What is this accumulation on my heaters?

[Sierra_Bravo]

New to hobby and my tank has been wet but empty for about a month. My titanium heaters have been turned up to 85 degrees as I added some Dr. Tim's in the hope that I'd get a head start on the cycle.

The heaters have been accumulating what looks like salt and it has been flaking off into my sump. It was fairly thick on the heaters. Is it salt and if so, is this normal? Could it be calcium carbonate because of the temperature?

 

[tommyntina1117]

I know if you take some of the white stuff out and put it in a bowl and add some vinegar and it starts bubbling that it's a mineral problem and if you were using the same filter hoses in lines it could have built-up then when you turned it on it blew in also could be from the heater being at 85.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

It's calcium carbonate deposition. A vinegar bath should remove it.

 

[BlueCursor]

You are dosing too much Alk/Ca. Heaters are the first place Alk/Ca deposit when you over dose.

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

You are dosing too much Alk/Ca. Heaters are the first place Alk/Ca deposit when you over dose.

I haven't had a need to dose - it's a month old with nothing in the tank except the water.

I've turned the heaters back down to 75 degrees and will see if it makes a difference. I'll rinse them in vinegar as well. Thanks!

 

[justin.k.nelson]

saltwater has stuff in it. the heaters speed up the reaction, so you would still get a build up regardless of dosing. nothing wrong with it, just wipe the heaters down