Top up water Question

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Hi Hennie

My topup compartment is basically a seperate chamber on my sump, so I just refill it as and when required.

I dose my BiCarb, Baking soda and Kalk via the auto top up.

I get quite abit of precepiate overtime. Thanks to Sunburst's explanation it's probably is Calcium Carbonate.

Is it OK, just to leave it and take it out when it creates a thicker layer?

Can this Carbonate ever be used for the tank's dosing ?
 
Yes, the white precipitate most likely is calcium carbonate.

Calcium carbonate is basically the same stuff that coral 'rock' is made of, so it won't cause any harm to the tank even if it is present in large amounts. It is, however, possible that calcium carbonate crystals could grow (precipitate) quicker onto pre-existing crystals that when forming new crystals, and if you keep your calcium and alkalinity levels abnormally high you might want to regularly remove any precipitate, but under normal conditions I would not bother...

I dose my BiCarb, Baking soda and Kalk via the auto top up.

I hope that you are not dosing all three additives into the auto-topup reservoir - that would most certainly cause massive precipitation, and would basically defeat the purpose of adding those chemicals.

I would suggest that you drip the kalk (slaked lime) directly into an area of fast-flowing water, ideally directly into the overflow from the tank, or into the same chamber as the skimmer intake. The baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and/or baked baking soda (sodium carbonate) can be added anywhere else in the sump (or even into the overflow as well, as the water really moves too fast there for any appreciable increase in pH due to the kalk dripping there (if that is what you're doing...). You could add it to the auto topup as well, as long as you are not adding any kalk or calcium chloride ('turbo calcium') into it.

Can this Carbonate ever be used for the tank's dosing ?

Yes, if you can add it into a calcium reactor. Calcium carbonate will readily re-dissolve at a pH of around 6 - 6.5. It will also become part of the sand bed if you just scrape it off the glass and let it settle out of suspension - or it will be over grown with coralline algae, or act as a natural 'rock' substrate if you leave it to become thick enough (and of course if you have enough light where it has precipitated...)

Hennie
 
Thanks again for a detailed reply. I have been dosing Kalk and BiCarb in the same chamber.

Will stop doing that :p

I am not dosing as much kalk as I have a CaRx up and running now.
 
although you have your Carx,continue with kalk in your top up,to help stabalize your ph.
 
although you have your Carx,continue with kalk in your top up,to help stabalize your ph.

That is what I have been doing, but the kalk consumption has halved, also not seeing much fluctuation in pH. It is more my Alk I want to get down, way too high.
 
remember you can safely run you alk at 10 Dkh if your nutrients are high. In a very low to nutrient poor enviroment, run you alk between 6.5-8 DKH.anything higher will cause Tissue Necrossis in SPS corals.

Wow, didn't know that, thanks
 
Mekaeel please explain that in more detail realy intresting. What do you mean nutrients poor, low stocking load or low nitrates phosphates?
 
Mekaeel please explain that in more detail realy intresting. What do you mean nutrients poor, low stocking load or low nitrates phosphates?

Hey Jason,Nutrient poor means very little phosphate and Nitrate to almost 0 or 0.
the bioload doesnt matter,you can have a low bioload or a heavy bioload,its just up to you to romove the nutrients ie. through heavy skimming,small feeds, regular water changes......a good example of low nutrient/nutrient poor would be the Zeovit system (thats the goal of Zeovit).
 
you wouldnt need to dose Bicarb now as you Carx will be taking care of you Alk.use bicarb only if there is a drop in alk.rather focus on kalk to keep your ph up :)

OK, that sounds good. So what do I do with the 2kg BiCarb :whistling:
 
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