Homemade Kalkwasser

[Thunderkat]

I was looking at the recepie posted by a guest for homemade kalkwasser (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2004/chem.htm).

I called Dow to see who sells Dowflake and there are no distributors in the state of Texas. The nearest one was in Oklahoma.

I found some calcium hardness increaser (http://www.homedepot.com/prel80HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?keyword=calcium&CNTTYPE=PROD_META&MID=9 876&com.broadvision.session.new=Yes&N=2984&CNTKEY= misc%2fsearchResults.jsp) at Home Depot. Here is the website to Pooltime (http://www.pooltime.com/ABph.asp) for their calcium icreaser. It is 7 pounds of calcium for $9 at Home Depot.

I don't know what the purity on that is or if its Calcium Chloride or Calcium Hyrdoxide.

Four point four pounds of Kalkwasser for aquarium stuff is $30 when you buy Seachem Kalkasser (http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=SC1457).

Anybody here do any pool maintenance and know what the purity of the Pooltime Calcium Hardness Increaser is?

I am sure I am not the only one who has looked into this, anybody find any other solutions?

[StephenA]

Read this tread by GaryP http://www.maast.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=11700

He is the resident Dowflake expert.

[dow]

I"ve always just made mine with Pickling Lime. You can find it at HEB during canning season, and I've heard that Super S has it most of the time. It runs somewhere around $1.50 or $2.00 per one pound can.

[GaryP]

The material we are getting isn't actually Dowflake, its an equivalent product. Dowflake is not Kalk. They are totally different, the only thing they have in common is that they contain calcium. Kalk is Calcium Hydroxide, a caustic material, CaOH2. Dowflake is a salt, Calcium Chloride, CaCl2.

[GaryP]

Correction, I just called the vendor and they are now stocking Dowflake.

[matt]

"Homemade KW?" is just pickling lime. Make sure it says 100% hydrated lime, which is calcium hydroxide.

[brewercm]

I've had pretty good luck finding it at the Super S in Bandera where we lived. Lots of folks into pickling up there. I believe it was called Ms Balls Pickling Lime or something like that. Also found it at the Super Wal-Mart in Kerville I think it was a couple $$s for a 2lb container.

[Polkster13]

It is "Mrs Wages Pickling Lime"

See link (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/).

[dow]

It is "Mrs Wages Pickling Lime"

See link (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/).

The brand sold locally is Ball's. It comes in a green pasteboard can.

[brewercm]

Thunderkat,
Where are you located and will you be going to the meeting. I'm still in the process of moving and can swing by and see if they still have any left at Super S. If so I'd be willing to bring some to you.

What I have is the Ball's brand, same stuff, different maker.

[Thunderkat]

I already ordered some of that pickling line online through Polk's link.

Also if you follow that recepie given in the link and you add the stuff too fast to your tank it makes the water turn so cloudy white you can't see into the tank and the next day everything looks like it has been snowed on. I want to cry every time I see my tank now. :(

[brewercm]

I had an old jar of Kent and just followed their recomended dosing and dosed (dripped through IV style hose) into my sump overnight.

[eric]

Is Ball's "Pickling Salt" completely different? I looked at HEB this evening. this can of pickling salt (2.5 lbs) about $2 and just says 100% pure. Ingredients: salt.

That's not lime, right?

[JEREMY78247]

no its not lime, but it looks just like it, HEB hardly ever has the pickling lime. They'll probably start getting it now and on into the summer months (it's seasonal).

[eric]

I've looked before and seen nothing, since I would have thought this *is* the pickling season, I'd check again and found this which hadn't been there before. I guess I should figure it'd say lime and not salt if it were.

[GaryP]

Pickling season is mid to late summer.