HELP! I OVERDOSED ALKALINITY!

[AydenLincoln]

I either made a fatal mistake and I wasn’t thinking that they both raise pH and alkalinity when I dosed reef buffer followed by Red Sea alkalinity. I either should do a water change or I’m freaking out over nothing and I know sometimes water changes may shock everything and I don’t have it heated currently and my starfish doesn’t like that. It’s 1:30 am and it was dark and I didn’t realize how much I dosed. I added Seachmen pH buffer probably a teaspoon or two followed by 5 ml or more of Red Sea Alkalinity instead of less than 1 ml in my 20 gallon reef tank. I immediately noticed my pH spike a little well 7.8-8.0 according to my apex and adjusted my skimmer my alkalinity is still 8.7 and there’s no cloudiness I tested about 10-15 minutes after. I don’t have enough water on hand within the next hour to do a large water change and frankly don’t want to if it’s not needed because I just did one today. Will someone tell me I didn’t overdose too much? And someone else made this mistake before and everything was okay? I know most of us have overthought something or accidentally overdosed something.

 

[AydenLincoln]

This happened about 40 minutes ago at this point. The fish and all inhabitants are still acting like nothing happened which is good because I need to go to sleep and hope I don’t wake up to a tank of dead fish in a few hours. I honestly think I’m way overthinking it and I’ve been googling it.

 

[madlos123]

your fine

 

[AydenLincoln]

your fine

Have you ever overdosed anything? It may not be as much as I think it is which is what I’m thinking. It wasn’t ounces and the water is not white.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Everyone is sleeping for the most part right now…which is not helping me. Well if in 8 hours when I get up everyone is alive and levels are good then I didn’t overdose anything. I will post about it later.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

I dose 3ml in my 10g and 5ml in my 15g a day of red sea alk. if you look up the red sea calculator for a mixed tank it says 6.8ml for a 20 gallon. but there alk aim is a bit higher than NSW. but your good.

 

[AydenLincoln]

I dose 3ml in my 10g and 5ml in my 15g a day of red sea alk. if you look up the red sea calculator for a mixed tank it says 6.8ml for a 20 gallon. but there alk aim is a bit higher than NSW. but your good.

That’s reassuring! Thank you.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

That’s reassuring! Thank you.

I have used their calculator since the beginning and I have had good results so thats what I keep on doing. I rarely even test... when I do its in the ballpark.
I am just really the anti-you...
StarLA says hi... she is getting big and turning into less a scavenger and more of a predator... She ate a limpet the other day... pulled it right off the glass... fascinating to watch

 

[AydenLincoln]

I have used their calculator since the beginning and I have had good results so thats what I keep on doing. I rarely even test... when I do its in the ballpark.
I am just really the anti-you...
StarLA says hi... she is getting big and turning into less a scavenger and more of a predator... She ate a limpet the other day... pulled it right off the glass... fascinating to watch

That’s great. I hope you plan on upgrading her home pretty soon you’ll need to.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Have you ever overdosed anything? It may not be as much as I think it is which is what I’m thinking. It wasn’t ounces and the water is not white.

Sps Nightmare

I woke up this morning and heard my kamoer dosing continuously running and discovered it had added over 750 ml of alk. I quickly ripped out as much sps as I could and placed them in my frag tank. I know they were exposed to the alk spike for less than 6 hours, but I’m guessing the alk is at...

www.reef2reef.com

You’ll be fine

 

[AydenLincoln]

Sps Nightmare

I woke up this morning and heard my kamoer dosing continuously running and discovered it had added over 750 ml of alk. I quickly ripped out as much sps as I could and placed them in my frag tank. I know they were exposed to the alk spike for less than 6 hours, but I’m guessing the alk is at...

www.reef2reef.com

You’ll be fine

Wow! I’m sorry that happened to you but good to know it ended well.

 

[shootingstar_reef]

If your ALK didn't change, then did you really overdose?

 

[AydenLincoln]

If your ALK didn't change, then did you really overdose?

Good point! And everyone is still alive. I just never accidentally added so much.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Alkalinity only went up to 8.7 and pH is the same plus everyone is still alive so I didn’t actually overdose! PHEW!

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Just curious...why are you dosing alk if you don't have hard corals to consume it?

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Just curious...why are you dosing alk if you don't have hard corals to consume it?

This is the question that needs to be asked.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Wow! I’m sorry that happened to you but good to know it ended well.

Do not sweat over “alk swings”. My alk swings all over the place in my sps dominant. I’ve never had any issues.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Just curious...why are you dosing alk if you don't have hard corals to consume it?

It was to try and increase my pH/alkalinity just to be in the targeted range mainly pH for my sensitive inverts and actually that was the first time I added alkalinity because when one goes up the other follows or it should. But I plan on getting a carbon dioxide scrubber instead of dosing to increase pH due to my closed environment and lack of gas exchange. Opening windows all the time is not feasible for me due to the current temperature out.
*Correction NOT a carbon reactor!

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Carbon reactor?
D

 

[Koh23]

Too much chasing numbers, and throwing stuff into tanks here....

Generaly speaking....

Btw, up to 2 (some say 3) point increase in day is ok, so, even if you raise alk from 8-11, beside little shock, everything will be fine.....