Calcium deposits

[Briano]

I have my tank for 3 years now it’s a pro clear 225 I believe. Noticed slower than normal return pressure found the pipes to be caked with calcium deposits any suggestions on how to get that taken care of I was able to take apart the return into the tank and cleaned it out although I had to make a new line from pump to feed line up into tank but the down pipes to sump are really bad any know where to get replacement parts ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do you dose alk into the start of these pipes?

 

[Briano]

I used to put it the sump but for a year now I put it in the main tank I didn’t see anything till the flow got really slow

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You sure it’s calcium carbonate deposits and not something like a snail shell?

 

[Briano]

It’s calcium I had to use a masonry drill bit and get what I could cleaned.I made new pipe where I could but still have a lot caked on the down pipe which is impossible to remove

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Calcium carbonate deposits can be dissolved with acids. It is rare to get such deposits occluding a pipe.