A cheaper way to CO2 scrub?

[Sisyphus]

As the title suggests, I'm wondering about the chemistry of this suggestion. Insteading of using the CO2 scrubbing media we typically use (around $5/lb), using bulk and cheap calcium hydroxide powder. I realize that it is difficult to pass air through such powder directly, but hear me out. Using existing equipment, the simplest configuration would be to leave a few inches of air above the water in a Kalkstirrer. Air going to the skimmer is bubbled through the water in the kalkstirrer before heading to the skimmer. More advanced configurations might have two sealed chambers joined by a pipe that allows air to pass: one chamber is dry with an air pump that bubbles air into the kalkwasser in the other other chamber. Air from the skimmer enters the dry chamber, and the air space at the top of the mostly wet chamber feeds the skimmer. This configuration does not have the advantage of color changing media, so one would have to rely on one's ph reading to figure when to change the media, but it does seem to win out on price. This is especially so given that the quality of the kalk solution need not be aquarium or food grade, since the kalkwasser will never come into contact with aquarium water. I'm guessing there are flaw in this reasoning. If so, I would be pleased to hear where they are.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I believe Garf as experimented with hydroxide. Might have been someone else.

@Garf

 

[Garf]

since the kalkwasser will never come into contact with aquarium water

LOL. Maybe if you are not daft;

Kalk slurry aeration

…and they dismissed at my (our) attempts at REAL science …. :p:p …. hopefully this will save us some money thanks for inventing/improvising/posting Getting another tank Thursday and gonna feed it with this lamp eventually. I’ve put 710 grms of kalk in the bubbler which should last a few...

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