Lunchbucket, I've been using agriculural hydrate lime for about a year on my 400 gallon system. the stuff I use states its certified for manicipal water treatment systems. 50 pound bag cost less than $10 and I've hardly made a dent in it. Can't compare it to using KALKWASSER since I've never used any thing labled "KALKWASSER". For me the lime dosen't meet all my calcium needs so I do supliment at about half the rate I use on one of my other systems that doens't use a lime water drip. I can't really tell the difference between the different systmem except the lime water is a lot cheaper. I've used about $2.00 worth of lime over the last year to meet half my Calcium needs for 400 gallons with SPSs.
So I got some Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime, now what?
- Thread starter tetra
- Start date
Hydrated lime is also known as quick lime or calcium oxide, CaO. It's the precursor to calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2. They both do the same thing -- produce calcium and hydroxide ions upon dissolution in water. Calcium hydroxide is nothing more than calcium oxide hydrated with 1 molecule of water per molecule of calcium oxide. If I remember right, Randy Holmes-Farley also uses quick lime from the ag store.
fwiw
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fwiw
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cool...i should have thought about the chem and i could have seen that...guess that is why i am not a chem major!!
sweet so it will work!! wonder how pure it is. i live in South Dakota your friendly agricultural state in the North...and that stuff is easy to find. a guy at work uses it to "disinfect" his barn is what he said...i don't know. he said 50lbs is like $6!!! can't beat that!!
also, he said it is like a crystal? is that true? also what rate would be the same as 1 1/2 tsp of kalk? same amount?
might have to go get some after work today!! never mind i have 3lbs of pickeling lime left....ok i will use that up first!!
later
Lunchbucket
sweet so it will work!! wonder how pure it is. i live in South Dakota your friendly agricultural state in the North...and that stuff is easy to find. a guy at work uses it to "disinfect" his barn is what he said...i don't know. he said 50lbs is like $6!!! can't beat that!!
also, he said it is like a crystal? is that true? also what rate would be the same as 1 1/2 tsp of kalk? same amount?
might have to go get some after work today!! never mind i have 3lbs of pickeling lime left....ok i will use that up first!!
later
Lunchbucket
The ratio that you add pickling lime to water is the same as the commercial grades of kalkwasser -- about 1.5 tsp/gal. The commercial grades of kalkwasser from the LFS are 99% pure and the pickling lime from the grocery is like 98%. The added 1% is in different oxides that are insoluble at high pH's such as you would find in kalkwasser.
Assuming the same bulk density for both calcium oxide powder and calcium hydroxide powder, it will take a little less calcium oxide (quick lime) to make a saturated solution than calcium hydroxide (pickling lime). I'd say go initially with the same volume amount and see whether or not everything dissolves. If it all dissolves, add a little more until no more will dissolve. It will form a saturated solution the same as kalkwasser. Be warned that dissolving calcium oxide in water will evolve heat, so add it slowly and carefully.
I have never tried quick lime from the ag store so proceed at your own risk. Some may be good, some may be bad based on the impurities in the product. I just don't know. You may want to call the manufacturer and see if you can get a technical data sheet on it or something just to verify that everything's OK with the product before you use it. I know Randy uses a specific brand, but what that brand is I have no clue.
hth
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Assuming the same bulk density for both calcium oxide powder and calcium hydroxide powder, it will take a little less calcium oxide (quick lime) to make a saturated solution than calcium hydroxide (pickling lime). I'd say go initially with the same volume amount and see whether or not everything dissolves. If it all dissolves, add a little more until no more will dissolve. It will form a saturated solution the same as kalkwasser. Be warned that dissolving calcium oxide in water will evolve heat, so add it slowly and carefully.
I have never tried quick lime from the ag store so proceed at your own risk. Some may be good, some may be bad based on the impurities in the product. I just don't know. You may want to call the manufacturer and see if you can get a technical data sheet on it or something just to verify that everything's OK with the product before you use it. I know Randy uses a specific brand, but what that brand is I have no clue.
hth
liquid
Is all pickling lime created equal? I know this thread specifically mentions the Mrs. Wages, but I would assume that hydrated lime is hydrated lime right?
I found the Ball brand, that others suggested,(see below) at my local grocery store. The ingredients say "Hydrated Lime", that is all. This should be fine I would assume? I did notice that it is perhaps a shade darker than Kalkwasser (anyone know why...? just not quite as pure?), and of course A LOT cheaper.
I found the Ball brand, that others suggested,(see below) at my local grocery store. The ingredients say "Hydrated Lime", that is all. This should be fine I would assume? I did notice that it is perhaps a shade darker than Kalkwasser (anyone know why...? just not quite as pure?), and of course A LOT cheaper.
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