Balls lime

[DonW]

Last week after the switch to Ball's pickling lime. I bought the entire stock at Wally world. Now that I have all this lime my skimmer is going nuts. Just bubbles over wet and clear. I've turned it all the way down and reduced the flow. I have'nt changed a thing. Dosing the same as the Kent kalk and same amount. Could this be the lime or something else.

Any Ideas?

Thanks
Don

 

[Witfull]

hmm, i use balls and my skimmer is working fine, thick and rich and ohhh so tasty.

how long are you letting it settle before dripping? one thing i have noticed is that the setimet is finer than other kalks, i have my drip tube about 2 inches from the bottom, and let it sit for at least 3 hours before starting drip.

 

[DonW]

I mix it in a 5g bucket for 5min with a power-head let it set over night. I then use a diy nurse tank to top-off. It does seem to disolve better than the Kent but is brown/yellow by comparison. May not be the lime, its just the only thing that has changed.

Don

 

[Witfull]

how much are you adding to the bucket? i use 2 tbs to a 4g H20.

 

[DonW]

how much are you adding to the bucket? i use 2 tbs to a 4g H20.

3/4 tsp per gallon just enough to keep the ph up.

Don

 

[Witfull]

hmmm,,,,,,,

 

[NaH2O]

Ditto on the hmmmm......where do you have it dripping? near the skimmer?

 

[Ed Hahn]

Someone gave the reciepe for 1 tsp per gallon. You make it in the mourning with Ro or Ro/Di water. You shake it up really good. You let it sit until night. Then you drip it about 1 drop per sec. I would refill the same jug without adding lime with Ro or Ro/di water the following night and shake it up and do the same thing. I used a simple one gallon rubbermaid jug with a air valve to adjust the flow into the tank with air line. The air valve was usually about a inch off the bottom of jug on the side. I hope this helps.

 

[Witfull]

i will reuse my mix once, then i will dump and start fresh.

 

[DonW]

Ditto on the hmmmm......where do you have it dripping? near the skimmer?

No my skimmer is fed by the tank overflow. I dose with all top off using a nurse and have done this for months with no problems. If I stop the the dkh fall very fast. I do an extra drip at night to keep ph up, but also have not changed my way of doing things.
I guess I'll have to take the skimmer apart, maybe something went hay wire with the impellor.

Wit, I'm not that sanitary with the kalk bucket. I only clean it out once a month. But I use about 4 gallons per day to match the evap rate to keep the dkh up.

Thanks
Don

 

[Illusion]

I have always heard that Balls lime wasnt all that clean in comparrison... I have used Mrs. Wages without any issues as I was told before hand that The balls stuff was pretty dirty... It very well could be the Lime.. Do you have any other stuff you can use to see if the Skimmer stops???

James

 

[DonW]

I have always heard that Balls lime wasnt all that clean in comparrison... I have used Mrs. Wages without any issues as I was told before hand that The balls stuff was pretty dirty... It very well could be the Lime.. Do you have any other stuff you can use to see if the Skimmer stops???

James

I could pick-up some Kent if the impellor looks ok. Come to think of it, I am missing a little purple psudochromis. Maybe he's in there :razz: .

 

[DonW]

I figured it out. I think it was my daily vitamin that I misplaced. I remember setting it on top of the tank .

Don

 

[Witfull]

baaa haaaaaa