My tank is full of hair algae. I have been dripping kalk now for over two months, and am buffing my alk in order to help rid this algae mess. Every time my alk gets above 10 kh, (5.6DKH)a film of white calcium carbonate(it seems) gets incrusted on the heater and the glace near the heater...then I test the alk and she's back at 7!!!!!!! What the heck is happening here? Please help!!!
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Weird, Weird, Weird
- Thread starter yakiwb2
- Start date
I suspect that you are either adding too much or adding too quickly. As a result, calcium carbonate is being precipitated from the water, appearing a white dust, and naturally the calcium and alkalinity in your tank then collapse.
But you talk of 10 kH and 5.6 dkH. "kH" is carbonate hardness (in fact, you probably are measuring total alkalinity, but we still call it carbonate), and dkH is "degrees" of carbonate hardness. Ie, you measure kH in dkH.
So I'm a little confused, tho' I suspect my analysis is correct.
Some say adding limewater reduces phosphates and I assume that this is what you are attempting ? It should also reduce CO2 in the water, tho' I'm not sure if hair algae utilise CO2.
But are you also monitoring phosphates and trying to reduce them directly using a phosphate absorbing material, and of course checking that your water source contains none.
kim
But you talk of 10 kH and 5.6 dkH. "kH" is carbonate hardness (in fact, you probably are measuring total alkalinity, but we still call it carbonate), and dkH is "degrees" of carbonate hardness. Ie, you measure kH in dkH.
So I'm a little confused, tho' I suspect my analysis is correct.
Some say adding limewater reduces phosphates and I assume that this is what you are attempting ? It should also reduce CO2 in the water, tho' I'm not sure if hair algae utilise CO2.
But are you also monitoring phosphates and trying to reduce them directly using a phosphate absorbing material, and of course checking that your water source contains none.
kim
What kind of water are you using for your makeup water? Municipal water supply, or well water?
The chemical reactions that take place in saltwater aquariums are so complex that there can be many plausable explanations. The reason they are forming on your heater is due to the localized higher temperature accelerating chemical reactions in that vicinity. As to what minerals are precipitating out can only be determined through laboratory examination. Try aiming a powerhead dirrectly at the heater to give really good water flow over it. This will reduce the amount of heat that develops in the surrounding water. It may help.
You mentioned hair algae in the tank. Is it really soft, long hair algae (Derbesia sp.)? If it is you may not have enough water circulation in your tank. If you have low water flow you can develop localized pH drops causing the formation of organic phosphates acting as a fertilizer. As hair algae grows in that area (because of the collection of organic sediment) it traps more and more sediment the longer it gets (snowball effect). It would explain the growth of hair algae even when dripping Kalk.
I try to maintain good flow throughout the tank. I use a guideline of 15 times the gallon capacity of the tank (total flow rate. All pumps added together) as a starting point, and go up from there. Laminar flow is always better than linear flow (spead out that current).
Good luck.
The chemical reactions that take place in saltwater aquariums are so complex that there can be many plausable explanations. The reason they are forming on your heater is due to the localized higher temperature accelerating chemical reactions in that vicinity. As to what minerals are precipitating out can only be determined through laboratory examination. Try aiming a powerhead dirrectly at the heater to give really good water flow over it. This will reduce the amount of heat that develops in the surrounding water. It may help.
You mentioned hair algae in the tank. Is it really soft, long hair algae (Derbesia sp.)? If it is you may not have enough water circulation in your tank. If you have low water flow you can develop localized pH drops causing the formation of organic phosphates acting as a fertilizer. As hair algae grows in that area (because of the collection of organic sediment) it traps more and more sediment the longer it gets (snowball effect). It would explain the growth of hair algae even when dripping Kalk.
I try to maintain good flow throughout the tank. I use a guideline of 15 times the gallon capacity of the tank (total flow rate. All pumps added together) as a starting point, and go up from there. Laminar flow is always better than linear flow (spead out that current).
Good luck.
Check out adding vinegar to your kalk makeup water when mixing it ther is a good thread about this method on this site I just cant find it right now,I recently had the same problem I only started my drip 3 weeks ago and im starting to get it down {right now anyways} the vinegar helps the mix im not gonna go into it cause I cant explain the process read the thread and you will understand,It really worked well for me I hope this helps!! :lol:
Thanks guys, I have heard that adding vinegar to the Kalk drip helps. Would you suggest a teaspoon for 2gallons of kalk? Also, I have two 802 powerheads in my 58 gallon, seems to be plenty of current...so I don't think the current is the problem. I use a dionizer for my top up and water changes, RO isn't necessary in Vancouver B.C. as the water here is great. So I'll keep plugging away at that Kalk drip. Don't think I'm gonna buff anymore, I'll just have more patience. Thanks again.
Sponsor Reefs
We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.
Click here to sponsor $10:
