DIY KZ Coral Snow (with >97% purity)

[jedimasterben]

Here's one of their videos that talk about the par loss due to dirty water:

 

There was another video where they did a more extensive test in a 18" cube but I haven't been able to find it....I was watching the Ozone video, then I watched a carbon video but I don't remember which was after that had the other test.

Yeah, I don't think the 'dirty' water didn't come from the tank they were showing lol. The tank would look significantly more yellow. Dana Riddle actually put some data to it, and with some really yellow water he made a chart of PAR vs distance. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2014/1/aafeature

 

 

I actually just did two very large doses of this stuff in my reef, as I had just cleaned my skimmer out since it got a snail sucked into it, figured why not, and stirred up a lot of shit in the sump. My water is extremely yellow from dinoflagellates being killed by my UV sterilizer. My UV has been off for the last week and a half or so while I am doing a Kent Tech M treatment for bryopsis (which isn't working ), so the water hasn't been getting more yellow, just staying static. Two doses of this stuff and looking through the long end of the tank I can actually see the WHITE flexPVC from the returns and drains. They have a slight yellow tint, but before, they were literally piss yellow. Blech!

 

So it looks like for my tank this stuff does have the capacity to remove the significant yellowing, I just need to dose shitloads of it. Good thing the pure stuff is dirt cheap!

[JavaJacketOC]

Yeah, I don't think the 'dirty' water didn't come from the tank they were showing lol. The tank would look significantly more yellow. Dana Riddle actually put some data to it, and with some really yellow water he made a chart of PAR vs distance. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2014/1/aafeature

 

 

I actually just did two very large doses of this stuff in my reef, as I had just cleaned my skimmer out since it got a snail sucked into it, figured why not, and stirred up a lot of shit in the sump. My water is extremely yellow from dinoflagellates being killed by my UV sterilizer. My UV has been off for the last week and a half or so while I am doing a Kent Tech M treatment for bryopsis (which isn't working ), so the water hasn't been getting more yellow, just staying static. Two doses of this stuff and looking through the long end of the tank I can actually see the WHITE flexPVC from the returns and drains. They have a slight yellow tint, but before, they were literally piss yellow. Blech!

 

So it looks like for my tank this stuff does have the capacity to remove the significant yellowing, I just need to dose shitloads of it. Good thing the pure stuff is dirt cheap!

 

I had a small patch of byropsis and I did the Kent Tech M but I read a couple responses to the process saying that you had to get it in the 1 gallon container, not the smaller containers. IDK why there would be a difference other than the bottling but considering how much you have to use I ordered the 1 gallon. I got my mag up to about 1800, had some issues with Zoas an Blastos going translucent but I noticed about 3 day into the highest Mag level by mexican turbo was eating it...I think I maintained for only a couple weeks at the high level but it hasn't come back.

 

I'll take a look at the link you posted. My water seems pretty clear to me but I look at it every day. As you said in one of your posts the stuff isn't harmful and it's cheap so not gonna hurt to do it. If I get a PAR boost then yay, if not it's no biggy.

[Themerchant]

I have done 2 doses (added unit water got cloudy) and I can say the water does look clean. My filter pads was gross though.

[cruiZe]

I did one dose- I think I went light as the clouding was very mild, are you guys making your tanks look like a milk shake or what?

 

I just got a RBTA last night so I'll let him find himself before the next dose, but I have the mix ready. I actually had some of the "NOW" brand that CronicReefer got on the last page, laying around as a supplement we add to our homemade catfood recipe - how weird is that.

[FishI]

Just put some in. Looks like its snowing in my tank and outside.

[Davidwissman85]

Correct, unless your pH drops into the high six range, but you'd have TONS of other problems if that happened lol

 

 

 

Just a tad clear

 

 

 

@_@.

 

Looks like I need to do some shopping, and some mixing......

[JavaJacketOC]

I just opened the bad and I now feel like a drug pusher. Decided to make a 500ml of solution since I had a water bottle handy.

[Pensfanaddict]

Ordered mine and it arrived Amazon Prime on Wednesday...dosed my BC 29 & my AP12.

 

Amazing!!! Love it!Thanks for posting this DIY!

[masssnapz]

I know that this will not dissolve in the water, but will it effect calcium and alkalinity tests while the tank water is cloudy ?

[jedimasterben]

I know that this will not dissolve in the water, but will it effect calcium and alkalinity tests while the tank water is cloudy ?

I don't know what reagents the test kits use to know if it will acidify the solution, but on top of that you'll have a haze that will affect the way you see the endpoint color.

[masssnapz]

That's what I figured out last night. I tested and my numbers were on point but it was difficult to see the color cause of the milkiness.

[cruiZe]

this stuff is addicting. I've never gone thru so much filter floss, and my skimmer is doing an awesome job! I don't know what is coming out of my water - but it's nasty. I was doing only 4ml - but now 8ml in 50 gallons of water, every few days when I feel like it.

 

Corals contract a little, but none of them have closed completely from this stuff. RBTA doesn't seem to mind it much, same thing, it gets a little smaller, but not bad.

