White balls.... Calcium precipitation?

[kenith]

In the low flow spots, I'm getting white balls (seriously :) ). My parameters are as follows

Alk: 7.5 Elos
8.5 Hanna
CA: 360 (380 tested by lfs using same kit) <-- recently upped the dosing
Mag 1350 (1400 tested by lfs)
Salinity: 1.025
NO3: 0
PO4: .01

I'm dosing the major three on bubble magus doser 24x daily. I am at 150ml Alk and 200ml cal using b ionic.

The white balls are hard calcified something (they crush if I use my nails) and vary in sizing. I can post some pics later, but could this be calcium precipitation? I seem to have a bit of an issue keeping ca up. The balls reoccur even after siphoning out- TIA!

[HighlandReefer]

If you are using sodium carbonate (baked baking soda) this will increase the local pH where you add it. If flow is not high enough you will get calcium carbonate precipiation. Increasing the flow will help in the area it is added. If you are adding the alk supplement to fast (not dripping) this will also add to the calium carbonate precipitation.

Once calicum carbonate is formed it is like reef sand and will not dissolve, so it is wasting your alk supplement, which means you will result in needing to add more than normal. ;)

[kenith]

Cliff- thanks for your reply. The designated amount of the major three is dosed in small amounts each hour, 24 times daily. The Alk and ca is dosed in the sump in a very high flow area.

The precipitate happens in the display, far away from where the Alk and ca is added. I seem not to have an issue keeping Alk, which is why I suspect it may be calcium.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Maybe they are something alive? Natural precipitation in reefs is usually more like a fine powder or film.

"Calcium" precipitation is calcium carbonate, and when it forms (in coral skeletons or on pumps,e tc) it takes out 2.8 dKH of alkalinity for each 18-20 ppm of calcium. So if you have no problem maintaining alk and do for calcium, it isn't because of precipitation.

What salt mix are you using?