| Author |
 Topic Search  Topic Options
|
Laird 
Guest
Joined: December 27 2009
Location: South Weber
Status: Offline
Points: 1593
|
 Post Options
 Thanks(0)
 Quote  Reply
 Topic: Need to lower my alk NOW!
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
|
 |
BobC63
Admin Group
Joined: January 17 2007
Location: Lehi, UT
Status: Offline
Points: 8968
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
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 *
|
|
Laird
Guest
Joined: December 27 2009
Location: South Weber
Status: Offline
Points: 1593
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: September 09 2010 at 8:11pm |
 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
|
|
BobC63
Admin Group
Joined: January 17 2007
Location: Lehi, UT
Status: Offline
Points: 8968
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: September 09 2010 at 8:11pm |
|
Yes
|
|
- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
|
|
Laird
Guest
Joined: December 27 2009
Location: South Weber
Status: Offline
Points: 1593
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
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
|
|
BobC63
Admin Group
Joined: January 17 2007
Location: Lehi, UT
Status: Offline
Points: 8968
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
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 *
|
|
Laird
Guest
Joined: December 27 2009
Location: South Weber
Status: Offline
Points: 1593
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
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
|
|
Laird
Guest
Joined: December 27 2009
Location: South Weber
Status: Offline
Points: 1593
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
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
|
|
BobC63
Admin Group
Joined: January 17 2007
Location: Lehi, UT
Status: Offline
Points: 8968
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
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 *
|
|
Laird
Guest
Joined: December 27 2009
Location: South Weber
Status: Offline
Points: 1593
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
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
|
|
BobC63
Admin Group
Joined: January 17 2007
Location: Lehi, UT
Status: Offline
Points: 8968
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: September 09 2010 at 8:34pm |
|
Frag off just above it
|
|
- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
|
|
Laird
Guest
Joined: December 27 2009
Location: South Weber
Status: Offline
Points: 1593
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
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 
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
|
|
jcom
Guest
Joined: November 23 2009
Location: SLC
Status: Offline
Points: 579
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: September 09 2010 at 11:17pm |
|
How did your alk get that high?
|
|
sanddune600
Guest
Joined: February 20 2008
Location: Logan
Status: Offline
Points: 1825
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
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
|
|
Andy Jorgensen
My number is four three 5 7 six four 8 0 three four
|
|
Nick801
Guest
Joined: July 03 2008
Location: Sandy
Status: Offline
Points: 4155
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
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
|
|
|
|
Mark Peterson
Paid Member
Joined: June 19 2002
Location: Murray
Status: Offline
Points: 21436
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
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.  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 Alk ) 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 snow  . 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.
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 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
|
|
Laird
Guest
Joined: December 27 2009
Location: South Weber
Status: Offline
Points: 1593
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
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
|
|
Laird
Guest
Joined: December 27 2009
Location: South Weber
Status: Offline
Points: 1593
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
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
|
|
Lewy
Guest
Joined: April 13 2010
Location: Bountiful
Status: Offline
Points: 995
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
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
|
|
Laird
Guest
Joined: December 27 2009
Location: South Weber
Status: Offline
Points: 1593
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
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
|
|
