EMERGENCY: Doser dosed entire bottle of Phosphat-E

[TCoach]

Help,

My doser decided to dose the entire bottle of Brightwells Phosphat-E into my tank (+/- 500ml). Not sure what to do besides massive water changes (only have ~30 gallons right now). I don't have any phosphate to dose since I've always struggled to control it. Suggestions on anything I can do? Tank is super cloudy with the LC in it.

Thanks,
-Chris

 

[killer2001]

You need to get the fish out of that tank. Run the skimmer, and massive water changes. I'd probably dose some coral snow (calcium carbonate) in there too after I got the fish out.

 

[Devisissy]

You need to get the fish out of that tank. Run the skimmer, and massive water changes. I'd probably dose some coral snow (calcium carbonate) in there too after I got the fish out.

What will the chalk do?

 

[Jimbo327]

If you can catch the fish, I would get them out into a 5 gal bucket with fresh saltwater (matched SG and temp) with powerhead. Then you can have more time to deal with the tank and get the LC out with water changes.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The alk is likely depleted due to lanthanum carbonate formation. An alk test will be misleading on the cloudy water because the particles may dissolve.

I don’t think water changes alone are a solution, but are helpful as is dosing phosphate until a clear sample retains phosphate.

 

[GlassMunky]

What will the chalk do?

calcium carbonate acts as a flocculant

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

calcium carbonate acts as a flocculant

lanthanum will not flocculate calcium carbonate. Some lanthanum will likely bind to all calcium carbonate surfaces, and perhaps some will be removed that way.

 

[TCoach]

@Randy Holmes-Farley

Tank cleared up this morning, but looks off color wise. Did one ~30 gallon water change last night and will be doing another one shortly. (I can only make 30 gallons of saltwater at a time).

What do you recommend for the phosphate dosing? I've been thinking I need to go that direction and slowly drip into a 1 micron sock to collect out the precipitate.

Last Night:

Now:

Thanks,
-Chris

 

[TCoach]

Yah, Alk dropped. Should I bump up my Kalk dosing?

3/13 - 8.2 and slowly rising per my dosing plan
today - 7.5

 

[Devisissy]

What a bummer. I wish you the best my man. Sounds like you are getting it handled.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'd use baking soda to boost the alk back. I would not assume calcium dropped all that much, making kalkwasser a suboptimal choice.

Any food grade sodium phosphate is fine. Amazon carries Loudwolf brand

NOT sodium tripolyphosphate.

 

[TCoach]

@Randy Holmes-Farley

Looks like I can have this delivered tomorrow. This should work, correct? They do have another that is "extra pure" for $4 more.

Any preference?

Thanks again,
-Chris

"Normal"

"Extra Pure"

 

[Dom]

Yah, Alk dropped. Should I bump up my Kalk dosing?

3/13 - 8.2 and slowly rising per my dosing plan
today - 7.5

You are dealing with an overdose. I'd be reluctant to dose anything at the moment. Just water changes until things stabilize and then begin dosing again.

I don't understand why it would be necessary to pull all of the fish out of the tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

@Randy Holmes-Farley

Looks like I can have this delivered tomorrow. This should work, correct? They do have another that is "extra pure" for $4 more.

Any preference?

Thanks again,
-Chris

"Normal"

"Extra Pure"

Yes!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You are dealing with an overdose. I'd be reluctant to dose anything at the moment. Just water changes until things stabilize and then begin dosing again.

I don't understand why it would be necessary to pull all of the fish out of the tank.

Water changes will be helpful, but won’t readily solve the issue of lots of excess lanthanum in the water.

 

[TCoach]

Phosphate ordered. How do you recommend I mix it up?

So far I've done 2 water changes.
* Last night - 30 gallons
* Today - 60 gallons at once (in middle of doing this one). So when this is complete, I should be down to ~ 37.5% of the original overdose.

Solarensis wrasse is the only victim so far. . Hate it cause he was a beautiful fish.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Do you have a way to monitor phosphate?

Assuming you detect little, I’d add 0.1 ppm each day for a few days and see if it comes up.

Thus calculator guides dosing. Use the entry for phosphate from potassium phosphate. Concentration of the dosing solution is not critical.

James' Planted Tank - Dosing Calculator

 

[Dburr1014]

Water changes will be helpful, but won’t readily solve the issue of lots of excess lanthanum in the water.

Is the Lanthium going to pull all the phosphate out of the Rock? Wouldn't some be stored deep into The Rock still?

 

[TCoach]

Do you have a way to monitor phosphate?

Assuming you detect little, I’d add 0.1 ppm each day for a few days and see if it comes up.

Thus calculator guides dosing. Use the entry for phosphate from potassium phosphate. Concentration of the dosing solution is not critical.

James' Planted Tank - Dosing Calculator

I have the Hannah Phosphate ULR checker.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Is the Lanthium going to pull all the phosphate out of the Rock? Wouldn't some be stored deep into The Rock still?

As phosphate on the rock surface desires, the lanthanum will grab it. Any phosphate below the surface accessible to the water will remain.