HELP Huge alkalinity overdose with reef zlements z ph plus

[reeferwinz]

Hello all,

tank is about 3 years old. Alkalinity was at 8.0, calcium was low at 380, mag 1250, phosphate 0.03, nitrate 1ppm.

my dosing container cracked and leaked about 1 litre of 50-50 diluted alkalinity part into my tank (reef zlements z ph plus). Water was milky as anything and I could not see in the tank. I have done 2 x 20% water changes. Acros are totally white after 1 day. All other corals’ polyps are super retracted.

alk was untestable using salifert (over 15.77) I got it down to 12 after a water change and ph got up to 9.3 and did not change after first water change. I have not tested after the second water change. This happened yesterday morning, I caught it pretty quickly (first water change maybe around 3 hours after it happened).

should I take my most prized corals to my lfs to look after or has the damage been done and would this be worse?

thanks!

 

[Eagle_Steve]

@Randy Holmes-Farley may be able to assist with some thing to do to get the alk and ph down quickly. Some damage will be done, but there have been a few instances posted where tons of things recovered with minimal loses doing what Randy recommends.

 

[reeferwinz]

@Randy Holmes-Farley may be able to assist with some thing to do to get the alk and ph down quickly. Some damage will be done, but there have been a few instances posted where tons of things recovered with minimal loses doing what Randy recommends.

Thank you! I have read all I could find on here. I’m thinking the damage is done and relocating them may not help. Everything is still really closed up and I have lost all my fish other than my 2 clowns. Tank is only 120 litres and lost my damsel, Midas blenny… my silver belly wrasse is yet to make an appearance.

 

[HuduVudu]

@reeferwinz this is 2 part alk isn't the only problem here. You need to water change this out. It is the only way that you can restore balance.

 

[KrisReef]

Poison water is the immediate problem. Do another water change @50% now. That’s the best chance at saving anything else and you will have to fix the water parameters sooner or later. Sooner the better with your scenario.

sorry about the situation

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is the water cloudy with precipitate ? That will lead to false high alk readings when the particles dissolve in the alk test.