soda ash dosing tube location. (Precip issue)

[Reef_prop88]

So long story short. I dose soda ash to keep my ph up to an acceptable level and I run a canister filter, so I do not have the option to run the dosing line into a sump. No matter where I put my dosing line in my tank the soda ash turns into snow and ends up covering my rocks. I have got to the point where I just put the lines underwater directly in front of the outlet from my canister filter and just clean the tips occasionally. Does anybody have a way around this? To clarify also... I am talking about it turning into snow not the white poof lol.

Should I just switch to sodium bicarbonate and put my co2 scrubber back online to help correct my ph issue? I quit using it because it jacked my ph up to 8.4 and I though it was my precipitation issue.


Parameters
ph 8.0-8.2
alk 10-10.7( would probably be more stable without the snow lol)
calcium 430-450
mag 1450-1500

 

[MnFish1]

USUALLY, its best for the alkalinity (whether bicarb or carbonate) - to 'drip' into an area of high flow.

Having said that - have you checked your Mg? it should be at a proper level to prevent precipitation (or at least help prevent precipitation). Also - try to separate - either in 'distance' or in 'time' - the dosing of your Ca and alkalinity.

Hope this helps. PS - have you measured your Ca, and alkalinity?

 

[Reef_prop88]

USUALLY, its best for the alkalinity (whether bicarb or carbonate) - to 'drip' into an area of high flow.

Having said that - have you checked your Mg? it should be at a proper level to prevent precipitation (or at least help prevent precipitation). Also - try to separate - either in 'distance' or in 'time' - the dosing of your Ca and alkalinity.

Hope this helps. PS - have you measured your Ca, and alkalinity?

Thanks for the reply. I dose my calcium and alk 30 mins apart hourly. My alk just tested at 10.7 right at lights on. I just tested both calcium and mag right after you asked and calcium is 430-440 (red sea kit) and mag is 1470-1500 (aqua forest)

 

[MnFish1]

Thanks for the reply. I dose my calcium and alk 30 mins apart hourly. My alk just tested at 10.7 right at lights on. I just tested both calcium and mag right after you asked and calcium is 430-440 (red sea kit) and mag is 1470-1500 (aqua forest)

are they going into a high flow area? Could you set your doser such that they are not so close together (timing wise)

 

[MnFish1]

PS - do you have any other pumps/flow in the tank - how big is the tank?

 

[Reef_prop88]

29 gallon tank with a octo pulse 2 on 100% random flow.

 

[Reef_prop88]

are they going into a high flow area? Could you set your doser such that they are not so close together (timing wise)

I had precipitation even when I dosed calcium every few days. Maybe it will help if you know that I dose 52 ml/day red sea sodium carbonate and 19 ml/day red sea calcium. The tank has 17 sps frags (Doing well) and 10 lps frags that are also doing well. All growing.

 

[MnFish1]

29 gallon tank with a octo pulse 2 on 100% random flow.

Curious - is it a 'lot' of precipitate?

 

[Reef_prop88]

Not when I put the nozzle right in front of the canister filter outlet lol even though I still get some buildup on the rocks that way. When I have the nozzles mounted out of the water and it drops into the tank it is alot. Looks like an actual snow storm in there haha. I worry about having my nozzles in the water because eventually I feel like I am going to miss it clogging and my alk is going to crash.

 

[MnFish1]

Not when I put the nozzle right in front of the canister filter outlet lol even though I still get some buildup on the rocks that way. When I have the nozzles mounted out of the water and it drops into the tank it is alot. Looks like an actual snow storm in there haha. I worry about having my nozzles in the water because eventually I feel like I am going to miss it clogging and my alk is going to crash.

It looks like that temporarily for everyone. For example - if you look at some of the BRS videos - when they pour alkalinity in - it looks like snow. But - the flow quickly re-dissolves it. IMHO - you don't have enough flow in the areas where you're dosing - perhaps not enough in the tank in general?

 

[Reef_prop88]

I watched it last time and it seemed like I could see the solidified pieces floating around for more than a few seconds. I might try diluting the alk with ro/di then dosing double. If that doesn’t work I’ll probably switch to bicarb and hook the co2 scrubber up.

 

[MnFish1]

I watched it last time and it seemed like I could see the solidified pieces floating around for more than a few seconds. I might try diluting the alk with ro/di then dosing double. If that doesn’t work I’ll probably switch to bicarb and hook the co2 scrubber up.

What is the goal with the CO2 scrubber? A CO2 scrubber will increase the pH. I do not think that is going to help the issue

 

[Reef_prop88]

When I switch to bicarb and my ph drops I will use the co2 scrubber to keep ph up. When I was running it my ph was .2 higher which is about what it should go down switching to bicarb correct? Thanks for your help so far also!