Ato malfunction

[Rshahnyc]

My ato stayed on for 30 mins prior to me noticing and it had kalkwasser in it.

My pH shot up from 7.9 to 8.9, my alk from 10 to 13 and the water has some cloudiness to it

I’m rushing back home now. It’s been like this almost an hour already

How would you reverse or save this?

I’m thinking 20 gallon water change with an 8 alk Red Sea salt (previously I mixed a high alk salt with it to maintain 10)

Anything else? How to correct pH? Remove maybe 3 gallons of water if the ato dumped as well to prevent salinity spike later?

 

[PeterC99]

Do you need some RODI? I have about 15 gallons ready

 

[anthonymckay]

I saw no mention of your current salinity after the malfunction. I'd assume 30 minutes straight of ATO would massively dilute your salinity.

 

[abc123]

How many gallons is the tank and what size was the ato reservoir

 

[Rshahnyc]

It was on for 30 mins but from a 5 gallon container that was probably topped off 2 days ago. So...Maybe 3-4 gallons at worst.

Salinity is 1.025 from just above 1.026.

The issue is the kalkwasser and the pH + Alk swing.

 

[Rshahnyc]

I mainly just need to know if I should rapid correct the pH and Alk swing or let it run it's course.

Alk went from 10 --> 13
pH went from 7.9 --> 8.9

This is from 10-1030. I'm now home with 20 gallons of RODI, gonna mix in with blue bucket red sea salt which is an Alk of 8.

Hoping that gets me to Alk 11 and pH 8.5-8.6 which I think would be fine no? In terms of new numbers.

I'm already aware that the alk swing in of itself has likely fried all my coral :(

 

[bosi1965]

My opinion (not an expert but I went through something similar with a tank full of sps colonies): the alk swing of 3dkh will not kill your acros, some, the most delicate, might loose some color...maybe.
The ph is probably more serious but, again, 8.9 is not that dramatic. I suspect that reverting quickly to a normal range will do more damage than good so
I would personally leave it. i would turn the lights off and stop the skimmer ...and monitor in 6/12 hours.
curious to hear more expert advices

 

[purpfish]

What ato?

 

[Rshahnyc]

What ato?

My fingers and the manual setting of the Apex.

 

[abc123]

Leave it be and slowly correct it over a few days

 

[Psyduck]

I had the exact same problem last year. I corrected it after few hours later because it happened while i was asleep. I dont think i lost no more than a couple of sps. Lessons learned and now i am dosing only using a versa.

 

[Rshahnyc]

I had the exact same problem last year. I corrected it after few hours later because it happened while i was asleep. I dont think i lost no more than a couple of sps. Lessons learned and now i am dosing only using a versa.

Thanks

Yeah let's see where it ends up. I think I'm done using kalkwasser in the ATO. I'm just going to leave that clean RODI and put kalkwasser on my doser.

Currently dosing just two part. But I think I'll switch to Kalkwasser and maybe a trace element on slow.

 

[Rshahnyc]

I did a 20 gallon water change with my blue red sea bucket.

Usual tank parameters
pH 7.9-8.1
Alk 10
Mg 1380
Salinity 1.0265

Tank parameters due to my fat fingers
pH 8.9
Alk 13
Mg 1310
Salinity 1.025

Tank parameters after 20 gallon water change still pending. Will let you guys know where I end up. I had filter pics from last night so we will see what my system will end up looking like.

 

[Rshahnyc]

Shrugs