently added kalk to my 25gal ATO reservior. I would like to get out of dosing vinegar with calcium solution and utilize my ATO.

Using the calculations above, I would add approximately 4.5cup of vinegar to 25gal of limewater. I could, essentially, dissolve 1.5cup (+2tsp) in the new vinegar/water solution?

Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, some two part is a good potential "other plan".

 

[DFW]

OK, so I will likely, unless told that I should do differently here, put saturated lime water in my top off instead of dripping each night. And then I will dose Randy's 2 part to make up the difference. Or am I better off changing over completely to the 2 part for some reason? I will order from foster and smith. That is the best deal I can find right now. I have been using lime water for 6 years now.

Also, are there any changes to the recipe/recipes using the foster and smith bulk supplies? Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'd keep the limewater in the top off if it can be added slowly enough.

It seems the Foster and Smith bulk stuff is anhydrous (if you can believe their comments about heat released on dissolution). So you need less of them. 20% less of the calcium chloride. Half as much of the magnesium solids.

 

[DFW]

I'd keep the limewater in the top off if it can be added slowly enough.

It seems the Foster and Smith bulk stuff is anhydrous (if you can believe their comments about heat released on dissolution). So you need less of them. 20% less of the calcium chloride. Half as much of the magnesium solids.

Well, if the F&S products go further, and they cost much less than the BRS products, then the F&S stuff is better all the way around!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Well, if the F&S products go further, and they cost much less than the BRS products, then the F&S stuff is better all the way around!

Probably. The only concern is they do not state anything about the purity or grade. BRS does.

 

[DFW]

Probably. The only concern is they do not state anything about the purity or grade. BRS does.

I know where I can get some mag flake at a similar price to foster and smith if that is a known quality. I understand that it is hard to get for a while because of a strike at the dead sea works in Israel. Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don't know that there is any problem with either one. Maybe Dr Foster and Smith has a reasonable grade and they just don't say it.

 

[DFW]

You can dissolve about 3 teaspoons in limewater that includes about 45 mL of vinegar per gallon of limewater.

Randy, thanks again for all of your expertise!

I am mixing the lime water this way - 1 tablespoon lime & 3 tablespoons vinegar to a gallon ro di water - and still seeing a lot of precipitate at the bottom of the container. I am using pickling lime. Should this recipe have all of the lime dissolving? I was hoping that it would! Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

A level tablespoon of lime should mostly dissolve. A little solid remaining isn't a concern.