Someone kill me now......before I kill my tank.

[ReeferRob]

Well to add to all the other issues I've been battling lately why not a few more............**** timer broke BRS dosing pump cranked out the alk for 4.5 hours.

Got home from work....tested the tank alk 16,5+ and ph at 9.5. Luckly the tank isn't showing any signs of its near demise..........how long do I have??? What should I do?


Getting ready for a 20-30 gallon water change as we speak.

[youngtimothy]

that sucks! I would suggest a large water change. that would probably be the right thing to do. if you don't have water, some supermarkets have water machines that would be ok. now what I would do is probably watch it a while until it looked like something bad was happening and if nothing happened I'd be happy. probably not the right thing to do! my calcium doseing pump stuck on an put a gallon of BRS calcium into my 100 gallon tank. lucky enough nothing bad happened. I would be more concerned about Alk cause you can burn your corals.
good luck! hope all goes well.

[MyNemesis]

Get ready for your water change and try to contact jimsflies or TM01 on Michigan Reefers. They have both overdosed Kalk, and the alkalinity went crazy. If memory serves, you add vinegar which reduces your alkalinity in an emergency. You have to do it slowly, so you may want to do that over several hours before the healthy water change. I also recall them using soda water as one of the solutions to the problem?

[jolson10450]

turn your lights of asap! and do a water change! the lights off will help lower the PH faster.

[ReeferRob]

JIM......WHERE THE **** ARE YOU? IM NOT GOING OVER ON THAT DUMP MR.

Lights have been off for 72 hours trying to rid myself of a little algae issue. I've got 60 gallons of fresh made ready to go. How much you guys think I should do at once?

I don't really feel comfortable waiting to see what happens, by then it would probably be too late......no?

[jolson10450]

i wouldnt wait man i would do a big water change asap. do it slowly. you don't want to send everything into shock more than it is from the spike.

[Fordris]

I personally would do 20-30% every 2 days for a week and test to see how your lvls are looking

[Manoj's Reef]

Slow constant drop should help you. Vinegar will help bring your alk down, it also adds carbon so your algae growth might increase hence, I wouldnt go that route.

Start with 10% water change and then after 4 hrs 20% and then after 4 hrs 30% . This process should help you bring it down slowly.

[ReeferRob]

Surprisingly I don't see any signs of issues with in the tank, fish or corals. I was planning a 15 gallon water change tonight regardless.
Ill re test in the morning and see whats up. Thanks for the insight guys.

[tazzy695]

you said you have 60g of sw ready for a change I would get ready to do up to a 50% water change with one planned for later if needed just make sure your ph and what not in the change water is close to that of the original tank

[XSiVE]

soda water is a pretty neutral way to lower pH I suggest using some after a water change.

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Man that sucks. On the bright side it sounds like your tank hasn't crash from the spike. I also think you're on the right track with lots of moderate sized waterchanges.

Good luck!
Tom

[youngtimothy]

do the 15 and recheck the alk, check your calcium also cause the he alk will bring the calcium down.
the main thing is dont panic!

[ReeferRob]

Well another stealth heater bites the dust. Just tested mixing barrel for temp.....hard to heat water when the heater doesn't work.

Knock on wood and cross your fingers for me guys, looks like Im waiting for the morning for this barrel to heat up to appropriate temps.

[vittleking]

maybe see if someone close to you can house some of your prized stuff just in case. Best of luck buddy.

[jimsflies]

Water changes and carbonated water.... if you have access to a C02 tank you can make your own carbonated water...or get some from a local fast food restaurant. Add it slowly to the system to get the pH back down....

Also keep the water aerated...after, sps your fish are mostly likely to be effected by the overfeed.

[lionhead]

I would also check your sandbed and see if it has turned to cement. If it is hardening plan on a all day event to change it out. It will have to be done if it has.

[ReeferRob]

Well I haven't tested anything yet, but everything looks perfectly fine!! pH fell naturally through the night and the fish are all out an about!!!

[Manoj's Reef]

Well I haven't tested anything yet, but everything looks perfectly fine!! pH fell naturally through the night and the fish are all out an about!!!

Thats positive news!!!

[Sir Patrick]

Man!! I hope ya dodged a bullet!!

I acidently dosed about 10x too much ph buffer to my tank once- precipitated the tank hard!! Everything pulled through!

Hope your luck is as good as mine!! Sounds like it is!

[henry hill]

WTF ROB? Is all o.k.?

[jolson10450]

good luck man!

watch you get the opposite effect, stuff starts growing like crazy and fish are having babies lol

[ReeferRob]

good luck man!

watch you get the opposite effect, stuff starts growing like crazy and fish are having babies lol

That would be freakin' awesome.
Thanks for the concern guys, everything seems to be just fine. Only a very few of the SPS have some white tips and I can't contribute 100% of that to the alk over dose. They weren't the happiest to begin with.

[henry hill]

Glad all is going o.k. I mean you wouldint want to resort to giving your stuff to Bella! LOL

[tazzy695]

here ya go as you requested in the title

:bazooka:REEFER ROB :machine_gun:

[youngtimothy]

awesome! like I always say, the main thing is don't panic!