Precipitation around heater

[tram]

Hi, I’m just setting up a reefer 250 . At the moment I’m just running heater and pumps but planning to cycle it next week after the hols. Already there is a lot of scale covering the heater and loose bits on the sump floor under heater.
Any suggestions to sort the issue.

Red Sea reefer 250l
Eheim 200w heater set at 25C controlled by GHL Profilux 4
Red Sea coral pro salt

Thanks
Tony

 

[Tautog]

Any pics ?
Are you using R/O water only?

 

[tram]

I used RODI Water to make up the salt solution. I can provide a photo later when I get home

 

[mtraylor]

pic would help as suggested above.

 

[tram]

Not easy to see but grayish flakes that have fallen off heater.

T

 

[Lasse]

What´s your calcium and magnesium level? Its probably calcium carbonate (limestone).
Heat will favour this type of precipitation.
Try to have a better water movement around the heater in order to get the surface temperature of the heater down.

Fine tuning
Have the probe in the same apartment as the heater
If you wan´t the heater to work in a very stable way - use the pulse variable/pause fixed mode instead of 2 position mode (on/off). You will find this option in the temp probes apartment in GCC. Look for the controller mode settings. Start with 5 minutes on - 30 sek of. Hysteris -> lowest aviable

Be sure that you have checked the expert mode in the view menu of the GCC

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, precipitation of calcium carbonate on heaters is normal when using a higher alk salt mix.

 

[tram]

Fine tuning
Have the probe in the same apartment as the heater
If you wan´t the heater to work in a very stable way - use the pulse variable/pause fixed mode instead of 2 position mode (on/off). You will find this option in the temp probes apartment in GCC. Look for the controller mode settings. Start with 5 minutes on - 30 sek of. Hysteris -> lowest aviable

Be sure that you have checked the expert mode in the view menu of the GCC

Sincerely Lasse

Thanks for the tip, I've adjusted GCC as instructed.
FYI the temp probe is in the same compartment as the heater, the heater is down flow of the probe.

T

 

[Lasse]

This way of controlling give a very stable temperature. You maybe have to play with pulse time and pause time. The pause time will be constant but the actual pulse time will adjust around how close you are to the nominal value. If you ar a long way from it - it will run for the whole pulse time - wait the paus time to be sure - star a new pulse. When you get closer to the nominal value - the actual pulse will be shorter but the waiting time will be the same.

If you have a good mix in the apartment with heater and probe - it does not affect the paus time - but if the heated water has to go up in the aquarium first you maybe have to use a prolonged paus time. To avoid overheating its good to have some mixing in the apartment

Sincerely Lasse