Reef Tank Crash, Pool Shock

[jimfish98]

Chlorine is going to destroy things as it is corrosive in all forms. I have a 5g bucket of tabs with a closed lid that I keep in a pool deck box. It leaks the smell of Chlorine enough that within the enclosed space of the pool box, it has rusted every piece of metal in it. Pool box is up against the house and despite that being in open air, all of the siding behind has had its color distorted. I have seen chlorine destroy metals, drywall, and other materials from their airborne nature of it. If it is anywhere near your tank, expect it to find a way into your tank via skimmer, scrubber, or just surface contact.

 

[Dorsetsteve]

When you say Shock, are we talking Calcium Hypochlorite granules? Regardless, granular and tablet Chlorine stinks to high heaven and I would not want it anywhere near a reef tank.

 

[Poseidon03]

I can’t put enough disclaimers on what I’m about to suggest here….Moreover, Without actual hard data or scientifically documented procedures, suggesting a cure is borderline irresponsible….And most folks have a reputation to protect, I don’t…I’d rather see you get fixed so here goes…
Cloudy water, dead corals, mostly sps?
Dose peroxide, it might be the least risky, easily applied option here.
With additional disclaimers, the target dosage for efficacy is a moving target given the variables and volatiles…
Also I crashed a tank overdosing, but I was careless…

So in a throw at the wall and see what stick sorta way, there is a lot of margin for error in dosing H2O2 …even if it doesn’t work

I am an engineer, so this data thing speaks right up my alley. How to get data without testing tho?

I've been dosing 35mL 2x per day for about 6 months now. I went though a bout of dinos and kept it going since I've seen no adverse effects. I calculated dose based off of water volume + what will be in the hose and degrading between doses. I also keep an eye on ORP to confirm H2O2 is being broken down between doses. Plus it has been suggested that it helps with Ich control.

 

[Poseidon03]

When you say Shock, are we talking Calcium Hypochlorite granules? Regardless, granular and tablet Chlorine stinks to high heaven and I would not want it anywhere near a reef tank.

It is the bagged calcium hypochlorite granules. I have a decent sized living room that is open to the kitchen, dining room and front room. It was not right next to the tank, but you could still smell the chlorine the next day. I assume it will be removed by the carbon and degrade by the time I do the ICP tomorrow, but we will see. I've moved the chlorine outside now.

 

[Poseidon03]

Chlorine is going to destroy things as it is corrosive in all forms. I have a 5g bucket of tabs with a closed lid that I keep in a pool deck box. It leaks the smell of Chlorine enough that within the enclosed space of the pool box, it has rusted every piece of metal in it. Pool box is up against the house and despite that being in open air, all of the siding behind has had its color distorted. I have seen chlorine destroy metals, drywall, and other materials from their airborne nature of it. If it is anywhere near your tank, expect it to find a way into your tank via skimmer, scrubber, or just surface contact.

Just from being able to smell it, I was nervous. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a misplaced assumption and get more data from other sources. Hearing about the corrosion, the chlorine definitely can be a cause. I'll have to research the ppm those shock bags can release into the air.

I might have to order another ICP, stick the shock and the chlorine in the same room and test the levels after a day and then in a week. ICPs are expensive tho and it will be a lot to replace everything that I lost. We will see. It could be worth the juice I'd squeeze. If I do, I'll update this thread.

 

[jimfish98]

Just from being able to smell it, I was nervous. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a misplaced assumption and get more data from other sources. Hearing about the corrosion, the chlorine definitely can be a cause. I'll have to research the ppm those shock bags can release into the air.

I might have to order another ICP, stick the shock and the chlorine in the same room and test the levels after a day and then in a week. ICPs are expensive tho and it will be a lot to replace everything that I lost. We will see. It could be worth the juice I'd squeeze. If I do, I'll update this thread.

The easiest thing to do is remove the source of the issue (chlorine), then reduce the impact it has had on the tank. Water changes is the biggest, as they say "The solution to pollution is dilution".... a 50% water change cuts the PPM in the tank in half when it comes to foreign items introduced. Would refresh your carbon, make sure it is in a high flow area of the sump as well, or in a tumbler. In a few more days, another large water change. After that there isn't much more you can do.

 

[MnFish1]

Just from being able to smell it, I was nervous. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a misplaced assumption and get more data from other sources. Hearing about the corrosion, the chlorine definitely can be a cause. I'll have to research the ppm those shock bags can release into the air.

I might have to order another ICP, stick the shock and the chlorine in the same room and test the levels after a day and then in a week. ICPs are expensive tho and it will be a lot to replace everything that I lost. We will see. It could be worth the juice I'd squeeze. If I do, I'll update this thread.

I do not believe this was caused by chlorine - however, in the future, you can always check the chlorine level in your water. If it was chlorine - which kills bacteria, you would not have had a cloudy water (unless it was days later, and dead stuff was left in the tank). Chlorine could easily equilibrate through the air and the tank. especially in an enclosed area - so I'm just going to stick with 'I don't believe it was chlorine', but 'chlorine could have played a role