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Did a DumbER thing

erics210

erics210

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Sooooo. Was all excited to start dosing finally. Kept checking every day after moving my alk from sub 7 to 9 over a week or so for my 100gallon system. Then daily needed to manually dose about 40ml of liquid soda ash a day to get back to 9dKh.

So I set up the doser which doses 1 ml per minute to go off 8 times a day for 5 minutes. Got caught up in things and when I checked my Alk the second day. 16.8dKh!
Did a 30 gallon water change at about 7.5dKh salt mix and only dropped to 15dkh.
Added a little rodi to lower the over all salinity to 1.024 from 1.026....and did another 30 gallon water change to 13.5!
If I am changing 30 gallons of new salt... shouldn't it drop a little more?

I was reading that you can dose either vinegar or muratic acid to lower the alk.

Anyone have any input?
Should I maybe do a bigger water change?
60 gallons at one shot?
Maybe that would get it to a better number. Some zoas are melting, and a couple acros tissue dying.

Any suggestions???
 
ecam

ecam

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Do as large a water change as physically possible. Unfortunately most of the acros maybe toast but at this point time is of the essence. The longer they sit at 16+ the least likelihood of survival
 
amado

amado

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Hey why are you dosing liquid soda ash.
Why don’t you keep it simple and just dose
2 part. It’s concentrated so the gallon will last you for a long time.

You have to make a large water change.
You can use the regular salt with no alk to do the water change. Some thing like instant ocean purple bag.

Instant Ocean Sea Salt for Marine Aquariums, Nitrate & Phosphate-Free https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NKA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MWyNEbDK2G39Z


www.fishtanksdirect.com

ESV B-Ionic Buffer System 2 Gal Set @ Fish Tanks Direct

Looking For ESV B-Ionic Calcium Buffer System 2 Gallon Concentrate Refill To Add To Your Reef Aquarium? Grab Yours Today @ Fish Tanks Direct, 00152
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Last edited:
H

horseplay

NJRC Member
Years ago, I have inadvertently doses a whole gallon of alk into my 100g. I have sinced created an alarm on apex to send email/text when the pump was running for more than 3 minutes.

IMO the damage is already done. I would reach out to Randy on R2R for some advice, before doing a massive water change.
 
kabal2

kabal2

well.... i don't agree with everyone, keep doing water changes as much as you can, and just dose a 2 part that it, do not dose anything till your alk is back in check, good luck
 
MadReefer

MadReefer

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Been there too, my alk was over 21; I stopped counting. Tried WC but no avail until I read about with salt with no Alk. The corals died so I just let it go and 2 months later was back to normal Alk level.

Good luck.
 
diana a

diana a

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@erics210 I feel bad this happened.

amado said:
Hey why are you dosing liquid soda ash.
Why don’t you keep it simple and just dose
2 part. It’s concentrated so the gallon will last you for a long time.

www.fishtanksdirect.com

ESV B-Ionic Buffer System 2 Gal Set @ Fish Tanks Direct

Looking For ESV B-Ionic Calcium Buffer System 2 Gallon Concentrate Refill To Add To Your Reef Aquarium? Grab Yours Today @ Fish Tanks Direct, 00152
www.fishtanksdirect.com
Click to expand...



I am confused...what less is new!

Isn't BRS liquid Soda Ash and BRS Calcium Chloride powder mix the same as your ESV 2 part?
 
amado

amado

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diana a said:
@erics210 I feel bad this happened.





I am confused...what less is new!

Isn't BRS liquid Soda Ash and BRS Calcium Chloride powder mix the same as your ESV 2 part?
Click to expand...

It’s not the same thing. What brand of liquid soda ash was he using? Was it BRS or was it some DIY ?
 
Justin

Justin

Dam what doser are you using that it failed like that? I have a bubble magnus doser but for reasons like this I still dose manually, its a pain but its reliable lol. One day I'll set it up but before I do I'll probably do a test run for a day with it dosing water to make sure nothing funky is going on
 
erics210

erics210

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BRS 2 Part + Magnesium.
Calculated about 40 ml of liquid soda ash a day but was only manually doing 1 time a day for those few days so it was going up and down. Then I set the auto doer which was 1ml per minute to run 8 times for 5 minutes a shot. Should be 40ml .
I did not check the alk the next day at all, and not until the end of the second full day and was 16.8
Did a 30 gallon change which reduced to 15.4, then another 30 the following morning, 13.6.
Then a huge change 60 gallons out of my 100 gallon water (500 liter tank(132 g) and sump minus rock and dead space)
Dropped to 10.8.
That was Tuesday...
Didnt check yesterday.

Just checked...down to 178ppm or 9.968
Lets call it 10.

Lost both green slimers, and another Acro. Some damage to a few other SPS, Utter Chaos and a few other colonies dwindled to just a very few.
Also lost another SPS When I did a water change the magnets gave way on my racks....that was terrifying to see. Usually I dont do that big a water change so not an impact.
When they all fell....AHHHHHH
But one of the cool bright green SPS stylo from Danger Dave bit the duct, and Rainbow Birdsnest has a bit of tissue loss.
All things considered...coulda been worse for sure.

Letting nature take its course.
Gonna do a test run of the dosing run. A full day and see how much soda ash pumps out.
May mix a new gallon. It was my first gallon I ever made and am nearing the bottom. Maybe the mix is more concentrated at the bottom of the gallon and causing higher levels....
 
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MadReefer

MadReefer

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Thinks its just one of those times "how many damn things can wrong at same time".
Lost return pump, then dropped glass top....what next???? Is what I am waiting for.
 

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rrspike

rrspike

Sorry to hear Eric, that sucks. I don't have all that much but If you need to replace some zoas down the road we can maybe frag some of what I have up for you. Let me know buddy.
 
Mark_C

Mark_C

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MadReefer said:
Thinks its just one of those times "how many damn things can wrong at same time".
Lost return pump, then dropped glass top....what next???? Is what I am waiting for.
Click to expand...

There's an Irish saying, 'Murphy was an optimist'
 
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