Alk tuning to flake?

[Notsolostfish]

I dose all for reef, and some red sea alk. Hourly small amount to keep things stable. And i dose them ofc not together seperate hours. However i noticed that even if im not dosing them hourly. My alk turns to tiny flakes when its been dosed? Im genuinely getting concerned?

I changed the hose area to my skimmer middle chamber somewhere with my flow and it workd while leaving afr in the same return chamber. I was dosing both at the same chamber different hours. But any idea why the flakes?

 

[rtparty]

If it’s soda ash based you will have precipitation where it is dosed. Needs to be dosed into a high flow area to help with this

 

[Notsolostfish]

If it’s soda ash based you will have precipitation where it is dosed. Needs to be dosed into a high flow area to help with this

Concerned

 

[rtparty]

Says right on the box it’s carbonate based

 

[Notsolostfish]

Says right on the box it’s carbonate based

Whats that means? Its normal? What happening? Confused

 

[rtparty]

Whats that means? Its normal? What happening? Confused

Sodium carbonate is also called soda ash. This is completely normal

Google AI is wrong most of the time with this stuff

 

[allof fish]

It will precipitate and create those carbonate flakes on glass pumps ect if not mixed it fast. I have my doser drip into a baffle where water spills over into return chamber. If I didn’t i would have a lot of build yp

 

[Notsolostfish]

Whats that means? Its normal? What happening? Confused

Sodium carbonate is also called soda ash. This is completely normal

Google AI is wrong most of the time with this stuff

Iv been dosing in that area for a while never got to me its doing a build up witn those flakes. Did i destroy my return pump? Im hearing some humming noise fron my ecotech m2. But not sure if im hearing now stuff because in worried or theres calcium build up inside my return pump that needs to be addressed. Does this stuff hardens inside the return pump? I cleaned my pump less than 2 months not in the mood to clean it again. Lol

 

[allof fish]

If it was dripping straight into return pump without mixing properly yes it can stick to pump. If that’s the case a good wash will help or move it to another section of sump.

 

[Reefering1]

I run a small powerhead in the return chamber to help dissolve additives before they get sucked up by return pump

 

[Notsolostfish]

If it was dripping straight into return pump without mixing properly yes it can stick to pump. If that’s the case a good wash will help or move it to another section of sump.

I moved the hose. Does that also apply for all reef? I dose all for reef in my return pump area

 

[painter1982]

If it’s soda ash based you will have precipitation where it is dosed. Needs to be dosed into a high flow area to help with this

Must be what causes the brief white cloud when added.

 

[rtparty]

Iv been dosing in that area for a while never got to me its doing a build up witn those flakes. Did i destroy my return pump? Im hearing some humming noise fron my ecotech m2. But not sure if im hearing now stuff because in worried or theres calcium build up inside my return pump that needs to be addressed. Does this stuff hardens inside the return pump? I cleaned my pump less than 2 months not in the mood to clean it again. Lol

If added super close to the return pump it can cause precipitation especially on the propeller. Super high local pH plus heat = precipitation

 

[rtparty]

Must be what causes the brief white cloud when added.

Correct. It is mostly magnesium hydroxide IIRC and will dissolve back into solution if there is the proper flow

 

[Notsolostfish]

Iv been dosing in that area for a while never got to me its doing a build up witn those flakes. Did i destroy my return pump? Im hearing some humming noise fron my ecotech m2. But not sure if im hearing now stuff because in worried or theres calcium build up inside my return pump that needs to be addressed. Does this stuff hardens inside the return pump? I cleaned my pump less than 2 months not in the mood to clean it again. Lol

If added super close to the return pump it can cause precipitation especially on the propeller. Super high local pH plus heat = precipitation

I moved the hose. My return pump making very tiny faint humming nose. Anything i should do? The return pump working

 

[rtparty]

I moved the hose. My return pump making very tiny faint humming nose. Anything i should do? The return pump working

I wouldn’t worry just yet. See if the noise gets louder or flow slows down and then clean it

 

[Notsolostfish]

I moved the hose. My return pump making very tiny faint humming nose. Anything i should do? The return pump working

I wouldn’t worry just yet. See if the noise gets louder or flow slows down and then clean it

Thank u. I left all for reef hose inside the return pump area. I usually leave the afr hose tip of the hose submerged so the tip dont any build up. Its been working fine.

And i moved the redsea alk to the middle chamber skimmer with higher flow area havent seen any calc flakes yet while dosing im assuming it worked

 

[Notsolostfish]

I wouldn’t worry just yet. See if the noise gets louder or flow slows down and then clean it

But thats still odd to me why would redsea alk liquid the moment it touched that return pump area turns flakey. I understand the carbonate part and build up. But shouldnt be mixed because its return pump area and get sucked directly weird. I dont have issue dosing afr in that area

 

[rtparty]

But thats still odd to me why would redsea alk liquid the moment it touched that return pump area turns flakey. I understand the carbonate part and build up. But shouldnt be mixed because its return pump area and get sucked directly weird. I dont have issue dosing afr in that area

AFR is not a high pH additive that precipitates upon contact. The Red Sea is. They are two completely different additives with completely different chemical makeups