Saltwater Aquarium Guide -- Fast Facts

	Fast Facts (page 26) Why does adding a little vinegar to Kalkwasser help in the reef building? Don't go hog-wild on the Vinegar from the start until you are sure your tank needs it and will take it without experiencing radical changes in pH, Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium, and the health of your critters and your Nitrifying bacteria. Measure ph, Alk, Calcium, Magnesium, and Nitrates with test kits as you work up to more Vinegar. Observe your livestock, especially if you have any really delicate corals or fish, to see that they behave normally as you use more Vinegar.

	Work up from 5-10 ml over a couple of weeks to a max of 12-15 ml per quart. If you are feeling brave or really need lots of extra Calcium and de-Nitrate action, a max of 24-30 ml (the stoichiometric (perfect mixture) amount for Bicarbonate).

	By using the correct amount of Vinegar, you can mix to your heart's content right in the container, and don't need to worry as much about dripping the solution slowly into the tank. You have already driven the reaction all the way to the desired outcome, and provided ample CO2 to produce a balance of free Calcium ions and free Bicarbonate ions. This, incidentally, is why Kalk is said to be "ionically balanced" it produces a one-to-one balance between Calcium and Alkalinity. By adding Vinegar to Kalkwasser is one of the few win-win situations for reefers, it has a great up side and with no down side to doing it. Very few reefers do it, most likely the lack of understanding of the chemistry behind it maybe, but a lot more are starting now that some respected reef writers have discovered it and have recommended it and even written up detailed instructions for it. Again, remember to test the pH, Magnesium, Alkalinity, and Calcium to check up on your Kalk dripping progress, it's all related.





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