Alkalinity off the charts for months

[Monkichi]

Hello, long term reefer here, don't reach out much in the community but I need some help. I have a 220 gal mixed reef that has been in autopilot mode for years, I set it up in 2013. Over Christmas I was out of town and I came home to a small leak and a doser malfunction (I have Ca reactor and dose soda ash) big colonies of sps take a lot of Ca and Alk. approx 3/4 gallon of soda ash was added to my tank, by the time I got home it wasn't cloudy or anything. Some corals were already necrotic, after a couple of weeks all my old coral was dead. Fish are still alive (thank goodness, I've had some of those pets over a decade now). I tested Alk with hanna back in early Jan and it was 300 which is upper limit of the device so no idea what it really is. I decided to just wait it out and rebuild later when things come back to normal. I tested again today ~60 days later and Hanna is still reading 300, which is pegged at limit. Should I do anything to lower the Alk or just keep waiting?

I am going to try adding some inverts tomorrow a bit of cleaners, hermits, snails, etc.

 

[Saltyreef]

Hello, long term reefer here, don't reach out much in the community but I need some help. I have a 220 gal mixed reef that has been in autopilot mode for years, I set it up in 2013. Over Christmas I was out of town and I came home to a small leak and a doser malfunction (I have Ca reactor and dose soda ash) big colonies of sps take a lot of Ca and Alk. approx 3/4 gallon of soda ash was added to my tank, by the time I got home it wasn't cloudy or anything. Some corals were already necrotic, after a couple of weeks all my old coral was dead. Fish are still alive (thank goodness, I've had some of those pets over a decade now). I tested Alk with hanna back in early Jan and it was 300 which is upper limit of the device so no idea what it really is. I decided to just wait it out and rebuild later when things come back to normal. I tested again today ~60 days later and Hanna is still reading 300, which is pegged at limit. Should I do anything to lower the Alk or just keep waiting?

I am going to try adding some inverts tomorrow a bit of cleaners, hermits, snails, etc.

Pending the hanna is right...did you cease the supplimental dosing after the overfeed of soda ash slurry?

Your dosing will need to be drastically adjusted/reduced if you lost the bulk of your coral to necrosis.

I would validate the accuracy of the hanna while you are at it. I like to keep a cheap box of salifert tests around in cases like this if im relying on digital meters for the most part.

 

[Flux Capacitor]

Maybe try another test kit? You could do some large water changes to get it back in line if the Hanna is correct.

 

[Monkichi]

Pending the hanna is right...did you cease the supplimental dosing after the overfeed of soda ash slurry?

Your dosing will need to be drastically adjusted/reduced if you lost the bulk of your coral to necrosis.

I would validate the accuracy of the hanna while you are at it. I like to keep a cheap box of salifert tests around in cases like this if im relying on digital meters for the most part.

all good points. I'll do a titration test to check the Hanna. Yes to stopping dosing, I'm trashing the doser, no more automation for me. I'm going old school calc reactor only, I should prob stop that too though now that you got me thinking...

 

[Monkichi]

Maybe try another test kit? You could do some large water changes to get it back in line if the Hanna is correct.

ugh, why is water changes always the answer? . Argument for smaller tanks here. I avoid doing water changes on this one like the plague, as even a small one is around 30gal.

 

[dedragon]

I would probably keep doing water changes to get it back in line slowly. If that doesnt work muriatic acid can be used to lower alkalinity

 

[Saltyreef]

all good points. I'll do a titration test to check the Hanna. Yes to stopping dosing, I'm trashing the doser, no more automation for me. I'm going old school calc reactor only, I should prob stop that too though now that you got me thinking...

Yea you should have turned it all off when that happened as you are essentially at a new baseline unless you stop dosing.
The calc reactor likely was still boosting the alk day after day since the livestock load was reduced quite a bit.

Time to do another consumption trend and dont be surprised if its a little wonky for a few months after while your tank restabilizes.