[disaster999]

I cant seem to find lab grade calcium carbonate anywhere...would this work if its food grade?

http://www.nowfoods.com/Calcium-Carbonate-Powder-12oz.htm

[Hexadron]

Would this have a negative effect on someone who does carbon dosing/biopellets/probiotics? (i'm thinking not as that is pretty much what the Zeo method is, but thought i'd ask!)

 

Also for those with skimmers, do you just leave them running?

[jedimasterben]

I cant seem to find lab grade calcium carbonate anywhere...would this work if its food grade?

http://www.nowfoods.com/Calcium-Carbonate-Powder-12oz.htm

It should be pretty pure if it is food grade.

 

Would this have a negative effect on someone who does carbon dosing/biopellets/probiotics? (i'm thinking not as that is pretty much what the Zeo method is, but thought i'd ask!)

 

Also for those with skimmers, do you just leave them running?

Calcium carbonate is inert in saltwater.

 

Skimmer needs to stay running.

[MLS_Reef]

this is what I purchased as per post 15 and 16.

 

http://www.amazon.co...U2LL&ref=plSrch

 

thanks

 

rich

 

added a pic. this is about 11 hours later. The entire front of the tank look like this. You can see from the cleaning the difference.

 

 

This is usually a symptom of not mixing your salt water properly where you see the precipitation floating on the water in your mix because you dumped all the salt in not enough water and it precipitated, or you are dosing your alkalinity and calcium from the two part system too close together. CaCo3 precipitates in high alkalinity. If you have too much calcium in your system and you spike the alkalinity the Calcium precipitates.

[JavaJacketOC]

 

It should be pretty pure if it is food grade.

 

Calcium carbonate is inert in saltwater.

 

Skimmer needs to stay running.

 

Ben, do you know how dosing this will interact with a Chemiclean treatment? I've been trying to deal with Cyano but got to a point where it wasn't getting worse but I couldn't get rid of it and decided to chemiclean. Today will be the 48 hour mark and I'm preparing for the 20% water change per the insutrctions but wondering if this will also help remove the aftermath of the Cyano dieoff and help get skimmer functions back to normal faster.

[jedimasterben]

 

Ben, do you know how dosing this will interact with a Chemiclean treatment? I've been trying to deal with Cyano but got to a point where it wasn't getting worse but I couldn't get rid of it and decided to chemiclean. Today will be the 48 hour mark and I'm preparing for the 20% water change per the insutrctions but wondering if this will also help remove the aftermath of the Cyano dieoff and help get skimmer functions back to normal faster.

Well, if you're lucky and have one of the species of cyano that responds well to chemiclean, then if what is dead is breaking down and releasing lots of organics, yes, this will indeed help. I would do a hefty dose and then add a new baggie of carbon the next day.

[JavaJacketOC]

Well, if you're lucky and have one of the species of cyano that responds well to chemiclean, then if what is dead is breaking down and releasing lots of organics, yes, this will indeed help. I would do a hefty dose and then add a new baggie of carbon the next day.

 

It's significantly improved but not eradicated, I still have a few "stain" spots in the sump return chamber as of this morning (about 40 hours into the treatment) but will see what it looks like in the main display after the lights have been on for a about half of the cycle.

 

I think I'll need to do a second round to get it all out but want to clean up the water a little bit after I do the water change before I re-dose.

[Lifer]

Following

[tarunteam]

Random curiosity, could i grind up egg shells and use that? we go through quite a few eggs as a family in a week and i can't justify owning a 5lb bag of CaCO3. Could i just grind some egg shells into a fine powder and dose that?

[jedimasterben]

Random curiosity, could i grind up egg shells and use that? we go through quite a few eggs as a family in a week and i can't justify owning a 5lb bag of CaCO3. Could i just grind some egg shells into a fine powder and dose that?

What is the chemical composition of an egg shell, and what are the impurities? Are you sure you also have a means to pulverize them fine enough?

[tarunteam]

>The main ingredient in eggshells is calcium carbonate (the same brittle white stuff that chalk, limestone, cave stalactites, sea shells, coral, and pearls are made of). The shell itself is about 95% CaCO3 (which is also the main ingredient in sea shells). The remaining 5% includes calcium phosphate and magnesium carbonate and soluble and insoluble proteins.

 

- http://pubs.sciepub.com/rse/1/2/1/

 

So mostly CaCo3. As for pulverizing. Egg shells break up readily and can be turned into a fine powder in a standard home food processor.

[jedimasterben]

>The main ingredient in eggshells is calcium carbonate (the same brittle white stuff that chalk, limestone, cave stalactites, sea shells, coral, and pearls are made of). The shell itself is about 95% CaCO3 (which is also the main ingredient in sea shells). The remaining 5% includes calcium phosphate and magnesium carbonate and soluble and insoluble proteins.

 

- http://pubs.sciepub.com/rse/1/2/1/

 

So mostly CaCo3. As for pulverizing. Egg shells break up readily and can be turned into a fine powder in a standard home food processor.

I do still doubt that you can truly get it that fine using a consumer grade blender (it should be a powder fine enough that it will puff up in a cloud when disturbed), but if you insist on not spending the couple dollars on the real deal, you can certainly try it.

[tarunteam]

It's more about curiosity then anything else