Bicyclebill Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I'm getting crazy amounts of calcification on my pump impellers and bearings (as in tear down and clean 3 weeks ago and now fully calcified again). My tests show relatively low calcium and alkalinity. Should I dial back dosing and see if it stays the same without the calcification? My conditions are as follows: Alk-7.5 dkh Lamotte Cal-320 Salifert Mag-1300ish Red Sea Pro PH-8ish Salifert My GFO turns almost black and starts getting clumped up and hard too, with total calcification on top of lid, which is how I know it's becoming a problem. Any ideas are welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Flenderson Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 when you say calcification, do you mean coralline algae? you might try another kit to compare alk and calcium readings. I keep my calcium at 500 and alk at 9-9.5. I also scrape my tank alot. 3 weeks to once a month should be considered routine maintenance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefnjunkie Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 With those params you should see hardly any calcification which I understand thats why you started the thread DOH! But have you tested your water using other kits. With KH and Ca that low any calcification is surprising Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MVPaquatics Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 What are you dosing with? Is the dosing output near the pumps in question? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kriz2fer Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Are you dosing kalk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnkrcklives Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 Are you premixing your dosing with tank water? I had a similar problem with my skimmer. I was dosing into that chamber without diluting much first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electrokate Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 what brand of salt are you using? I am having the same problem, very suddenly. Been doing this hobby what 8 years and til like 2 months ago this never happened, and it is in all my tanks which have different parameters and means of dosing. Very concerned as it's costing me pump parts and maybe eventually pumps themselves. I dose the DIY 2 part method, usually daily on the alk and every few on the calcium. Tried diluting the calcium more and dripping slower, but I have done this for years and don't see why it suddenly would produce precipitate. Tried 2 little fishies calcium, no improvement. Went to BRS calcium, can't tell yet if that will make a difference. I don't know when the problem started, just noticed reduced flow til the pumps shut down. Probably took a couple months. During that time I was using either Kent Reef or ESV 4 part salt and RO water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisW Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 Wouldn't the Ca and Alk be low if a lot of precipitation is occurring for some reason? Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bicyclebill Posted September 6, 2012 Author Share Posted September 6, 2012 Sorry, dosing brs 2 part. Here's pic of what i'm talking about. This lid is clear acrylic, but completely covered in what i'm calling calcification. Maybe it's something else? Sent from my MB865 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kriz2fer Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 So you not dosing kalk? Is the 2 part being dosed close to the pump that is feeding that reactor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bicyclebill Posted September 6, 2012 Author Share Posted September 6, 2012 @Chris. No Kalk. Dosing lines are two chambers up from my return pump, so it goes through my refugium first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Flenderson Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 You could stop using the 2 part for a month and if see if the issue is better without it. I would do another cleaning first and a water change and drop the 2 part for a month. You could keep up alk and cal with water changes. Did you ever test calcium with a different kit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smann Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 I didnt read it all but maybe some info here http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bicyclebill Posted September 6, 2012 Author Share Posted September 6, 2012 Steve, the article by Randy Holmes Farley is perfect! Thanks for pointing me to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandinga Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 I had the same issue...I really believe that it has a lot to do with the two part and where you dose it...I was dosing it in the chamber just before my return pump...that chamber would get covered with the calcium concrete buildup...it would ruin impeller after impeller on my skimmer and return pump which shared that chamber. For some reason though it wouldn't build up in the tank...or on any of my vortechs in the main display...I think it's a combination of things that cause the buildup, though I could never solve the issue...I was dosing brs. Salt was kent, but I switched to h2ocean and the same thing happened, Frustrating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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