Abiotic Precipitation of Calcium Carbonate

[yakiwb2]

I have a 58 gallon oceanic. Live rock. And a whack load of hair Algae. My alk is ridiculously low at about 4.5 kh. I have been dosing kalkwasser now for two months...about 4gallons a week. But nothing seems to raise my alk or calcium. I introduced some alk/ph buffer and that raised it a point but of course we all know that it has lowered my calcium. Dumped in some baking soda to lower the ph the next night as ph was at 8.7!(have a pendant halide and am wanting to get it ready for my corals which I transported to my brothers house until I can lick this algae) I read last night that if your magnesium is low you can experience abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate, this drains your alk and calcium apparently...which I noticed last night on my heater! Do you suggest I buy a magnesium kit to test this? Anythoughts would be helpfull....as this is the worst algae I have experienced. Thanks.

 

[randy holmes-farley]

Do you know that you have excessive abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate? Or perhaps is it just being taken up by corals and coralline algae?

The things that can result in excessive abiotic precipitation are high calcium, alkalinity, and most especially pH, and low magnesium.

If the pH were really 8.7, that's a problem.

These articles should help:

Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

Solutions to pH Problems
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/ ... 2/chem.htm

How to Select a Calcium and Alkalinity Supplementation Scheme
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm

 

[yakiwb2]

Thanks for the links.

 

[randy holmes-farley]

You're welcome.