High Tide Aquatics

Precipitate in my tank - what to do now?

sid700

sid700

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Hello. I believed I just precipitated some of calcium in my tank. What should I do now?

My dKh was around 9.5 (and my pH 8.1) so I decided to add some baking soda (one-part of the 2-part sol'n). I decided to add a total 400 ml at about 100 ml per dose over a span of 48 hrs. After putting in the last dose, I decided to just pour about 2 tablespoons worth of Kalk solution (leftover from a previous dosing). That's when white precipitate started to fly around the tank.

All dosing is done in the sump. Tank inhabitants looks okay, although I tested the water because polyps of my milli, gorgonian(?) don't appear to be sticking out as much. As it turns out, the Baking Soda solution in my 2-part has ran out.

Chemistry before I started messing with it.

pH - 8.1 (not too sure about accuracy, the probe is about 8 mos old)
dkH - 9.5
Ca - 430

System volume = 150 gal
Temp 75.4
 
Since dkh was 9.5 why did you want to raise it? By adding 400ml of part 1, your dkh should be over 13 now. You may want to do a water change to bring it back down. A dkh of 9.5 was perfectly fine.
 
[quote author=iani link=topic=5509.msg68582#msg68582 date=1229011589]
Since dkh was 9.5 why did you want to raise it? [/quote]

I've been dosing Kalk to raise my pH. The pH goes below 8.1 during the morning hours. I used to have a steady 8.2-8.4 and a dKh of around 10.5.

I figured adding more baking soda will help raise the dKh and help with the pH. Also, not really knowing when my 2-part ran out and previous experience of polyps liking higher dKh's, contributed in my decision to add more baking soda solution.

I'll test again tonight and probably just do my water change early this week.
 
Problem is that if you baking soda for part one (not soda ash) it will not raise your pH. It will actually lower it. Soda ash (baked baking soda) in part one with raise your pH.
 
What Ian said.

Also, pH can tend to drop during winter time when people close up their houses and get less fresh air coming in.

I know one person bumped their pH by running their skimmer air inlet to the outside of the house.
 
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