Did I Kill My Corals?

[mluntz]

Yesterday I was checking my water parameters and I noticed my PH was low at 7.4. I added some API Proper PH 8.2 and the couple of softies in the tank immediately closed up. Today I noticed a little bit of a comeback, but one of them looks the worse for ware.

Current water parameters:
Ammonia-0
Nitrites-0
Nitrates-0
PH-8.0
SG-1.026
Alkalinity-11.8
Calcium-535
Magnesium-1350
Phosphate-0

 

[Pife]

Did you follow the instructions? Did you mix it with ro first and dose it slowly over a couple of hours?

 

[downbeach]

How much did you add? Wasn't your alk something below 6 yesterday, and now it's almost 12? I would say that is the most likely issue. Any pH supplement will have a very temporary affect on elevating your reading, since once the CO2 in your system reaches equilibrium with your household atmosphere again it will go back to near the original reading, but has a more permanent affect on elevating your alk. What are you using to measure your pH?

Here is some reading I would recommend:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/rhf/index.php
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/rhf/index.php
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-05/rhf/index.php
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-09/rhf/index.php

 

[snorvich]

I never attempt to control pH. Alkalinity is a bit high. Calcium is also high but that will primarily affect the requirement to clean pumps.

 

[mluntz]

So basically I screwed up and in a day or two it will level out again? Are the corals just stressed out and will come back hopefully?

 

[snorvich]

They should.

 

[mluntz]

So basically I screwed up and in a day or two it will level out again? Are the corals just stressed out and will come back hopefully?

They should.

I won't do that again! I hope you're right, although the second coral looks pretty bad!

 

[Lincutis]

Are you sure the ph test was correct? If they were doing fine, I would make sure the test is correct.

 

[mluntz]

Are you sure the ph test was correct? If they were doing fine, I would make sure the test is correct.

Yesterday it around 7.2, today it was around 8.0. Just a crappy API test kit though, but there was a definite difference.

 

[Moorepower]

If you need to boost your ph I always use more water then they say and always add it slowly to my sump if no sump put your hand just the surface of the water and pour it slowly in your hand moving it from one end to the other. This will help dissipate the ph booster and help you not to give a big cloud to your coral and " burn" it. Always add it over time never all at once

 

[Lincutis]

I had an experience where co2 went the wrong way through my manifold and dropped to 6.2. I buffered it up with baking soda. I had a terrible precipitation but after I got it stable all but one coral survived. Lost a hydnophora. I broke off a couple of pieces that survived and now it is growing back. I think you will be okay.

 

[jamesbaur13]

Alk swings are the worst. Never try to do anything all at once. Always change things gradually... no matter how far out of whack. If it was living through the hell you had it in it will likely continue to do so, if you change it too fast... that is the moment you are taking a risk.

 

[Lincutis]

alk swings are the worst. Never try to do anything all at once. Always change things gradually... No matter how far out of whack. If it was living through the hell you had it in it will likely continue to do so, if you change it too fast... That is the moment you are taking a risk.

+1

 

[Coralkilr]

Killed my corals

Killed my corals

I'm a newb to marine aquarium chemicals. Years ago I had a 37 gal and kept it up pretty good. My issue is my pH was good but my alkalinity was zero. So I searched and searched and found chemical calculators to raise alkalinity using baking soda. Each calculator gave the same amount roughly 150 ounces of soda. (Because my test kit said salt aquarium alkalinity should be between 180 and 300) So I mixed a large box of soda with 2 gallons ro water stirred and since everywhere I looked said to add it gradually I took 2 cups of the mixture and added it to my aquarium. The next day corals looked rough, now they're all dead. It wasn't till I searched for killed all corals with baking soda did I find this and other threads saying 1 teaspoon for 5 gallons. Nice! Now pH and alkalinity are high off the chart.
1. why do the chemical calculators say so much soda?
2. Is the test kit wrong to say 180-300 is ideal?
3. How can I lower both pH and alkalinity?
I'm so thankful I only added 2 cups of the mixture one time and waited.
Currently 55 gallon

 

[CStrickland]

I'm a newb to marine aquarium chemicals. Years ago I had a 37 gal and kept it up pretty good. My issue is my pH was good but my alkalinity was zero. So I searched and searched and found chemical calculators to raise alkalinity using baking soda. Each calculator gave the same amount roughly 150 ounces of soda. (Because my test kit said salt aquarium alkalinity should be between 180 and 300) So I mixed a large box of soda with 2 gallons ro water stirred and since everywhere I looked said to add it gradually I took 2 cups of the mixture and added it to my aquarium. The next day corals looked rough, now they're all dead. It wasn't till I searched for killed all corals with baking soda did I find this and other threads saying 1 teaspoon for 5 gallons. Nice! Now pH and alkalinity are high off the chart.
1. why do the chemical calculators say so much soda?
2. Is the test kit wrong to say 180-300 is ideal?
3. How can I lower both pH and alkalinity?
I'm so thankful I only added 2 cups of the mixture one time and waited.
Currently 55 gallon

Welcome to the forum coralkiller.
My first suggestion would be to start a new thread for your question, or ask a moderator to move your post into its own thread.
My second suggestion would be that if you are using a brand of salt for marine aquariums, at proper concentration, there's no way your alkalinity was zero in the first place. I think by starting out with an inaccurate reading, you overdosed. Water changes is probably the gentlest way to reset your parameters, if you replace more than 15% of the water at once be sure to match temp and salinity closely, and let the water mix and aerate until the ph is below 8.5.

 

[Coralkilr]

Thx for the reply. I'm using instant ocean reef crystals. So my initial reading of zero was wrong. That's good to know. I'll do a water change to help out.