cacification Q

[authentic]

I dose 2 part ,alk at night,cal during the day,my tubes are in a holder on the wall in my sump..i always get a chunk of calcification under the water on the wall where the 2 part enters....yesterday it was 6x1x1....I have flow in the area with an mj pump....is there something particular in my chemistry causing this,,i am concerned because i fell that when i remove it my dosing 120ml/day will cause my parameters to swing

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Most likely it is from adding the alkalinity part too fast without enough turbulence and flow through the sump.

Several things can be done to avoid it, but it generally isn't a huge problem anyway. I had a similar chunk near where my limewater entered. it is just wasted additive.

Switching to sodium bicarbonate (to reduce the local pH where the two part enters), making sure magnesium is adequately high, dosing more slowly, higher flow through the sump, and turbulence inside of it, will all reduce the chances of precipitation.

 

[shaggydoo]

I learned the hard way to dose 2 part and CA carefully. I completely clogged my return plumbing in my last tank by dosing in my sump too close to my return pump. I thought it was a high flow area (I had a big return pump at the time), so it would be ok, nope. I now dose in the main tank in really high flow where I can watch it all disperse.