Don't understand what this stuff is??

[Sea Turtle]

Hi everyone,

I have recently been having some problems with a light tan deposit that is forming inside my pumps and in the sump. I really can desribe it as anything other than tan cement. Almost is like coraline algae but tan and very hard like stone. I have to chizzel this stuff off. It seizes up the pumps after a month or two and then I have to take them apart and clean them out again. What could this be?? Has anyone ever seen this?

I have to be honest with you, before I was knowlegeable about this stuff, I would use epsom salt to add magnesium. Do you think that this could be the problem?

 

[Ben1]

Well sounds like some build up of calcium carbonates in the pump. I clean all my pumps once every 6 months in a vinager bath to keep them full functioning. The build up could be from a number of reasons but if you drip kalk into your sump or have two part going into you sump by your pumps intake it might be building up faster then normal.

 

[kgross]

Yup.

sounds like a CaCO3 precipitate. What is your calcium/alk and magnesium levels in your tank?

Kim

 

[Sea Turtle]

I recently ran out of Alk test solution so I can not test for that. However, my Ca is 320 and Mg is 1400. I would guess that my Alk is around 10.

Yes, I do drip Kalk very close to the return pump. Is there any way around this?

Also, how strong of a vinigar bath should I use. 100%?

 

[kgross]

A 50% vinger bath will do a good job of cleaning stuff up.

Have you had your values tested by somebody else to make sure you are getting good values? If find it hard to believe that with a dKh of 10, and Ca 320 you are having problems with ppt. What happens if you add some of the calcium supplement to raise the level up to say 400? does the ca drop back down to 320 in 30 minutes, 1 hour 1 day or what?

 

[Sea Turtle]

No, I have not had my water tested by someone else. I really can't tell you for sure what my dKH is since I ran out of testing solution a few weeks ago. I am guessing it is around 10. I have usually kept it around 7 but recently my ca has been going down which leads me to believe that I may be overdoing the dKH a little bit. I could be wrong it could be off the chain. Will a lfs do a full test or do I have to send it somehwere?

 

[kgross]

Most LFS's will do Ca/Alk and some will do Mag if they are reef stores.

I though you were only adding balanced supplements though? Kalk is balanced so your Ca should not be dropping while your alk goes up. The B-ionic if dosed evenly is balanced so again your Ca should not go down while your Alk goes up.

If you can't find somebody local, you can send me a water sample and I can run the tests for you.

Kim

 

[Sea Turtle]

Thanks. I do have a local reef store that might do it for me. I'll ask him. I was thinking that maybe my LiterMeterIII might not be calibrated perfectly. I was under the impression that adding too much component 1 -Alkalinity would counter affect compnent 2 -calcium. No?

 

[kgross]

Depends.

If you are adding close to the same amount of each component the levels should stay in balance. If you are adding them in a way which is creating a ppt, both levels should go down and then when you add more both levels should go back up. If you had a major problem with ppt, both Ca and Alk should both be low, not just the ca.

Kim

 

[Sea Turtle]

I am adding them in equally. maybe I should recalibrate my dosing system. I just know that I shouldn't be having this problem.

 

[kgross]

Very true, you should not be having these problems. I would suggest trying a recalibrate and double check that both pumps are set the same.

Kim

 

[Sea Turtle]

Will do. i will aslo get back to you again tomorrow with the test results.

 

[kgross]

Sounds good to me

Kim