Trenton Henderson
Active Member
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2022
- Messages
- 210
- Reaction score
- 100
- Location
- Knoxville
- What state or country do you live in
- Tennessee
Hey all!
I have posted on the forum several times over the year about my battles with abiotic precipitation when I was using my CO2 scrubber and my pH was at about 8.3. At the time, I had undetectable nitrates and phosphates, which have now been elevated for about a month. My nitrates have been 5-10 ppm and my phosphates have been 0.03-0.05 ppm. My magnesium also sits between 1350 and 1400 ppm.
With the CO2 scrubber removed, I get a pH of about 8.05, which is not terrible, but it could be better. My alkalinity has actually been rising slowly, due in part to new rock added to the tank (I think), and it is about 9.7 dKH as of this morning.
My question is ultimately this: if the tank used to have really bad abiotic precipitation whenever the pH was elevated to about 8.3 with the CO2 scrubber, but at the time, the phosphates and nitrates were very low, preventing blockage of the calcium carbonate crystals, would it be wise to attempt it again with the improvement of the nutrients in the tank? I do have a handful of frags in the tank now (sensitive ones include a Green Slimer, Green Birdsnest, and a Meteor Shower Cyphastrea), so I don't want to create massive swings like it used to.
Thanks!
I have posted on the forum several times over the year about my battles with abiotic precipitation when I was using my CO2 scrubber and my pH was at about 8.3. At the time, I had undetectable nitrates and phosphates, which have now been elevated for about a month. My nitrates have been 5-10 ppm and my phosphates have been 0.03-0.05 ppm. My magnesium also sits between 1350 and 1400 ppm.
With the CO2 scrubber removed, I get a pH of about 8.05, which is not terrible, but it could be better. My alkalinity has actually been rising slowly, due in part to new rock added to the tank (I think), and it is about 9.7 dKH as of this morning.
My question is ultimately this: if the tank used to have really bad abiotic precipitation whenever the pH was elevated to about 8.3 with the CO2 scrubber, but at the time, the phosphates and nitrates were very low, preventing blockage of the calcium carbonate crystals, would it be wise to attempt it again with the improvement of the nutrients in the tank? I do have a handful of frags in the tank now (sensitive ones include a Green Slimer, Green Birdsnest, and a Meteor Shower Cyphastrea), so I don't want to create massive swings like it used to.
Thanks!
