2 part calcium dosing precipitating

[loui]

I am dosing ALK, CAL and MAG using BRS 1.1ML dosing pumps on my RKE controller. I am using BRS CAL and ALK and MAG mixtures.

Each component has a different amount of cycles that last 2 minutes each If I remeber off the top of my head my CAL goes of 10 cycles per day. Cal and ALK are being dosed at different times of the day, CAL dosing happens more at night.

I checked CAL, ALK and MAG yesterday for CAL and ALK i use hanna checkers and MAG I use Salifert.

CAL was 425
ALK was 8.2
and MAG 1300

Ok to my question or problem, I noticed this morning that as soon as my CAL hits the water it precipitates. I always thought that this may happen if my ALK was to low, but at 8.2 I should be pretty good or do I need to bring my ALK up higher? Or am I going in the wrong direction? Tank is SPS dominated.

Thanks

 

[Downbeach]

Are you sure it's not your Alk that you see dosing?

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.php#6

 

[loui]

yep you are right it is ALK that is causing it also my CAL is running they are overlapping each other for a couple of hours could that be an issue at such a small drip rate? Should I be dosing ALK during the day? I think that is where I am going wrong.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The precipitate you are seeing is normal and not a problem. It is magnesium hydroxide that transiently forms when high pH solutions, like the alk additive, hit the water.

But it readily redissolves when mixed in.

I discuss it here:

What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium? by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.htm

from it:

Figure 3. The transient cloud of magnesium hydroxide that forms when high pH additives are added. In this case, the alkalinity portion of B-ionic was added to a fairly still portion of one of my reef aquaria.

 

[loui]

Thanks Randy and Downbeach, this will help me sleep better at night :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing. :)