Emergency! Alk dump into tank

[araziza]

My wife accidentally topped up the ATO with ESV alk. Added about 0.9gallons of ESV to my approx 50g system. All I have is regular 5%vinegar,and the ph rose to 9.17! I used white vinegar to drop it to 8.7, what’s the next step here?

 

[Troylee]

My wife accidentally topped up the ATO with ESV alk. Added about 0.9gallons of ESV to my approx 50g system. All I have is regular 5%vinegar,and the ph rose to 9.17! I used white vinegar to drop it to 8.7, what’s the next step here?

Water changes if possible!

 

[The_Paradox]

If she topped off ATO reservoir, how big is it and how much of the solution went into the tank? Current KH?

 

[williamCreery]

Expensive but find 49 gallons of saltwater from a local LFS and do an entire water change of 50 gallons at the most. Don’t touch the sand or beneficial bacteria in the sump. Just remove all the water.
I’ve had this happen to a doser and I didn’t risk it. Water change the entire tank. And keep eyes on it for a couple of days.

 

[araziza]

The pH is back in acceptable range with vinegar. Around 0.9 gallons were dumped in (about half the ATO worth)

 

[brandon429]

you should drop your light intensity and re ramp it up slowly over ten days, just like you've got new lights. your corals can still bleach from the event under full power.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The pH is back in acceptable range with vinegar. Around 0.9 gallons were dumped in (about half the ATO worth)

Did the tank water turn milky with precipitated calcium carbonate?

 

[araziza]

Very

 

[araziza]

Did the tank water turn milky with precipitated calcium carbonate?

Any tips now?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Any tips now?

Thus was written for a limewater/kalkwasser overdose m, but the advice is mostly the same. The main difference is your calcium will now be low.

1. Don't panic! These overdoses do not usually cause a tank to crash.

2. The primary concern is pH. If the pH is 8.6 or lower, you need not do anything. If the pH is above 8.6, then reducing the pH is the priority. Direct addition of vinegar or soda water is a good way to accomplish this goal. Either one mL of distilled white vinegar, or six mL of soda water, per gallon of tank water will give an initial pH drop of about 0.3 pH units. Add either to a high flow area that is away from organisms (e.g., a sump).

3. Do not bother to measure calcium or alkalinity while the tank is cloudy. The solid calcium carbonate particles will dissolve in an alkalinity test, and all of the carbonate in them will be counted as if it were in solution and part of "alkalinity." The same may happen to some extent with calcium tests. Wait until the water clears, and at that point, alkalinity is more likely to be low than high. Calcium will likely be mostly unchanged.

4. The particles themselves will typically settle out and disappear from view over a period of 1-4 days. They do not appear to cause long term detrimental effects to tank organisms.

5. Water changes are not necessarily beneficial or needed in response to a limewater overdose.

 

[araziza]

Thus was written for a limewater/kalkwasser overdose m, but the advice is mostly the same. The main difference is your calcium will now be low.

1. Don't panic! These overdoses do not usually cause a tank to crash.

2. The primary concern is pH. If the pH is 8.6 or lower, you need not do anything. If the pH is above 8.6, then reducing the pH is the priority. Direct addition of vinegar or soda water is a good way to accomplish this goal. Either one mL of distilled white vinegar, or six mL of soda water, per gallon of tank water will give an initial pH drop of about 0.3 pH units. Add either to a high flow area that is away from organisms (e.g., a sump).

3. Do not bother to measure calcium or alkalinity while the tank is cloudy. The solid calcium carbonate particles will dissolve in an alkalinity test, and all of the carbonate in them will be counted as if it were in solution and part of "alkalinity." The same may happen to some extent with calcium tests. Wait until the water clears, and at that point, alkalinity is more likely to be low than high. Calcium will likely be mostly unchanged.

4. The particles themselves will typically settle out and disappear from view over a period of 1-4 days. They do not appear to cause long term detrimental effects to tank organisms.

5. Water changes are not necessarily beneficial or needed in response to a limewater overdose.

The trident finally got a reading on all, currently showing 14.2dKh and about 300ppm calcium, as well as 8.13ph. I set the lights to 25% and a 10 day ramp, but is there anything I should do other than not dosing alk for the next while?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The trident finally got a reading on all, currently showing 14.2dKh and about 300ppm calcium, as well as 8.13ph. I set the lights to 25% and a 10 day ramp, but is there anything I should do other than not dosing alk for the next while?

Just boost calcium.

 

[MnFish1]

My wife accidentally topped up the ATO with ESV alk. Added about 0.9gallons of ESV to my approx 50g system. All I have is regular 5%vinegar,and the ph rose to 9.17! I used white vinegar to drop it to 8.7, what’s the next step here?

I would definitely check your calcium and Mg levels - which may have precipitated with the high pH bump. The good news is the tank itself usually corrects these things without adding acid.

What is your alkalinity? I'm curious - was the addition 'quick' or was it 0.9 gallons over a day or 2 etc.

 

[MnFish1]

Any updates?

 

[araziza]

I’m two days out and things are largely positive. The tank looks like reef tank meets Canadian winter, but levels are slowly getting back to normal. Most of the corals look ok, not thrilled, but not dying. The anemones are looking sulky, the clove polyps are shriveled, but the only casualty so far was my cleaner shrimp. I had my calcium fall below 300, but alk is back down to 8.94. I’m starting to be cautiously optimistic.

 

[araziza]

I would definitely check your calcium and Mg levels - which may have precipitated with the high pH bump. The good news is the tank itself usually corrects these things without adding acid.

What is your alkalinity? I'm curious - was the addition 'quick' or was it 0.9 gallons over a day or 2 etc.

The addition was over the course of maybe a half hour.

 

[hexcolor reef]

Post pics of the tank
I was just thinking to myself as to why ppl use ATO systems vs dosing pumps to top of water?!
I was about to purchase an ATO system but now I’m more leaning towards another dosing pump. No possible over flows or back flow happening. All programmed and you can back off or ramp up based on season/temperature
Hopefully your corals make it.

 

[StripeCore]

My wife accidentally topped up the ATO with ESV alk. Added about 0.9gallons of ESV to my approx 50g system. All I have is regular 5%vinegar,and the ph rose to 9.17! I used white vinegar to drop it to 8.7, what’s the next step here?

why not go about changing the water.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Post pics of the tank
I was just thinking to myself as to why ppl use ATO systems vs dosing pumps to top of water?!

Both have potential issues. It is not correct to assume dosing pumps prevent overdosing or underdosing as they can get stuck on or off.

IMO, a good alternate plan to either alone is to use an ATO and a pump that delivers just slightly more than the daily evaporation rate,.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

why not go about changing the water.

The emergency is over, and the primary issue is low calcium, which is more easily corrected by dosing. The solids typically settle out in a day or two.