Kalkwasser...cant explain...haha!

[roadrunner1659]

Ok guys, i was wondering a few things about kalkwasser but dont worry boomer...i fully understand how to use it haha!

I beleive that in my sump/fuge, a line had formed of what i believe is the waterline when dosing with kalkwasser...its white and tough to get off...am i right?

Also, i was wondering a few things about kalk that i have read and have noticed in my own tank...the pumps in my sump/fuge (return pump and my skimmer pump) are both white on the inside...i have read that without proper cleaning the internal magnet spinning thing (haha) will fail...i also know that a good thing to do is soak pumps in vinegar...but i believe alot of people reccommend to soak overnight and what i am wondering, is how you do this if these are vital to you system?

I mean the only true pumps that would need to be cleaned are my return and my skimmer pump but i cant keep them off of my tank for a day?

What would you suggest?

Thanks!

[Yarr]

All your pumps will require routine cleaning. No matter of their role.

Your tank will be fine with a few powerheads in it to circulate the water around for a while while u clean your pumps. I have never left mine over night to soak. always just placed em in the vinigar and left them for say an hour o so then scrubbed them. everything has come off.

The white stuff is more than likely calcium deposits. You find this on the inside of your hot water heater in your house aswell.

[tatuvaaj]

You don't need to soak the pumps in vinegar longer than it takes to get the white stuff out

The quickest way to clean the pumps is to take the pump in parts and put the propeller into a glass with distilled vinegar and fill the pump's propeller compartment with the same stuff. It shouldn't take more than an hour or two to clean the pump in this way if you use 10% distilled vinegar.

[roadrunner1659]

cool thaks guys! regularly clean everything once a week but haven't soaked anything in vinegar yet...how regularly do you clean in vinegar?

[tatuvaaj]

I use Tunze Streams which will give a horrible warning sound when they think the flow is too restricted. At that time I usually check other pumps that also get regularly switched off (skimmer and GAC filter).

Turning pumps on and off regularly (when feeding etc.) will accelerate the CaCO3 precipitation inside pumps as the temperature rises inside the pump without water flow cooling it.

[roadrunner1659]

today i ended up soaking my mini-jets and my maxi jet for my skimmer in vinegar...i let the pumps sit in vinegar for an hr or so...all of the white stuff came off and they seem to be pumping better but i am unsure!?!

tatuvaaj...if i understand what your saying, turning off a pump will slowly kinda destroy the pump in a way? how long would something like CaCO3 precipitation take hurt a pump? i have to think and say that my pump gets turned off about once every other day at the least...so what does this mean?

also, is it possible to clean a mag 7 and how? thanks!

[prow]

dont think turinning off the pumps will slowly destroy them. but if they are motionless in the tank (off) than calcium deposits can attach easier. just means you need clean the pumps that are turnning off and on more often that the ones that dont. they just get dirty quicker when off thats all.

[tatuvaaj]

Originally Posted by prow

dont think turinning off the pumps will slowly destroy them. but if they are motionless in the tank (off) than calcium deposits can attach easier. just means you need clean the pumps that are turnning off and on more often that the ones that dont. they just get dirty quicker when off thats all.

That is exactly what I meant

[roadrunner1659]

cool thanks!