 

[Saltyreef]

ugh, why is water changes always the answer? . Argument for smaller tanks here. I avoid doing water changes on this one like the plague, as even a small one is around 30gal.

Its not absolutely needed.

Its just our answer to reduce unwanted levels immediately.

You can absolutely let it fall naturally if everything is hanging on ok.

 

[Monkichi]

Yea you should have turned it all off when that happened as you are essentially at a new baseline unless you stop dosing.
The calc reactor likely was still boosting the alk day after day since the livestock load was reduced quite a bit.

Time to do another consumption trend and dont be surprised if its a little wonky for a few months after while your tank restabilizes.

Def going to turn off the calc reactor, take the opportunity to clean it all up and get ready for when I need it again. I used a good old API KH test kit and it was 15 drops which is off the chart it has, 12 is max. The calc chart for test kit is basically 1 drop to 1dKH so guessing around 15, dang!

 

[Monkichi]

more data- that is really high for what my corals were used to they were totally happy and growing more than I wanted them to around 7-8.

 

[biom]

3/4 gallon of soda ash is a lot even for 200+ gal. It can bring pH levels above 11. I am sorry you lost your corals, but in cases like this reaction should be very fast in terms to save as many creatures as possible. I personally would not wait for weeks months for things to settle. I would start water changes and check all water parameters including calcium, magnesium and mainly pH before adding anything in this tank.

 

[Monkichi]

3/4 gallon of soda ash is a lot even for 200+ gal. It can bring pH levels above 11. I am sorry you lost your corals, but in cases like this reaction should be very fast in terms to save as many creatures as possible. I personally would not wait for weeks months for things to settle. I would start water changes and check all water parameters including calcium, magnesium and mainly pH before adding anything in this tank.

I hear ya, I have constant pH monitoring with an apex. it's pretty consistent around 8.

 

[biom]

did you measure calcium and magnesium levels?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Assuming this is my DIY recipe, alk would have jumped about 10 dKH, and calcium will certainly decline as calcium carbonate is precipitated. Maybe 40 ppm or so, depending on how much alk has been taken down by precipitation.

 

[Monkichi]

did you measure calcium and magnesium levels?

no, when I do I'll post results

 

[biom]

Its not absolutely needed.

Its just our answer to reduce unwanted levels immediately.

You can absolutely let it fall naturally if everything is hanging on ok.

I am not sure alkalinity will fall fast enough naturally without intervention especially from this elevated levels ( if "naturally" means because of precipitation, calcification, nitrification etc.)

 

[I never finish anythi]

ugh, why is water changes always the answer? . Argument for smaller tanks here. I avoid doing water changes on this one like the plague, as even a small one is around 30gal.

The solution to pollution is dilution.

 

[Saltyreef]

I am not sure alkalinity will fall fast enough naturally without intervention especially from this elevated levels ( if "naturally" means because of precipitation, calcification, nitrification etc.)

Yes, naturally as it gets used up in the processes you outlined. Unless its a barren tank, this should be just fine.

If fast was the ticket, it should have been done within 24 hours of the incident.

Seeing as the OP has been running these elevated levels of alk since the incident took place over christmas, i dont see any issue with ceasing the calcium reactor and letting the tank settle out naturally.
Surely the inhabitants would appreciate a gradual correction vs the sharp change that got him here in the first place. (Though just an accident)

 

[biom]

I think there is no calcification since all corals are dead, most of the precipitation happened soon after the overdosing and nitrification uptake of alkalinity is relatively low.
I dont believe OP is still running the calcium reactor in absence of corals and high alk issues

 

[Saltyreef]

I think there is no calcification since all corals are dead, most of the precipitation happened soon after the overdosing and nitrification uptake of alkalinity is relatively low.
I dont believe OP is still running the calcium reactor in absence of corals and high alk issues

You should scroll up and do some reading my friend!