Did I make a display reactor?

[Sits Unafraid]

So the past few days my water has been cloudy in my nano. I’ve been contemplating a variety issues like algae blooms and such, and then I realized much of the fine particles that keep acumulating appear like sand/rock rubble.



So I tested calcium and KH Last night.
Calcium about 420, and KH 13
So my question is, when I started this several months ago... end of May ish. I used very dry very dead rock, and I haven’t added anything that has induce coralline growth. Is my rock essentially weathering away withought new coralline growth or corals. I’ve basically been trying to get this stabilized before adding new stuff but now I’m afraid my rock is deteriorating. Is my tank essentially a big display calcium reactor? Nutrients seem to be on the low end of the test kit color spectrum where I can’t really tell the exact # bioload is one emerald crab and a clown goby.



PH has been dipping a little the past 2 days as well.

 

[CNDReef]

What are you using for test kits?
Your kh ( Alk ) is a bit high.

 

[Sits Unafraid]

Just some API test kits.
I’ve not been concerned with testing for alk till I noticed the sediment on the bare bottom. But yeah since it’s at 13
My thought is all my rock with the flow through the tank and no inverts (except a crab and 4 snails) or corals to produce skeletons and such, is just creating a rock soup.

FTS
Ps. Just a plain bulb on top so my phone can take pics.

 

[Sits Unafraid]

Trying to post video because it will help but I need to convert it from my iPhone file type I think.

 

[CNDReef]

That water looks very cloudy. Bacterial bloom maybe. Calcium reactors work off of low ph. ~6.5 your ph shouldn’t cause breakdown of calcium. Are you feeding the tank anything so the bacteria doesn’t die off?

 

[14 foot reef]

Still amazes me people spend all this money on their systems, and they rely on API test kits.......Salifert Hanna or Red Sea for the best trusted results.

 

[Sits Unafraid]

That water looks very cloudy. Bacterial bloom maybe. Calcium reactors work off of low ph. ~6.5 your ph shouldn’t cause breakdown of calcium. Are you feeding the tank anything so the bacteria doesn’t die off?

Well I have a Goby and an emerald crab. I actually hand feed them with tongs (food is, mash a clove of garlic and then fine chop frozen brine in the oil/juice) with tongs, but also allow some of the food to escape into the tank. And yes the water is very cloudy which is my main concern. I didn’t know if water flow in the presence of plain rock and no coralline would start to wear it down. Currently I’m not running a skimmer, just a fuge, filter socks, and DIY carbon bags.
Any thoughts on the bacterial bloom possibility?

Still amazes me people spend all this money on their systems, and they rely on API test kits.......Salifert Hanna or Red Sea for the best trusted results.

Well it was the option at LFS, probably old and expired too. Honestly I haven’t been corncerned with testing alk much at all yet, but thanks for the input.

 

[CNDReef]

Have you tested nitrates?
Does the water smell fouled?
When was your last water change?

 

[Sits Unafraid]

well If you dare consider API worth looking at, lol it’s currently between 0 and 5 ppm.
(I can’t tell the difference)

50% ish water change earlier this week when I switched to a new Reef octopus return pump. Which I ran in tap water for a bit, then flushed through with RODI water.
No foul smell I can detect.

 

[CNDReef]

Do you have access to a uv filter?
If you don’t you could try dosing hydrogen peroxide, just search on the forum for recommendations. I think it’s 1 ml per 10g
That should help clear out that bloom.
#reefsquad assistance

 

[CNDReef]

I actually always buy api when I set up a new tank since I’ll be testing a lot and doesn’t have to be precise.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

No, at 7.78 pH, your rock isn't dissolving. That doesn't happen til a pH of around 7.5 or 7.6. For what it's worth, the typical pH inside a calcium reactor is between 6.5 and 6.8. You're miles above that.

 

[Sits Unafraid]

Thanks everyone for helping me with this.
Unfortunately I don’t have a UV sterilizer, or space to add one for that matter. The next step was actually looking into peroxide dosing.
And I guess should just clearify,
I guess I’m not really concerned with the chemical process of breaking down rock like in a reactor and adding co2 etc. I was more curious if a mechanical/physical erosion of the rock is a concern as there is periodically a sand/fine rock like sediment, that is not just food particulate build up, on the bottom of the glass. This is my first bare bottom tank so maybe I just never realized how typical that build up is. Maybe just precipitant from salt mix. Thanks again for the input. Now to look more closely at potential blooms.

 

[GoVols]

Calcium reactors work off of low ph. ~6.5 your ph shouldn’t cause breakdown of calcium.

FWIW:

It not OP's problem, (but...That's just an broad statement..) my Cal Reactor started melting the Reborn media with Apex Fusion / at an 7.4 on and 7.3 off setting.
Right now my average melting point is right at 7.0 inside the reactor.

Just passing that along.