Dosing Kalk, 2 Part and equipment maintenance

[thakki]

I have been dosing 2 part and kalk ato for close to 6 months now...I see calcium build up on my equipment...first my skimmer pump quit...I had to replace it then my return pump and recently my wavemaker. In my previous tank I never had to dose anything as the corals were thriving with regular water changes...and the equipment lasted longer. Now that I have bigger tank, I have no other way other than dosing to keep up with the coral demands...Is anyone having similar issues with dosing and equipment failures? If so, how often do you clean your equipment...like the pumps, overflow drains etc.

[Origami]

I've never had that much of an issue with precipitate. But I drip kalk slowly into a high flow area. Same with my calcium reactor output. Build up is more prominent on surfaces that get warm, though. This includes heaters and pump impellers. Adding a vinegar soaking to your routine maintenance should help dissolve the Calcium carbonate build up, though.

 

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[thakki]

I think dosing over high flow is the key...I don't have that kind of flow in my sump...yesterday I put a small pump in the return section of my sump where I am dosing...so far no deposits...will have to wait and see.

 

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[zygote2k]

Stop using kalk- no need for it since you're dosing 2part.

[Rob A]

 I had several pumps that kept seizing up (impeller shafts) and couldn't figure out why, and it was only in the last few months of operation after more than a year with no issues. It seemed to be a calcium issue because a vinegar bath cleaned them up but I wasn't sure why it was happening. I was dosing BRS 2 part and the calcium was generally in the upper 400's. The setup I was using had the solutions dripping into the sump but 2 of the pumps that were seizing up were in the display section, a Jaebo wavemaker and a Gyre 130. My Mag 12 in the sump locked up once or twice. I wasn't tending my tank very well during this period and my sps were declining so maybe the calcium was actually higher than I remember.

[thakki]

Stop using kalk- no need for it since you're dosing 2part.

 

 

You think kalk is the culprit here? I use kalk mainly to maintain the pH and 2-part for maintaining Alk and Ca levels. 

[thakki]

 I had several pumps that kept seizing up (impeller shafts) and couldn't figure out why, and it was only in the last few months of operation after more than a year with no issues. It seemed to be a calcium issue because a vinegar bath cleaned them up but I wasn't sure why it was happening. I was dosing BRS 2 part and the calcium was generally in the upper 400's. The setup I was using had the solutions dripping into the sump but 2 of the pumps that were seizing up were in the display section, a Jaebo wavemaker and a Gyre 130. My Mag 12 in the sump locked up once or twice. I wasn't tending my tank very well during this period and my sps were declining so maybe the calcium was actually higher than I remember.

 

I have a small pump in the return section right now...its been a week...atleast I dont see buildup in the sump area like before. 

[Origami]

You think kalk is the culprit here? I use kalk mainly to maintain the pH and 2-part for maintaining Alk and Ca levels. 

Kalk is not the culprit. It's simply that, at elevated temperature and concentration calcium and carbonates will precipitate out faster as calcium carbonate. Getting faster distribution (dilution) of your kalk and two-part will help the precipitation problem. Faster movement through your sump should help. Rob was just saying that two-part is a sufficient means of dosing calcium and alkalinity. However, as you noted, dosing kalk can help to temporarily raise pH by biasing the carbonate species concentration in the direction of carbonates and away from CO2.