Calcium buildup causing return pump problems

[serenitynow]

I came home yesterday to my 6 month old return pump not running.
I took it out and cleaned it and it worked again but, it was covered in a thin sheet of calcium buildup that flaked off.

I also noticed the whole bottom of my return section was covered in buildup to where you can't even see the glass.

I have a Bubble Magus doser that doses calcium and alk about an hr apart in this section twice a day. My levels are all normal (Cal 440, Alk 8.5, Mag 1450)

So, my question is, is this normal? Is this the ideal place to dose? Where do you all dose and how much time do you leave between cal and alk? Anything I can do to reduce the buildup?

Thanks for any info!

 

[giulianom]

Take the pump apart, and soak it in white vinegar for an hour or two. Scrub with an old toothbrush.

 

[ichthyoid]

FWIW- at 'saturated' levels you might expect to see calcium deposits, especially on any warm surfaces such as pumps and heaters.

Just add the above procedure to your periodic maintenance.