just hit the fan, ALK overdose

[Flatlandreefer]

I have a 25 gallon IM Lagoon 25. I noticed I could hear my dosing pump running, I told my wife to turn the tv off fast! I noticed my parameters were a tad high yesterday so I turned my dosing pumps off, they are BRS pumps on light timers(I set the on point the same as off thinking that they wouldn't run this way) so I freaked out when I heard a pump on. I walked over to the tank and the water was white and I could barely see anything in the tank. I ran downstairs, grabbed a bucket of fresh heated salt water and scooped three of the 4 fish out and put them in the bucket. I drained 100% of the water out of the tank, and removed probably 75% of the corals and put them in the bucket. I took the rest of the heated salt water and put that back in the tank, got my mp10 running and placed a heater from the all in one sump portion of the tank into the main area. I didn't have enough heated salt water to fill the tank up all the way but I have water heating and mixing as we speak. I put my fish in my 2 gallon pico tank along with a couple corals. The majority of my corals are in the 5 gallon bucket with a heater in it and an airstone. I tested my main display and the alk is reading around 9 dkh but is still a little murky. My cleaner shrimp seems to be acting normal, my rock flower nem is still open.

Anything I should be doing or be aware of? Once I get water up to temp should I put corals back in or keep them in the 5 gallon bucket for now? Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Coralfuture]

I would put them back into display personally. I would say expect some losses no matter what you do but the worst seems to have passed. You may want to try and be ahead of the curve a bit tho and try to get some more wanted ready for an additional water change as well as some carbon to limit the die off cycling the tank. It’s POSSIBLE from what you described that you will have very little die off tho since it doesn’t sound like the issue was long lasting. That’s how I would handle it tho

 

[Flatlandreefer]

I would put them back into display personally. I would say expect some losses no matter what you do but the worst seems to have passed. You may want to try and be ahead of the curve a bit tho and try to get some more wanted ready for an additional water change as well as some carbon to limit the die off cycling the tank. It’s POSSIBLE from what you described that you will have very little die off tho since it doesn’t sound like the issue was long lasting. That’s how I would handle it tho

Thanks for the response. I have more salt mixing and heating right now, only about 6 gallons because that is all that I had left of RO/DI. When that gets heated up I will top the tank off and use the rest for a water change. I have my RO/DI on as well so things are a little slow going at least I am getting some water made. Would you run a standard rate of carbon double up on it?

 

[Flippers4pups]

I've had this happen years ago on a smaller system. The precipitation event would drive alkalinity up and PH, but would start to come back down as the calcium precipitated. Water murky is okay, it will go away in time.

9dkh is fine, the issue could be PH. Test your pH in the DT. No higher than 8.5. to lower it, you can add vinegar in small amounts till its under 8.5.

Check SG of DT. I would reintroduce live stock after pH correction and SG matches holding tanks SG. Even if DT is still murky.

Remember, newly mixed saltwater is caustic and needs a few hours to balance out. Go slow.

 

[Water Dog]

Sorry to hear... may I ask... what kind dosing pump failed on you?

 

[Flatlandreefer]

I've had this happen years ago on a smaller system. The precipitation event would drive alkalinity up and PH, but would start to come back down as the calcium precipitated. Water murky is okay, it will go away in time.

9dkh is fine, the issue could be PH. Test your pH in the DT. No higher than 8.5. to lower it, you can add vinegar in small amounts till its under 8.5.

Check SG of DT. I would reintroduce live stock after pH correction and SG matches holding tanks SG.

Remember, newly mixed saltwater is caustic and needs a few hours to balance out. Go slow.

I've had this happen years ago on a smaller system. The precipitation event would drive alkalinity up and PH, but would start to come back down as the calcium precipitated. Water murky is okay, it will go away in time.

9dkh is fine, the issue could be PH. Test your pH in the DT. No higher than 8.5. to lower it, you can add vinegar in small amounts till its under 8.5.

Check SG of DT. I would reintroduce live stock after pH correction and SG matches holding tanks SG. Even if DT is still murky.

Remember, newly mixed saltwater is caustic and needs a few hours to balance out. Go slow.

Thanks Flipper. How did things turn out for you when you had this happen?

I will test my PH and see where it is at. How long do you think the salt needs to mix up before a significant amount is added to the tank, a few hours?

 

[Flatlandreefer]

Sorry to hear... may I ask... what kind dosing pump failed on you?

I am running BRS dosers but it obviously wasn't the dosers fault since they don't have any sort of timing mechanism. I am using two digital timers, one for each doser. I wanted to shut them off for a day to get alk down a little bit so I set the on time to 8:05 and the off time to 8:05 thinking this would keep it from turning on, apparently that's not how the timer works...

 

[Flippers4pups]

Thanks Flipper? How did things turn out for you when you had this happen?

I will test my PH and see where it is at. How long do you think the salt needs to mix up before a significant amount is added to the tank, a few hours?

Nothing was effected. Polyps closed up on everything, most likely from the rise in pH. I adjusted my pH down with some vinegar. Couldn't see fish or corals very well for half a day. Looked like milk water! Next morning the water was clear, but precipitation was on everything, rocks pumps, tank walls.....etc.

I did do a water change and syphoned out what I could/blew off rocks. Cleaned glass.....etc.

Fish were fine and corals opened back up in a day.

Newly made saltwater can be used in an emergency within a hour.

 

[Flatlandreefer]

Nothing was effected. Polyps closed up on everything, most likely from the rise in pH. I adjusted my pH down with some vinegar. Couldn't see fish or corals very well for half a day. Looked like milk water! Next morning the water was clear, but precipitation was on everything, rocks pumps, tank walls.....etc.

I did do a water change and syphoned out what I could/blew off rocks. Cleaned glass.....etc.

Fish were fine and corals opened back up in a day.

Newly made saltwater can be used in an emergency within a hour.

That's good to hear! Hopefully I'm that fortunate.

On the bright side I'm glad this happened today and not right before we leave for the in-laws next week, or worse while I am out of town.

 

[Flippers4pups]

That's good to hear! Hopefully I'm that fortunate.

On the bright side I'm glad this happened today and not right before we leave for the in-laws next week, or worse while I am out of town.

You should be okay. Transferring everything back is probably the hardest on live stock.

 

[Flatlandreefer]

You should be okay. Transferring everything back is probably the hardest on live stock.

What do you think, if my coral polyps open up after I put everything in do you think that is a sign that they will make it...or will it take several days to see the real damage?

 

[Coralfuture]

I think if they are all open loss(could be as small as some color loss if any) is at a minimal amount if non existent due to your cat like reef keeping spidy senses