Intentional calcium precipitation in new tank?

smorrow5773 · 06/14/2006, 10:05 AM

When I set up my first reef tank a few years ago, I battled cyano and hair algae up until I accidently overdosed kalk and turned my tank into a blizzard. After about 2 days things settled down and much to my surprise the water quality drastically improved. After that the corraline went crazy and apparently drove off all the nuisance algae. Is there any science to that and I was thinking about my new tank I have set up. I just got done cycling the tank and am starting too see hair algae on the new rock. Would there be any benefit to intentionally precipating the tank before I start to add livestock or was it just coincidence the previous time?

Randy Holmes-Farley · 06/14/2006, 04:21 PM

Precipitating calcium carbonate can pull some phosphate from the water as it is bound onto and into the mineral. IMO, there are better ways to reduce phosphate.

smorrow5773 · 06/14/2006, 04:50 PM

I figure at this point the only phosphates available would be stored in the rock. This is a brand new tank, just finished cycle with 60lbs of uncured fiji. I personally don't believe it will hurt anything to try it out, I was just wondering if there was any scientific studies as to what else precipitates out along with the calcium as it had such a positive effect on my previous tank. Can you give any reason not too intentionally cause a snowstorm as opposed to going out and spending 15-20 on phosphate absorbing media? I have zero problems with algae in my other tanks.

Randy Holmes-Farley · 06/15/2006, 04:56 AM

The phosphate is now on lots of little bits of calcium carbonate that do not necessarily hold it permanently. When an organisms nibbles at it, for example,and ingests it, the phosphate may redissolve. Also, algae and bacteria may remove the phosphate from substrates.

06/14/2006, 10:05 AM	#1
smorrow5773 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Bloomington/Normal, IL Posts: 499	Intentional calcium precipitation in new tank? When I set up my first reef tank a few years ago, I battled cyano and hair algae up until I accidently overdosed kalk and turned my tank into a blizzard. After about 2 days things settled down and much to my surprise the water quality drastically improved. After that the corraline went crazy and apparently drove off all the nuisance algae. Is there any science to that and I was thinking about my new tank I have set up. I just got done cycling the tank and am starting too see hair algae on the new rock. Would there be any benefit to intentionally precipating the tank before I start to add livestock or was it just coincidence the previous time?

06/14/2006, 04:21 PM	#2
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	Precipitating calcium carbonate can pull some phosphate from the water as it is bound onto and into the mineral. IMO, there are better ways to reduce phosphate. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

06/15/2006, 04:56 AM	#4
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	The phosphate is now on lots of little bits of calcium carbonate that do not necessarily hold it permanently. When an organisms nibbles at it, for example,and ingests it, the phosphate may redissolve. Also, algae and bacteria may remove the phosphate from substrates. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

06/14/2006, 04:50 PM	#3
smorrow5773 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Bloomington/Normal, IL Posts: 499	I figure at this point the only phosphates available would be stored in the rock. This is a brand new tank, just finished cycle with 60lbs of uncured fiji. I personally don't believe it will hurt anything to try it out, I was just wondering if there was any scientific studies as to what else precipitates out along with the calcium as it had such a positive effect on my previous tank. Can you give any reason not too intentionally cause a snowstorm as opposed to going out and spending 15-20 on phosphate absorbing media? I have zero problems with algae in my other tanks.