CA percipitation - HELP FAST!
- Thread starter ItsMee
- Start date
What did you overdose? Both parts?
Unless the pH is above 8.5, just wait it out. The solids will disappear in a few days and not hurt anything.
These articles have more info:
What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium?
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.htm
High pH: Causes and Cures
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-03/rhf/index.htm
What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm
from the last one, which while about limewater, discusses the overdosing snowstorm:
What Else Does Limewater Do In An Aquarium? Raise pH Whether You Want It To Or Not
Since limewater has a pH above 12 (even when a reasonable amount of vinegar is added), it causes a substantial rise in pH when added to a reef aquarium. This attribute has both positive and negative aspects. It limits the speed at which limewater can be added without raising the tankââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s pH too much (discussed above). It also can be a serious problem in accidental overdosing, where the pH can rise very high. Often, this overdosing can lead to the aquarium turning white like milk as calcium carbonate precipitates throughout the water column.
In such cases of acute overdose, here is my advice:
1. If the pH is 8.5 or lower (as it often is since a precipitation event itself reduces pH even if it was much higher to start with), there is little that can or needs to be done. Just wait a few days for the white calcium carbonate to slowly disappear. A water change is not necessary, although once the water is clear, testing calcium and especially alkalinity is in order (donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t bother to test the cloudy water as it will give false high readings as these tests detect solids even though they are not truly in solution). Few aquarists suffer the loss of organisms from such events. Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ve had several such events without any apparent losses.
2. If the pH is above 8.5, some action to reduce the pH is warranted. The higher it is, the faster and greater the needed action. Since such events may happen when few tools are available to solve them (e.g., New Year's morning when few stores are open), Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ll provide a number of options, although some are better than others. In all cases, reduce the pH only to 8.5 to avoid overshooting.
The best option is to add carbon dioxide, either by bubbling the gas directly, or by adding soda water/seltzer (or blowing into a skimmer inlet if it is your only option). At least in the normal aquarium pH range, a teaspoon of soda water per gallon of tank water will lower pH by a couple of tenths of a pH unit. Overshooting with carbon dioxide, while undesirable, is less of a concern than is overshooting with any other option.
A second option is to add vinegar. Be especially careful to not overshoot pH 8.5 or so, because when bacteria begin to metabolize the acetate, the resulting CO2 will further lower the pH, and oxygen will be consumed (equation (14)). For this reason, it is especially important to maintain aeration when using vinegar in such a fashion. Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ve added vinegar to my aquarium in similar situations without difficulty, although the pH was only marginally high and I did not need to add much.
A third rung of options involves adding a mineral acid such as muriatic acid (HCl or hydrochloric acid) or sulfuric acid. Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ve added HCl to my aquarium in similar situations without difficulty. When performing such a mineral acid treatment, be very careful not to overshoot, and to monitor the pH during any acid additions. I would intervene in this fashion only if I could monitor the pH in real time, and could add the acid to a high flow area far from any organism. Diluting the acid in water (say, 20:1 or 100:1) prior to adding it to the tank is highly recommended for the safety of both the aquarist and the tankââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s inhabitants (diluting vinegar, which is already dilute, isnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t necessary). One other drawback to adding a mineral acid is that it reduces the alkalinity. In such a case, the result may be elevated calcium and reduced alkalinity that will require significant correction.
Unless the pH is above 8.5, just wait it out. The solids will disappear in a few days and not hurt anything.
These articles have more info:
What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium?
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.htm
High pH: Causes and Cures
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-03/rhf/index.htm
What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm
from the last one, which while about limewater, discusses the overdosing snowstorm:
What Else Does Limewater Do In An Aquarium? Raise pH Whether You Want It To Or Not
Since limewater has a pH above 12 (even when a reasonable amount of vinegar is added), it causes a substantial rise in pH when added to a reef aquarium. This attribute has both positive and negative aspects. It limits the speed at which limewater can be added without raising the tankââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s pH too much (discussed above). It also can be a serious problem in accidental overdosing, where the pH can rise very high. Often, this overdosing can lead to the aquarium turning white like milk as calcium carbonate precipitates throughout the water column.
In such cases of acute overdose, here is my advice:
1. If the pH is 8.5 or lower (as it often is since a precipitation event itself reduces pH even if it was much higher to start with), there is little that can or needs to be done. Just wait a few days for the white calcium carbonate to slowly disappear. A water change is not necessary, although once the water is clear, testing calcium and especially alkalinity is in order (donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t bother to test the cloudy water as it will give false high readings as these tests detect solids even though they are not truly in solution). Few aquarists suffer the loss of organisms from such events. Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ve had several such events without any apparent losses.
2. If the pH is above 8.5, some action to reduce the pH is warranted. The higher it is, the faster and greater the needed action. Since such events may happen when few tools are available to solve them (e.g., New Year's morning when few stores are open), Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ll provide a number of options, although some are better than others. In all cases, reduce the pH only to 8.5 to avoid overshooting.
