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Author Topic: Calcium precipitation  (Read 9241 times)

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Offline SweetReefOH

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Calcium precipitation
« on: November 01, 2017, 17:05:53 »
Can anyone tell what, besides low magnesium, would cause a lot of calcium precipitate? I have had my magnesium under control for a little over a week now but my calcium is drastically all over the place. I was dosing up to 540mL CaChl after I noticed the Mg problem. By this past weekend, I was maintaining a 450 Calc reading so I slowly brought the dosing down to 320. The last couple days I’ve had to bump the Ca dosing up 40mL each day because it’s hanging at 370-380. I can clearly see precipitation on my heater, skimmer and back glass. Am I missing something here or should I just keep increasing the Ca dosing until it levels off again??? I’m growing really frustrated....

Offline Humphrey

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2017, 18:04:37 »
High PH I think. Do you use Kalkwasser?

What is your ALK?


Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2017, 18:19:18 »
I use a CO2 scrubber. My daily pH swing is 8.09-8.4. I use BRS Soda ash; BRS Ca Chl; BRS 2 part Mg. I had a really stable system until 2 weeks ago when I hadn’t tested my Mg for a while and it had dropped to 1080. I was dosing close to 600 mL Calc just to maintain 360 calcium. I’ve since started dosing Mg and have resolved the Mg issue but now have salinity issues. I’m wondering if my Mg dosing and adding top off water is directly lowering my Calc (by diluting the calcium ratio). Therefore I am going to have to dose more?

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2017, 18:25:29 »
I may be over the precipitation. I really have no way to gauge it as I’m new to understanding it. I cleaned my heater off today. I’ll see what it looks like tomorrow I guess.

Offline Humphrey

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2017, 19:14:15 »
What's your current Alkalinity (DKH), magnesium, salinity, calcium? 

Randy Homes Farley has some good articles on the relationship of these elements and the tactics to bring them back into alignment.  I think in reefkeeper magazine. But regardless if you google him you might find the info you need.

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #5 on: November 01, 2017, 19:22:32 »
1.026 9.6  Calc=380 Mg=1320

Offline Humphrey

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #6 on: November 01, 2017, 21:35:16 »
Those look good.  Sounds like you’re further along than I had assumed.

I was wondering if your ALK was low and holding up your calcium.  Your going to get some precipitate pushing the calcium up relative to your ALK from where you were. Wasted calcium and dusty heaters not a huge deal fortunately. You should be pretty close to the right proportional line now I’d think.

May need to push it up a little more and then you’ll be back to equal soda ash and calcium.

Offline lazylivin

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2017, 09:36:01 »
Are you dosing manually or with a pump? If manually dilute the dose in RO/DI water so when you add you don't see any precipitate when pouring it in. If dosing automatically have a small pump in the sump where it is dosing. Watch the dosing closely to be sure it isn't precipitating as it is dripping into sump. More often than not that is the cause in addition to the low mag.

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #8 on: November 02, 2017, 18:13:37 »
I’m using the apex DOS. Out of curiosity, if the Calc solution is precipitating when it hits the water, what will it look like? I took some Calc solution out of my container and manually dripped 10mL in a lower flow area. I didn’t see anything but a little of the “heat on pavement” look of the solution mixing with the saltwater.

Offline lazylivin

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #9 on: November 02, 2017, 20:42:42 »
 My bad I was thinking alkalinity although you were talking about calcium.

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #10 on: November 03, 2017, 07:45:05 »
No, I’m having trouble maintaining Calc. Since the Mg deficiency a couple weeks ago, I’ve had to dose almost double Calc solution. I am now up to 560mL/day just to maintain a 370 reading.

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #11 on: November 03, 2017, 07:45:43 »
My alk dosing is steady at 360mL/day

Offline lazylivin

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #12 on: November 03, 2017, 13:16:11 »
Can you share a full tank shot? That seems like an incredible amount for the coral mass you have. I would have expected it to be in the 100-150ml range. But I haven't seen a recent full tank shot.

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #13 on: November 03, 2017, 14:44:15 »


There are a total of 57 frags in the tank. Probably 35 SPS, 10 LPS and the rest Zoas or softies.

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #14 on: November 03, 2017, 15:23:22 »
My dosing was a lot lower before adding the CO2 Scrubber and leaving the window cracked. It has increased drastically over the last month and a half.

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #15 on: November 03, 2017, 16:43:33 »
So, my Calc reading yesterday was 370. So I bumped the dosing up 100 mL to 560mL/day. Came home today and tested at the same time and the Calc reading was 380. I am going to bump it up another 100 to 660mL. There is still no precipitate on the heater that I cleaned off the other day. I’m at a loss.

Offline lazylivin

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #16 on: November 03, 2017, 19:18:17 »
Do you have a pump where your dosing? If not you may want to try that. Can you check a corner or two in your display tank to see if they sand is hard?

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #17 on: November 03, 2017, 21:06:37 »
I dose alk into the overflow chamber where there is high flow. I dose Calc into the return chamber.

Yes, the sand clumped in a few spots when my Mg was low. It hasn’t been clumping since I started testing/regulating my Mg. The Calc doesn’t appear to be precipitating anymore. As evidenced from me cleaning the heater off 3 days ago and have not seen the precipitate come back to that area. Will it just take some extra dosing for a while before the Calc consumption comes back to normal?

Offline lazylivin

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #18 on: November 03, 2017, 22:23:46 »
There is defintley massive precipitation going on. The dosing is 3x-4x what it should be. As far as showing on your heaters, that doesnt show overnight. Takes months

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #19 on: November 03, 2017, 22:37:06 »
How long does it take after you get the Mg stable? It’s been two weeks. I just took my skimmer apart and it was a mess.

Offline lazylivin

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #20 on: November 03, 2017, 23:45:15 »
When the precipitation stops the amount required to maintain proper levels would drop immediatley. Until that drop occurs the problem causing it is still present.

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #21 on: November 03, 2017, 23:52:56 »
Any ideas? I’ve been doing full tests every day for two weeks. Everything is stable but the Calc.

Offline lazylivin

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #22 on: November 04, 2017, 10:02:43 »
 Yes, add a pump where your dosing.

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #23 on: November 04, 2017, 16:18:03 »
500 GPH circulation pump added to my 8X18 return/dosing chamber at 3pm. Fingers crossed 🤞

Offline lazylivin

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Re: Calcium precipitation
« Reply #24 on: November 04, 2017, 20:41:04 »
Fingers and toes crossed

 

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