2 part - alk coming out thick

[Just_Pete]

I just starting dosing BRS two part this week.

Starting slow and steady with a 4ml daily of both cal and alk in my 40g cube. My alk doses at 00:00 and calcium at 09:00. Lights come on around 13:30 and go off at 22:30.

I stayed up one night to see if alk fluid was making it into the return area of my sump and it was (OCD). I noticed that once it hits the water, it turns to a white viscous consistency. Is this normal? Eventually after a few minutes it dissipates but it had me worried. Am I doing this right?

I'm using BRS calcium chloride and soda ash pouches that are mixed in 1 gallon jugs of RODI water, separate obviously.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

that is totally normal. what you are seeing if I remember correctly is carbonate precipitate. ergo.. when the two part hits the water the concentration of carbonate in the water is soo high that some precipitates out of solution.

it is totally normal and will always happen. if it doesn't happen, then you mixed wrong.

cheers

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes, local precipitation of magnesium hydroxide is normal. It will redissolve, but you want to mix it in fast before worse things happen, such calcium carbonate precipitation.

 

[Just_Pete]

that is totally normal. what you are seeing if I remember correctly is carbonate precipitate. ergo.. when the two part hits the water the concentration of carbonate in the water is soo high that some precipitates out of solution.

it is totally normal and will always happen. if it doesn't happen, then you mixed wrong.

cheers

Yes, local precipitation of magnesium hydroxide is normal. It will redissolve, but you want to mix it in fast before worse things happen, such calcium carbonate precipitation.

Thank you gentlemen! Might just be me but it seems like my corals are more happier now