white stuff after kalkwasser added !

[fnscasey]

Y sometime when i drip Calcium Hydroxide solution (Kalkwasser) to my tank, white stuff forming at the surface of my tank ? ( CO2 not enough ? kalkwasser get wasted ? )

What should i do instead if such things happen again ?

[Achilles Tang]

Can you be more descriptive about the white stuff on the surface of the water?

It could be snow flakes, cotton buds, cream puffs, semen, shaving cream, or even paint.... Did it disappear? After how long? Did it stay? Is it hard? Is it affecting your livestock? What are your concerns exactly?

Also, what did you exactly do in preparing your kalkwasser for dripping?

Sorry.. but I just want to highlight that if you want quick immediate answers, please provide a lot more details in your questions.

Thanks,

AT

[kschew1498]

hahaha semens hahahaha

[Tanggy]

semens, think that should be water soluble. Wonder if it contains heavy metal, copper, zinc etc..... but look one the other side, got millions of them swimming in the TANK!! ke ke ke.....

[Achilles Tang]

plankton.

[kschew1498]

semens, think that should be water soluble. Wonder if it contains heavy metal, copper, zinc etc..... but look one the other side, got millions of them swimming in the TANK!! ke ke ke.....

Wonder the corals like them?? Hahahahaha then can save some money and no need those stupid DT la....Marine Snow la....hahaha

Pai say enough already hor Chew

[Tanggy]

plankton. 

Highly doubt that millions of planktons live in semens. Unless the originator got things growing or maybe a refugrium to supply the semen!! ke ke ke........

[Achilles Tang]

Apologies to fnscasey, this got kinda out of hand!

[junyong84]

try a stir?

[fishchemist]

Since Kalk is Calcium hydroxide, I think it is a common effect of some insoluble hydroxides or carbonates, since it is white it might be magnesium hydroxides, Calcium carbonate? The concentration of these ions are high in region when the solution is added hence precipitation tends to occur. But it should soon dissolve as there is a usual strong flow of water in the aquarium. Please coorect me if I'm wrong. Cheers

[blueheaven]

its probably the precipitate of the chemical reaction of limewater with carbon dioxide

[fishchemist]

Which is calcium carbonate, isn't it? Since marine aquarium is alkaline, atmospheric CO2(an acidic oxide) tends to react react/dissolve in the the solution, resulting in the formation of carbonate. However, there are other sources of carbonate in the aquarium eg the LR.

[fnscasey]

Not sure if this is the answer to it ?

kalkwasser in depth !

When Calcium Hydroxide solution (Kalkwasser) is slowly dripped into your aquarium, it captures free Carbon Dioxide present in the tank water and converts it to Bicarbonate ions (which is a good thing), like this:

Ca++ + 2(OH-) + 2(CO2) <==> Ca++ + 2(HCO3-)

If you drip too fast or if there is not enough Carbon Dioxide available in the water, your shiny new Bicarbonate ions will be converted to Carbonate ions (a bad thing), like this:

Ca++ + 2(OH-) + 2(HCO3-) <==> Ca++ + 2(CO3--) + 2 H2O

The Carbonate ions formed will make the Ca++ you are trying to add to your tank get wasted by the useless precipitation of Calcium Carbonate -- the white stuff you are seeing.

So, too rapid addition of Kalk may actually cause the Calcium and Alkalinity in your tank to go DOWN instead of UP (a bad thing), like this:

Ca++ + 2(HCO3-) + Ca++ + 2(OH-) <==> 2 CaCO3 + 2 H2O

In the above reaction, a Calcium ion and two Bicarbonate ions from the aquarium combine to form solid calcium carbonate -- the white stuff you are getting in your tank, which is really just a kind of sand.

This can happen even with a slow drip of Kalk if there is not enough CO2 in your water -- something you can't easily control.

[fnscasey]

Just wanna find out from u guys here who setup marine without sump.

what you guys use or ways to DIY to drip the kalkwasser to the tank !

[ervine]

what you guys use or ways to DIY to drip the kalkwasser to the tank !

Use a big plastic bottle, puncture a small hole and drip the kalk... easiest method but prob have to do manually everynight...

If not go for a Kalk Reactor... I just finished DIY-ing my super cheapo one... might post soon see how first, need to make sure I fix all the leaks..

[fishchemist]

Not sure if this is the answer to it ?

kalkwasser in depth !

Thats what I meant. Agree!

[fishchemist]

Use a big plastic bottle, puncture a small hole and drip the kalk... easiest method but prob have to do manually everynight...

If not go for a Kalk Reactor... I just finished DIY-ing my super cheapo one... might post soon see how first, need to make sure I fix all the leaks..

You are really capable! Seen your posting about DIY MH lights. Can DIY nearly everything. Well done! And also thanks for generously sharing your DIY stuff on the forum. I had learnt much. Cheers

[fishchemist]

Not sure if this is the answer to it ?

kalkwasser in depth !

However, on the part about the pH going down , IMO it is unlikely because the OH- mainly comes from the Kalk solution that is added. But surely agree with the Ca2+ being wasted as in the ppt(precipitate) form, it is not made available to the corals. Since the marine tank is alkaline, the possibility of the solid carbonate dissolving is low. So as good as not adding.

Sand is a type of silicate and does not contain really contain CaCO3. However, some rocks and corals do contain contains CaCO3.=> not really impt, just feel like saying something

[lightningstrike]

juz buy a plastic cotainer with a cap. drill a hole in the cap and another hole about 5 to 10 cm from the bottom. insert a on / off valve at the bottom hole. seal wif silicon or super glue. add in kalk solution and control the flow thru the on off valve. presto!!! ur diy kalk dripper.