[Ninong]

Originally Posted by jdepp

whats the vinegar for? also what would happen if the white milky kalk mix got into the tank?

The vinegar allows more calcium hydroxide to go into solution. You don't need to bother with this unless you reach a point where using limewater for all of your evaporation replacement is still not keeping up with the calcium demand of your tank.

It is not a good idea to let the white milky kalk mix get into the tank. At least it's not something that I would recommend. It's better to throw the milky precipitate at the bottom of the bucket away. It's mostly precipitated calcium carbonate but it will also have any other impurities (copper, for example) that might have been in your water bound up with it. If you accidentally dose some of the precipitated calcium carbonate into the aquarium it will eventually go back into solution. It's just that it doesn't help anything and too much of it will cause problems. And it could contain impurities.

Don't confuse that with the method that some people use in dosing a slurry of Kalkwasser all at once -- something that I believe should be reserved for really large tanks. I know someone with an 850 gallon tank running a calcium reactor who daily adds a large slurpee cup of freshly mixed kalkwasser slurry directly to the tank in the current from a Tunze Stream powerhead. Because of the size of his tank it seems to go into solution almost instantly. I freaked the first time I saw him do this but he told me he does it all the time with no ill effects. Just a little too scary for me. (P.S. -- I believe Anthony Calfo does that, too.)

[Pomme]

yeah i dont recom i will add it that way as it just seems to be taking risks which arnt needed.