- Location
- Duluth, Minnesota
Mystery solved :smile:
There now is a reason for your issue. When fresh substrates, media, rock work, etc., have new fresh surfaces they have an affinity to cause the precip of High-Magnesium Calcite onto their surface, sometimes called "Surface Over-Growths ". This lowers the, pH, Alk and the Ca++. How much the effect is, is dependent on the composition of that media, rock work, etc.. We ran such tests many years ago on many gravel media's. There are even photomicrographs in publications of this.
Once the surface equilibrates with the seawater this will stop. To stop this it is best to soak such rock, media, etc. in seawater for 1 month or deal with the issue you have by adjusting the Alk, pH, Ca++ as needed.
Note:
Some many have big issues and some no issues, again, it is dependent on the composition of that media. Meaning, even if to media's are both 100 % Aragonite, the porosity can make a big difference or impurities in the Aragonite media. Same can be said as to what animal, for example, made the Aragonite.
There now is a reason for your issue. When fresh substrates, media, rock work, etc., have new fresh surfaces they have an affinity to cause the precip of High-Magnesium Calcite onto their surface, sometimes called "Surface Over-Growths ". This lowers the, pH, Alk and the Ca++. How much the effect is, is dependent on the composition of that media, rock work, etc.. We ran such tests many years ago on many gravel media's. There are even photomicrographs in publications of this.
Once the surface equilibrates with the seawater this will stop. To stop this it is best to soak such rock, media, etc. in seawater for 1 month or deal with the issue you have by adjusting the Alk, pH, Ca++ as needed.
Note:
Some many have big issues and some no issues, again, it is dependent on the composition of that media. Meaning, even if to media's are both 100 % Aragonite, the porosity can make a big difference or impurities in the Aragonite media. Same can be said as to what animal, for example, made the Aragonite.
