Return line blockage

[Reeferer]

This happens every 6 months to a year. 14' of 3/4" PVC buildup.
Does this happen to anyone else? I have to replace the entire return pipe all the war up through the bulkhead and back of the tank.


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[myram]

That's crazy, I've never seen that before.

How much flow are you pushing thru it?

 

[Reeferer]

It is a genx mak4 pump so maybe around 600 gph. My only thought is from the 2 part dosing.


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[ro_nicu]

you are probably dosing very close to that area and the supersaturated calcium carbonate precipitates into what you see now.

 

[mrclam]

You would have to be dosing quite a bit to get that much accumulation, assuming it is the same along the length of the pipe.

Is the material hard or soft?

 

[s_kelley]

Wow! Never heard of this happening before. What exactly is it built up? Algae, calcium, gunk?

 

[DBLeite]

I've had this happen to me also, just not that extreme.
What I could make of it on my end is that it is all three on my end shane.

 

[PSU4ME]

Is it a hard buildup or spongy material? That's crazy.

 

[delta]

Eventually your are going to burn out a pump. A while it wasn't uncommon for pumps to die, problem is when pumps die they can and do some serious damage to your livestock..

Are you dosing and how, are you using kalk or CA reactor? if dosing how close to the pump are you dosing and how much at any given time.

Is the gunk hard or soft?

Also what does your return int he display tank look like? penductors? Lockline, size?

 

[wdebenedettojr]

I have never seen a return line blocked like that before, ever. Like others have stated are you dosing in the sump right next to the return pump? Could be build up from that.

 

[Reeferer]

It is hard and probably calcium buildup as many have suggested. I dose two part with dosing pumps set to dose about eight times a day alternating between calcium and alk. The dosing pumps are in the sump one and two baffles before the return compartment. I have had to replace this about three or four times in six years. Have used line lock and PVC at the tank. It is the most frustrating part of my reefing experience because it is so hard to reach behind my overflow to replace. I have Also had to replace the drain line once.


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[delta]

How much are you dosing vs the size of your tank?

 

[Marshall O]

Maybe you are overdosing calcium without realizing it? If your Alk is not high enough, calcium will just precipitate out. In addition to Greg's question, what levels are you trying to maintain and what are your usual readings?

 

[ro_nicu]

What are you dosing? If you use Baked Baking soda than the PH of that solution is off the charts and being also so concentrated it will cause precipitation unless dosed VERY slowly and in a VERY high flow are, like right next to a wavemaker pump intake. you could reduce the concentration of the supplement and increase the volume; like cut down the ALK solution with another 2 parts water and increase the volume 3 times. From what I noticed the Ca and Mg supplements do not create any issues regardless of how you dose them. The baking soda recipe for Alk creates very few issues precipitation wise but drives the PH down, the baked baking soda recipe for Alk has to be dosed very slowly in a very high flow area or it will cause sedimentation, even if that "cloudiness" spreads to the point that it can not be observed I suspect those micro-particles might behave like a catalyst and cause sedimentation and precipitation.

 

[delta]

He can also have issues if the pump is overheating causing calcification. It is a GenX Mak4 so it is on the old list.

 

[Bobbofin]

I notice when I dose two part into my sump a chalky substance builds up in the vinyl tubing to the return line. Since then I dose directly to the tank where the return is and it dissipates quite nicely instead of being condensed in the tubing to build up.

 

[Reeferer]

I dose Randy's two part alk and calc eight times a day for each with a timer and dosing pumps. This is as spread out as I can make it. It is dosed to the sump area because I want the solutions to dilute before they move to the display tank. I think I will try putting a powerhead where the two part solutions are dripping and see if it helps.

My levels are currently around 400 calc and 8dkh

 

[delta]

How much 2 part per day, how big is the tank, how big is the sump, and how big is each dose?

DO you use baked baking soda or just straight baking soda?

And last what is the average PH in your tank?

 

[Reeferer]

I dose a large amount of 2 part per day. Not
Sure exactly but 8 times a day at 50 minutes with a drews doses at 1.6ml per minute. Using baked baking soda and have about 150 gallons currently. However I have always had to use about twice as much as the recommended BRS calculator. I have not tested ph in years because I never thought it was an issue with no calcium reactor... I will check to see if I have an old ph test kit and post results if found.


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[delta]

that about 4.2ml/gal/day 640ml/day

How heavily is your tanked stocked?

I am not sure how you are using a calculator to figure your daily tank usage? The calculator can not determine the daily dose, only you can with small additions and testing.


My feeling is you are precipitating out more than you are actually buffering your tank.