Sump Caked with Hard Coating

CaliforniaCrisp · Feb 10, 2015

Good Morning All,

I have a fairly new 110g tank with a eShopps R-300. In my first chamber I have my Skimmer, two intake lines, titanium heater, and my doser (Bubble Magus - Mag, Alk, Cal).

I had an issue with my skimmer last night and I went to take it out to clean it. I noticed the entire first chamber had what looked like grey/brown coralline (clearly wasn't, just trying to describe it). it was all on the bottom, all the walls, and on the heater. I rubbed on it and it flaked off into sheets. I managed to scrape almost all of it off, but I am wondering what is causing this. I am pretty sure it is the doser, but how do you avoid it?

The doser is set up on the side with a air line tube caddy that makes sure none of them touch.

I am afraid this could be the reason I am having so many issues with getting all my parameters stable.

Thank you for any input.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 10, 2015

It sounds like calcium carbonate, and that is not uncommon. Part of my sump where I add limewater gets heavy deposits on the walls over time.

It really isn't an issue most of the time, but the best ways to reduce it as to add the alkalinity additive more slowly, into higher turbulence and higher flow through the area, make sure magnesium is OK, and if you still are worried, switch to a low pH two part recipe that uses baking soda.

I presume that you do not dose the calcium and alkalinity at the exact same time?

CaliforniaCrisp · Feb 11, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
It sounds like calcium carbonate, and that is not uncommon. Part of my sump where I add limewater gets heavy deposits on the walls over time.

It really isn't an issue most of the time, but the best ways to reduce it as to add the alkalinity additive more slowly, into higher turbulence and higher flow through the area, make sure magnesium is OK, and if you still are worried, switch to a low pH two part recipe that uses baking soda.

I presume that you do not dose the calcium and alkalinity at the exact same time?

Thanks Randy,

I checked my mag and it was a little higher than i wanted (1500).

I dose everything at separate times. those the tubes are only spaced 1.5" apart. I am still trying to figure out setting timers on the bubble magus. It only lets you change the hour not the minutes. I will set a new schedule to set them further apart because they are currently 10 min apart i am assuming based on how it should dose..

I scraped it all out and placed a power head pointing directly at the drop zone. I thought having my power-head right there would create enough but i guess not. I am pretty sure this was the cause of the pump burning up in my skimmer (4 months old).

Thanks again for the input! I will keep an eye on things.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 11, 2015

10 min apart should be enough in most cases since I'd guess the water in the sump would have turned over in that time, wouldn't it?

CaliforniaCrisp · Feb 12, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
10 min apart should be enough in most cases since I'd guess the water in the sump would have turned over in that time, wouldn't it?

Yes, It very well should of. I think everything is set now. I just dont think it was enough flow in there and it was causing it to bind together. I dropped the level in my return chamber to create more flow along with dropped a powerhead aiming directly at point of supp entrance. Now time to tackle the other issues and keep an eye on this.

Thank you,
AW