Kalkwasser - Translates from the German for limewater and is a solution made by dissolving Calcium Hydroxide in water. The resultant fresh solution is alkaline with a pH of 12.4 and contains a ready supply of both Calcium ions and Carbonate ions.

Both of these ions are useful to the aquarist as the Calcium ions are available to the corals and the Carbonate ions help to buffer the pH. There is an added benefit in that kalkwasser also precipitates phosphates from the water.

If the evaporated water loss is replaced with kalkwasser then it will add calcium and offer the other benefits described above. Unfortunately fresh Kalkwasser is unstable and reacts with CO2 in the air rapidly diminishing in the level of free calcium.

For this reason it is necessary to continually make a fresh solution and to keep it away from the atmosphere. This is where the Kalkwasser stirrer comes in to play as it continuously makes up fresh saturated solution as it is used up.

Note that great care must be taken when administering Kalk due to the great affect that it has on the pH of the aquarium.

By connecting the Deltec Kalkwasser stirrer to an automatic water level top-up system the supply of Kalkwasser to the aquarium can be automatic.

The Deltec Kalkwasser Stirrer can be operated in combination with the Deltec Calcium Reactor with positive effects as Kalkwasser compensates for the excess of bicarbonate from the calcium reactor through additional calcium supply.

Acids which are continuously produced in the marine aquaria are neutralized by kalkwasser and the carbonate hardness is stabilised.

An excessive increase in the pH value is avoided by slow addition of the solution via the automatic (top-up system) supply.