My Never-ending Calcium Problem

Frankie

Frankie

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
It almost looks like micron bubbles. If that is solid white then you have snow for sure. have you tried to catch it in a cup and see if it settles? If it all rises up to the top and the glass clears perfectly i would say its bubbles.
 
Melanie

Melanie

Well-Known Member
Ok, on the agenda for tomorrow is catch it in a clear glass and see if it settles. Also to do: test RO water for alkalinity and Ca.
 
Dentoid

Dentoid

Smile Maker
PREMIUM
Melanie said:
One thing I DID neglect to mention, and it may mean something or nothing....the stuff blows out of my return heads mostly.
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This sounds like air is being sucked in somehow. Perhaps its the plumbing. Does it stop when you turn off the return pump? Is it possible that your return pump is sucking in air?
 
MidWest Frags

MidWest Frags

Member
Looks like micro bubbles. Some are so small that they hang and actually drop in the tank or stay suspended. They attach to rocks or coral also.
 
Frankie

Frankie

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
Hey the cool thing is, I got to find this cool rendition of "third stone from the sun" by some kid on utube! I think he kicked a++! :)
 
tbittner

tbittner

Well-Known Member
I agree, microbubbles. What was that right towards the end where it looked like it shot out a bunch of bubbles? It's like the bubbles collected somewhere and then all got released.
 
prow

prow

Well-Known Member
yup, micro bubbles. seems like your water surface is more wave like than rippled. did you try to off you PH's and go with very low flow for a couple hours to see if cleared up?

also, if you were getting the snow storm your Mg would be getting used up also. no change in Mg and your alk is pretty steady, so dout your getting any percipitate.

with that rippled water surface i bet your down draft is pretty good, stirring up sand particles togather with mircobubbles and nitrobubbles is a better bet on whats going on.

i would also advise you start testing your water before you do water changes. test your make up water and adjust accordingly. then after the water change you should wait till the next day to test it again. later testing your tank water before changes will be mostly all you do for testing. adjusting your make up water will be the same with IO or reef crystals(they are both consitant, others i might be, i dont know about them though) so you will not need to test every batch just spot check it after you get the adjustments down.
 
caitrina

caitrina

Well-Known Member
Melanie, check in the overflow box at your return where it is connected to the pipe(the ball joint area, if that is what you have also) , mine does the same thing but not as badly as yours. I tried to take mine off to put some plumpers tape there, but couldn't get it off. Anyway I have water coming from that ball joint area flowing back into the overflow and after I wiggled and screwed it partially off and then back on my bubbles cleared more. However that is where mine seems to be sucking air.
 
framerguy

framerguy

Well-Known Member
I've read through this whole thing and no one has mentioned baffles. Do you have baffles? I had a similar looking problem and installed baffles in the sump and it took care of the bubbles.
 
bluespotjawfish

bluespotjawfish

Well-Known Member
It looks like you have an airline tube on one of your pumps in the sump. Is that feeding to a skimmer or to your return line? (I could also totally be wrong about what I am seeing in the photo.)
 
Melanie

Melanie

Well-Known Member
I don't have an airline tube that I'm aware of. I'm thinking this is not Ca and perhaps it is a severe micro bubble problem. But it's BAD. I will probably mess around with the plumbing soon to see if I can fix it. All my pics look crappy because I have white snow in front of it.
 
DrHank

DrHank

Well-Known Member
Look in your sump and see if you have the same snow. If you do it's probably micro bubbles created by the overflow. You may hqave to add baffles to the sump to eliminate the problem(if that's what it is).
 
prow

prow

Well-Known Member
Woodstock said:
LOOK! They're making a left turn!!! LOOK! They're making another left turn!!!

LOL~ :D
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:LOL: wait i see a right turn............no, no my bad, i meant my other right:D



well i dont think its Ca precipitate. it could be, i think the phos has been covered, your Ca and alk is ok, now, so that leaves your ph, has it been going above 8.5?
 
Melanie

Melanie

Well-Known Member
prow said:
:LOL: wait i see a right turn............no, no my bad, i meant my other right:D



well i dont think its Ca precipitate. it could be, i think the phos has been covered, your Ca and alk is ok, now, so that leaves your ph, has it been going above 8.5?
Click to expand...

Nope. It's always been 8.3 and only 8.4 once at night.
 
Boomer

Boomer

Reef Sanctuary's Mr. Wizard
So far I agree with most they are micro bubbles. You are pulling in air from somewhere and then that air is getting chopped up by the impeller and pushing it out. Get a glass and scope some up and watch it for a couple of minutes, the bubbles will raise to the top and snow will sink.

You guys forgetting that right turn was right into a wall of concrete and the car is totaled :lol:
 
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