Kalkwasser Overdose

[Aaron-A2]

Went to go see a movie last night, came home and my entire ATO (6g, wasn't full) had drained into my DT. Tank was ultra cloudy white.

I performed a 35g water change (250g system) to bring levels down, but here's the ******* confusing part. My parameters both before and after wc were LOWER than earlier in the day.

That morning (Normal):
Alk: 9.5
Calc: 440
Ph: 8.3

After the ATO drained:
Alk: 6
Calc: 390
Ph 8.6

Why would my readings be lower??? I'm so confused. I performed multiple tests using both Hannah and red sea tests. I get that the pH should be higher after that much kalk, but wouldn't my alk and calc go up too? Throughout today, my alk has been constantly been going down...

 

[swedishreefer]

Went to go see a movie last night, came home and my entire ATO (6g, wasn't full) had drained into my DT. Tank was ultra cloudy white.

I performed a 35g water change (250g system) to bring levels down, but here's the ******* confusing part. My parameters both before and after wc were LOWER than earlier in the day.

That morning (Normal):
Alk: 9.5
Calc: 440
Ph: 8.3

After the ATO drained:
Alk: 6
Calc: 390
Ph 8.6

Why would my readings be lower??? I'm so confused. I performed multiple tests using both Hannah and red sea tests. I get that the pH should be higher after that much kalk, but wouldn't my alk and calc go up too? Throughout today, my alk has been constantly been going down...

Mabye your calc is so high the testkit cant handle it and show you a false reading. If your alk is constantly lowering thats a sign you have high calc. Calc and alk goes hand in hand if one increases the other lowers. I would do a 80-90% waterchange verry fast before the tank crashes becaous of low alk and ph swing (low alk means ph swings)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The precipitation event can easily take calcium and alkalinity down below the starting values. Just let it settle out. The values are even lower than they read now if any particulates are still suspended in the test samples.