Help! I might have dosed Citric Acid?!?

[tzabor10]

Changed out MP 40 and 10 wetsides yesterday after soaking the backups in citric acid. I thought I rinsed them out but didn’t open the cavity under the clips. Today I came home to a lot of retracted corals and lower than normal pH.
Nitrate 5
Phosphate.11
pH 7.81
Calcium 435
Alkalinity 10.35
Should I dose with alkalinity 2 part? Water change? Or take it slowly? No corals have any bailout, just retracted.
Could a little bit of citric acid affect the water? 120 gal with 30 sump

This is GSP

 

[neonreef3d]

water change every week for a month, and monitor your nutrients..

 

[Dburr1014]

Changed out MP 40 and 10 wetsides yesterday after soaking the backups in citric acid. I thought I rinsed them out but didn’t open the cavity under the clips. Today I came home to a lot of retracted corals and lower than normal pH.
Nitrate 5
Phosphate.11
pH 7.81
Calcium 435
Alkalinity 10.35
Should I dose with alkalinity 2 part? Water change? Or take it slowly? No corals have any bailout, just retracted.
Could a little bit of citric acid affect the water? 120 gal with 30 sump

This is GSP

Probably not a lot of acid for a 120.
All I can suggest is a water change but 10 or 20% water change won't be a big impact.
Maybe just throw some GAC in there. That might be better.

 

[Borat]

This is way too small amount to impact corals significantly.. I would just take it easily.

As for Alk - yes, the citric acid should have reduced your Alk, so dose to adjust to normal levels.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I agree that the citric acid residue is not a concern and no water change is warranted. There may be none left by now as it is readily metabolized.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would not dose alk, because even if there was enough to lower alk, slk comes back when the citric acid is metabolized, and if that happens, alk may be higher than you want.

 

[Estonian Reefer]

No need to panic. What you have described will definitely have minor effect on your live stock but nothing significant to be too worried about. It will get back to normal in no time. Just don't do anything drastic and start changing things up. - this is when things will go wrong quick.

 

[tzabor10]

Thanks so much. I also did a normal weekly 15 gallon water change. I have noticed that the prepared saltwater bin is smelly and has a small brown slime coat. I rinsed and scrubbed it off with water and a bottle brush. Corals are looking 25% better today.