Issues with soda ash, cloudy tank

[JC_k]

Hello! I have been using pre mixed products to manually dose my tank, and finally got a doser and followed Randy’s 2 part recipe #1 I believe since I always have lower PH.

I noticed when the soda ash/ro solution is dosed into the tank, it precipitates instantly. It has dosed about 30ml of each solution (wanted to start off low but I think normal dose will be closer to 25ml per day of each solution) over the last two days, and now my tank is insanely cloudy. Everything is dosed 40min apart in my sump, usually next to my return pump.

It’s a 50 gallon mixed reef with no fish. Currently using Red Sea test kits. Everything looks fine, just have super cloudy water

This is the parameters since I started using the 2 part diy
11/18

1200mag

8dkh

390




Today

1250 mag

7dkh

340 calc

 

[JC_k]

here are some pictures if the video didn’t work

 

[Garf]

since I always have lower PH.

How are you measuring pH and how are you calibrating it and what actual readings are you getting?

 

[JC_k]

How are you measuring pH and how are you calibrating it and what actual readings are you getting?

I use Milwaukee mw102 with a probe, and calibrate every month or so since I also use it in a lab setting. Ph right now is 8.07 but usually it sits at 7.7-7.8

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There will be some instantaneous preciptiation of magneisum hydroxide when any high pH additive is first dosed, but it should redissolve. If not, something is wrong, such as mixing in too slowly, dosed too fast, too much at once, etc.

If nothing else works, switching to baking soda for the alk part should eliminate the issue.

What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium? by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com


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.