Sodium hydroxide major overdose!!

[Stephers]

I feel so stupid! I accidentally left my alk doser on for 45 minutes and dosed a lot of sodium hydroxide into the tank. The pH is currently at 8.8. Should I dose vinegar??? What should I do? My tank is absolutely full of Acros and LPS and everything. Please help! the PH was 8.3 before I started the dosing pump.

 

[JeffB418]

Let it ride. That’s not too much of a PH jump. Dosing vinegar will just activate a bacterial bloom since it’s carbon dosing, which could have a worse effect.

 

[Stephers]

Alkalinity is reading 9.5. It was 7.8 yesterday.

 

[JeffB418]

If you want to do anything. Just do a water change. Solution by dilution. But don’t do anything larger than you typically do. The jumps you posted aren’t really a huge concern

 

[Stephers]

If you want to do anything. Just do a water change. Solution by dilution. But don’t do anything larger than you typically do. The jumps you posted aren’t really a huge concern

I'm more concerned about the pH than the Alkalinity for sure. The pH ended at 8.86. I normally dose vinegar to carbon dose anyway. I think I will add in my normal daily worth I usually do over the course of the day now to bring it down a bit. Sorry, I'm freaking out. Can't believe I did that.

 

[bubbgee]

Carbon dosing will take it down. I have done the same. it's the alk swing that will kill or STN some of the SPS though.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is the tank white like milk? That happens in hydroxide overdose.

How much more than normal did you dose? 2x? 10x? 100x?

 

[Stephers]

Is the tank white like milk? That happens in hydroxide overdose.

How much more than normal did you dose? 2x? 10x? 100x?

The tank is not white, thankfully. it was on about 45 minutes and the pump is 2.0 mL/minute, so about 90mL. I normally dose 120mL daily of alk over the course of 24 hours. I was just worried about the sudden pH jump from 8.3 to 8.86.

I dumped in slightly over my usual vinegar dose and it is now 8.7.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The tank is not white, thankfully. it was on about 45 minutes and the pump is 2.0 mL/minute, so about 90mL. I normally dose 120mL daily of alk over the course of 24 hours. I was just worried about the sudden pH jump from 8.3 to 8.86.

I dumped in slightly over my usual vinegar dose and it is now 8.7.

I’d do nothing. The overdose is not that big if the tank isn’t white with precipitate. Just wait to restart dosing until alk drops to your target.

 

[Dom]

Alkalinity is reading 9.5. It was 7.8 yesterday.

If it were my tank, I'd just wait it out.

I think you're fine.

 

[Stephers]

I’d do nothing. The overdose is not that big if the tank isn’t white with precipitate. Just wait to restart dosing until alk drops to your target.

If it were my tank, I'd just wait it out.

I think you're fine.

Thank y'all. I'll try to relax.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There are pictures of what a hydroxide overdose turning the tank white looks like in the article below. Usually nothing is lost.

What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium? by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[Stephers]

50+ hours later and everything looks unfazed. Lesson learned.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Good to hear. :)