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Need to lower my alk NOW!

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Laird View Drop Down
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    Posted: September 09 2010 at 8:06pm
Tank has looked great until a couple  days ago, stuff started to look bad.  Should have tested then but didnt.  

Things looked so so last night, and this morning I had lost 15+ frags of SPS, and 3 entire colonies, and noticed a ton of dead crabs and snails.  Checked everything and my Alkalinity was ungodly high, 23, and my cal was super low, 200.  had to leave for school and work and then took my water to the LFS to get there readings and they got the exact same thing.  

Salt 23, temp 78, ammonia and nitrites zero, mag 1200.  

Water change and add as much calc as I safely can right?  Any trick to lowering the alk other than that?  

Dumped in some calcium and started mixing salt before I posted this...
Indefinite hiatus from sw aquariums.

Once I have my glorious return I'll set back up the following.
50 Gallon rimless cube.
180 Gallons mixed reef paradise
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BobC63 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2010 at 8:08pm
Do that water change with water that has low alk (6 - 7) and high Calcium (500+)
 
 
- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -

* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Laird Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2010 at 8:11pm
Originally posted by BobC63 BobC63 wrote:

Do that water change with water that has low alk (6 - 7) and high Calcium (500+)
 
 

Just by adding calcium to the new water before I put it in?
Indefinite hiatus from sw aquariums.

Once I have my glorious return I'll set back up the following.
50 Gallon rimless cube.
180 Gallons mixed reef paradise
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BobC63 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2010 at 8:11pm
Yes
- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -

* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Laird Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2010 at 8:15pm
I just checked the salt I have, its about those levels already
Indefinite hiatus from sw aquariums.

Once I have my glorious return I'll set back up the following.
50 Gallon rimless cube.
180 Gallons mixed reef paradise
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BobC63 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2010 at 8:17pm
A 20% change with water that is alk 6 and Ca 500 should lower your overall tank levels to
 
alk 16 - 18
 
Ca 330 - 350
- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -

* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Laird Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2010 at 8:20pm
Its only going to take all night to get enough water out of my RO system for even a 15% change tho.  grrr




Edited by Laird - September 09 2010 at 8:21pm
Indefinite hiatus from sw aquariums.

Once I have my glorious return I'll set back up the following.
50 Gallon rimless cube.
180 Gallons mixed reef paradise
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Laird Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2010 at 8:22pm
I still have SPS thats still alive but some of it is dying.  Should I frag off the dead now, or just leave it as it is?
Indefinite hiatus from sw aquariums.

Once I have my glorious return I'll set back up the following.
50 Gallon rimless cube.
180 Gallons mixed reef paradise
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BobC63 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2010 at 8:23pm
I would frag off the dead stuff if you can
- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -

* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Laird Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2010 at 8:25pm
Heres what I mean about the partly dead sps.  

The bottom part thats white died and it broke off of rock it was on because of it.  Should I frag it off right above that or just leave it?  
Indefinite hiatus from sw aquariums.

Once I have my glorious return I'll set back up the following.
50 Gallon rimless cube.
180 Gallons mixed reef paradise
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BobC63 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2010 at 8:34pm
Frag off just above it
- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Laird Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2010 at 8:42pm
Ok, did it.  

Luckily my two favorite sps are still here for the time being.  

That in the picture is my red planet that I didnt think was going to make it under the LEDs but it just took some time to get used to it.  It had been doing great the last month and had some new growth from the LEDs.  

But as I said before i've lost 90% of my SPS already.  So I'll be taking sps donations when everything gets fixed Big smile


Edited by Laird - September 09 2010 at 8:43pm
Indefinite hiatus from sw aquariums.

Once I have my glorious return I'll set back up the following.
50 Gallon rimless cube.
180 Gallons mixed reef paradise
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jcom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2010 at 11:17pm
How did your alk get that high?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sanddune600 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2010 at 11:48pm
I have used vinager to bring ph and alk low check both and dont let ph get below 8 while doing this some people use vinegar with kalk reactors to bring calcium up
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nick801 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 10 2010 at 12:00am
Id just use tap water instead of waiting for the R/O

if I was in your situation
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 10 2010 at 8:36am
Jake/jcom is right on with his question.
To properly help you in the short term and long term, it would be helpful to know how this happened. Not to criticize, but to help. We've all made mistakes. Hug

I've had Alk at 20 before but the Ca was at 300 so the tank didn't suffer too much and within a week the coral had used up the Alk.

In your case, with Ca at 200 that is where the real problem lies. The Ca needs to be raised as soon as possible. (This will also lower AlkBig smile)

Fragging is unecessary, IMO. When the water parameters get back in line, the coral will start to recover.

Have you ever heard of it snowing in the tank? When Alk and Ca are added together the combination precipitates out of solution, making it look like it's snowing.
No need to do a water change although a water change with Oceanic salt would be the best because of it's low Alk and high Ca.
Instead of the hassle of a water change in your 90 gal aquarium, simply dump in about a liter or more of Ca solution and watch it snowSmile. Raising Calcium by 50ppm is no problem, but the precipitation effect will take Alkalinity out of the tank water real fast. This is how nature balances the two parameters.


For the future, please remember that these answers are available in an emergency by a simple phone call to my number below. Smile


Edited by Mark Peterson - September 10 2010 at 8:40am
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:
www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Laird Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 10 2010 at 10:46am
I put in as mush calcium in as I thought was safe.   Soon as I get home today I'll do my water change.

My ph was low for a while so I was slowing using a concentrated buffer to bring it up.   I obviously was either putting to much in and not testing enough.
I have been out of town a lot the last month and had my girlfriend putting in the buffer when she was topping off the water because the ph was still low.   So I know what the problem was.
Indefinite hiatus from sw aquariums.

Once I have my glorious return I'll set back up the following.
50 Gallon rimless cube.
180 Gallons mixed reef paradise
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Laird View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Laird Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 10 2010 at 11:01am
The lesson learned was just because everything looks good doesn't mean things are good.

Everything especially the sps had looked great until just a couple days ago. That's why I didn't bother testing.
Indefinite hiatus from sw aquariums.

Once I have my glorious return I'll set back up the following.
50 Gallon rimless cube.
180 Gallons mixed reef paradise
Back to Top
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 10 2010 at 11:39am
What do you use to raise your calcium?  I read in Mark's sig about using ice melt but it's not winter so I haven't seen any.
40 gal w/ 20 sump
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Laird Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 10 2010 at 5:57pm
I'm use aquavitro calcification.

So I did a 15% water change a few hours ago.  Everything is already looking better again, but as I now know looks can be deceiving, haha.  the biggest difference that i can see is that the crabs and snails are out and more active.  I thought most of them were dead because they were all just in the sand not moving for a couple days.  Now they are out all over the tank and glass like normal.    
Indefinite hiatus from sw aquariums.

Once I have my glorious return I'll set back up the following.
50 Gallon rimless cube.
180 Gallons mixed reef paradise
Back to Top
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