The best option is to add carbon dioxide, either by bubbling the gas directly, or by adding soda water/seltzer (or blowing into a skimmer inlet if it is your only option). At least in the normal aquarium pH range, a teaspoon of soda water per gallon of tank water will lower pH by a couple of tenths of a pH unit. Overshooting with carbon dioxide, while undesirable, is less of a concern than is overshooting with any other option.
A second option is to add vinegar. Be especially careful to not overshoot pH 8.5 or so, because when bacteria begin to metabolize the acetate, the resulting CO2 will further lower the pH, and oxygen will be consumed (equation (14)). For this reason, it is especially important to maintain aeration when using vinegar in such a fashion. Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ve added vinegar to my aquarium in similar situations without difficulty, although the pH was only marginally high and I did not need to add much.
A third rung of options involves adding a mineral acid such as muriatic acid (HCl or hydrochloric acid) or sulfuric acid. Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ve added HCl to my aquarium in similar situations without difficulty. When performing such a mineral acid treatment, be very careful not to overshoot, and to monitor the pH during any acid additions. I would intervene in this fashion only if I could monitor the pH in real time, and could add the acid to a high flow area far from any organism. Diluting the acid in water (say, 20:1 or 100:1) prior to adding it to the tank is highly recommended for the safety of both the aquarist and the tankââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s inhabitants (diluting vinegar, which is already dilute, isnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t necessary). One other drawback to adding a mineral acid is that it reduces the alkalinity. In such a case, the result may be elevated calcium and reduced alkalinity that will require significant correction.
Thanks Randy! It cleared up last night. I did a water change (I hadnt read this yet) and let the water sit. Then I tested paremeters and my magnesium was at 1200. I slowly added enough to bring it up to about 1400. After letting some time pass I dripped enough alk from recipe 1 to bring my alkalinity up from 7 DKH to 10 DKH. I let some more time pass and then I dripped enough calcium to bring it from 400 ppm to 430 ppm. This morning the water is REALLY clear! I do notice where some of the percipitation is on the glass though. Ill clean that later with a razor blade. What I plan to do in the next week is test every evening (starting with this evening) and see exactly how much of what I need to add and record it.
That all sounds like a fine plan.
Good luck!
Good luck!
grenaria
New member
I dosed my 30 gallon tank last night for the first time with your 2-part system. There are no high flow areas near the surface (and no sump/return) so I dosed into the output of the HOT skimmer. The original KH was 6.1, and Ph was 7.9. I added 15ml of the Alk part, and there was a brief cloud which I am guessing is magnesium hydroxide. It lasted about 20 seconds, but it managed to reach a few polyps of a Turbinaria coral, which immediatly closed. My cleaner shrimp also decided to jump into the cloud.
Should I be worried about this, should I be adding less at a time, I did 2x15ml doses. Will this go away once the KH is into normal levels?
Thanks!
Should I be worried about this, should I be adding less at a time, I did 2x15ml doses. Will this go away once the KH is into normal levels?
Thanks!
I'd try to find a way for that to not happen. Maybe dose into the skimmer inlet?
sorry for posting so much...I just tested my alkalinity after letting the dose mix for a few hours...and its only at 8 DKH. Whats up with that? Could my alkalinity test be off? I heard that there isnt much to an alkalinity test, so they are not likely to be inacurate.
Hmm, a pH of 8.5 isn't particularly dangerous, so don't worry too much there. As you've seen, the pH can drop rapidly with aeration as well.
Perhaps you could measure alkalinity and Ca, and post them, and we could work from there.
You could consider getting a LFS to run an alkalinity test for you as a sanity check. Might be worthwhile.
Perhaps you could measure alkalinity and Ca, and post them, and we could work from there.
You could consider getting a LFS to run an alkalinity test for you as a sanity check. Might be worthwhile.
The PH of 8.5 has droppe to 8.0 in this little amount of time. I thought a PH swing of more than .2 is dangerous and to be avoided, this is a .5 swing.
I just dont get it,
I had an alkalinity of 5.8 DKH, and a calcium of 400 ppm. I mixed enough alk (measured by the calculator) to make it go to 10 DKH - PH went up to 8.5, then quickly dropped to 8.0 as ca percipitated. I added the buffer slowly.
Okay, this situation seems a bit odd to me. That big a swing might be an issue. How are you measuring pH?
You could try dosing small amounts of the mixture at a time. Maybe 5ml at a shot?
Also, we might want to ensure that the 2-part solutions were made up correctly. How long have you been using it?
You could try dosing small amounts of the mixture at a time. Maybe 5ml at a shot?
Also, we might want to ensure that the 2-part solutions were made up correctly. How long have you been using it?
Which recipe of my two part are you using?
Have you measured magnesium?
Have you measured magnesium?
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