Limewater increases Alkalinity?
 

I currently have a low calclium (340 PPm) and high alkalinity. My PH is
consistently 8.2 . I switched from using limewater to using kent liquid
calcium and stopped adding buffer to let the alkalinity drop. (which is
starting to happen.) I have been reading about the relationship of
limewater to alkalinity and while I have seen that it clearly increases PH,
the literature seems less clear about whether it contributes to alkalinity.
One article said it indirectly contributes to alkalinity (not sure what that
means). Bottom line. If I stop adding buffer and only add limewater, will
my alkalinity keep dropping?

"david" wrote in message
ink.net...
Bottom line. If I stop adding buffer and only add limewater, will
my alkalinity keep dropping?


Only if the amount of Kalk you are adding is not enough to keep up with your
tanks demand. Kalk adds calcium and alk in a balanced ratio. IOW, if you
manage to raise your calcium with it, your alk will have gone up as well.
And, if you are maintaining calcium levels with it, it's likely that your
alk will not go down.

Kev

"david" wrote in message
k.net...
Kev,

So the best thing to do if my calc is low and Alk is OK, is to raise the
calc with a one part calcium until I get it where I want it and then
maintain it with Limewater?


Exactly. Use single part additives to line up Ca/Alk, then manage them with
something balanced (Kalk). Then, over time, you may notice a trend of one
dropping faster than the other. Just keep them in line with occasional
one-part additions.
In my system (which still has parts of a nasty, dirty, 3+ year old DSB in
it), I find that Alk is used up faster than Ca. Reef building corals use
Ca/Alk in balance to build calcium carbonate skeletons. But, algae, and
other lifeforms can dump alot of CO2, and other acidic compounds, into the
system, eating up Alk faster than stony corals alone would. Thus the
imbalance in usage rates.

HTH,
Kev