Used the wrong water... HELP?!

ArtsyAxolotl · Apr 28, 2017

My 10 gallon needed topping off so I grabbed one of my gallons from under my desk and started adding a little. It was only then that I realized the writing on the jug said "African Violet Plant Food" and not "RO/DI Water for Topping Off." I must've put the plant food jug in the wrong spot.

I only put a few splashes in but now I'm really worried my reef is in trouble. The water is spring water so at least it's not tap, but my tank is so small...

What do I do? Do I do a big water change just in case? I'd have to make the water but I don't know where to go from here

happyhourhero · Apr 28, 2017

How old is your tank?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 28, 2017

Do you have the bottle of plant food so we can see what is in it?

It might just boost algae.

drawman · Apr 28, 2017

I would keep an eye on inhabitants and either way a water change wouldn't hurt

ArtsyAxolotl · Apr 28, 2017

The tank is a year old. I only added a little bit but I'm worried there will be something in it that's deadly in any amount.

No one seems perturbed at the moment but again, I'm worried something will start happening because of this.

Here's the back of the plant food bag. I mix it into a gallon of spring water. It comes with this little spoon that amounts to about a tablespoon..

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 28, 2017

Can you estimate how much solid material made its way into the tank? A teaspoon? Less? Way less?

leptang · Apr 28, 2017

Copper is bad, I would be doing water changes if I did what you did... Even if the plant food is super diluted in water.

ArtsyAxolotl · Apr 28, 2017

I'd say way less than a teaspoon. I mix around 1 tablespoon into the gallon, and I poured in maybe... an 8th of a gallon in? maybe a bit less? I started pouring and smelled the plant food right away (it smells sickly sweet) so I stopped. It's hard to tell how much I put in because the plant food jug was already mostly empty.

Yea copper was one of my big worries. I don't know enough about the minute chemistry to know if trace amounts of stuff is deadly. It's been around 45 minutes and everyone seems fine... But I'm still worried. I'm mixing water now to do a slightly bigger change. I already changed out 1 gallon, but then I ran out of pre-made water.

steallife904 · Apr 28, 2017

cant hurt to go ahead and do a good water change. run some carbon as well

ArtsyAxolotl · Apr 28, 2017

Carbon is a great idea, I didn't even think of that. I've now changed 2 gallons and changed out my carbon filter pad for a new one (haven't actually changed it in a while). My thought process at the moment is to wait a couple hours and then do another 1-2 gallon water change. Does that seem like a good idea? I don't want to go nuts and change it all out at once and hurt my water chemistry, but I also don't want to wait too long in case there's enough copper to be a problem.

And also thanks everyone for helping me out <3 I don't know what I'd do if I lost this tank to a stupid mistake like that.

steallife904 · Apr 28, 2017

I would just go ahead and do a 10 gal water change and get it all. I don't think it will stress it more that the product you dumped in might from sitting in there. I say go ahead and change it all since tank is small enough to do it.

drawman · Apr 28, 2017

Yeah since it is a small tank I would to a large water change.

saltyfilmfolks · Apr 28, 2017

ArtsyAxolotl said:
I don't know what I'd do if I lost this tank to a stupid mistake like that.

I think your good.
WC.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 28, 2017

let's not panic over the copper.

Sounds like you possibly added 1/8 tablespoon, or say 1.5 grams of the solid.

it is 0.05% copper, so that is 0.05 x 1.5/100 grams = 0.0008 grams of copper, or 0.8 mg

You added that to 10 gallons, 37 L, so that is 0.8 mg/37 L = 0.02 ppm or 20 ppb.

My tank has been 11-15 ppb copper without any apparent issue.

A water change or a polyfilter is a fine treatment, but might not actually be needed. The copper is already chelated so is likely less toxic than free copper would be.

ArtsyAxolotl · Apr 28, 2017

oh that's great to hear. I know how bad copper can be.. Was there anything else in that mix worth worrying about? or was the big thing the copper (and even then, you've showed that it's not that bad)?

I just did a 50% water change, and I think I'll leave it at that. I can't really do more than that at once anyway; any more than half the tank would expose my two sponges and I know how sensitive they are to air. Going to let everyone settle for now and see how it is after that.

On the bright side, my female clown is just as stern as always; she monitored all my siphoning the entire change (stuck near my hand like she was going to bite, but never did) and I find her lack of a change in personality encouraging lol. I think you guys are right, I'll be fine. Just got a little scared.

Seriously, thank you everyone for your tips and reassurance. I'm definitely going to be more careful about where I put my plant water

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 28, 2017

There is obviously a lot more N and P in it, and you may get an algae bloom from that.

Ammonia would have risen, but probably is back down again in a day.

The other metals are hard to judge since we do not really know much about toxic levels in a reef tank, but they are less likely to be an issue, IMO.

ArtsyAxolotl · Apr 29, 2017

I'm going to keep track of my water's parameters a little more closely to make sure nothing spikes, but after a whole day and a 50% wc, nothing seems any worse for ware. Thanks for reassuring me and helping me out~

saltyfilmfolks · Apr 29, 2017

The Receive coral dip bottle is the same basic colors as the Acropower coral food bottle..... SO yea, been there! I keep the revive downstairs now.;Dummy

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 29, 2017

ArtsyAxolotl said:
I'm going to keep track of my water's parameters a little more closely to make sure nothing spikes, but after a whole day and a 50% wc, nothing seems any worse for ware. Thanks for reassuring me and helping me out~

That's good to hear!