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Dexters Reef
03/12/2013, 09:30 PM
HELP!

I had a power outage around 11:30 am today, and when power came back realized my timers were all messed up. I have a power strip with 5 build in digital timers, controlling lights, and my BRS ca and alk dosing pumps. After the power outage, the timer schedule was messed up, so I just turned the main switch on to turn on the lights and wasnt thinking about my dosers.

I ended up dosing alk and ca at 1.1ml per minute for 10-11 hours. Left the house at 7PM not realizing it, and when I came back around 10 the tank was very cloudy, milky colored, I'm assuming its precipitate.

Fish (That I can find) seem ok, coral seems ok, trying to correct this. I had 40g of heated, pure RODI that I keep, so first thing I did was suck out 35g of water from my tank (approx 80g total volume) and mixed up 35g of new Reef Crystals saltwater at 1.025. Added new water to tank...this was just about a 50% water change.

From my math I dosed approx 726ml of BRS 2 part CA and Alk.

I tested my CA, and it was just over 500. I didnt test Alk yet, but from the BRS calc it seems I should have went from my normal 9.2, to 13.8.


At this time, any testing going forward will be new values after the water change. CA and Alk dosers are not being connected again until values are back to normal.

Anything else I can do at this time? I am out of RODI until tomorrow. What else should I test? PH ? I plan to do another 30 gallon water change tomorrow. I will check CA and Alk in about an hour, to see what effect the water change had.

Man I feel stupid...Next purchase...programable reef controller that remembers its timer settings in a power outage, and automatically resumes the schedule when power is returned.

Any help to prevent a crash of my system would be GREATLY appreciated.

Dexters Reef
03/12/2013, 09:41 PM
Should I run my skimmer or will it just go nuts? I have 3 bags of chemipure elite that are about a month old...I have a brand new unopened pouch of chemipure elite as a backup...would it help to add the new one into my sump?

d0ughb0y
03/12/2013, 09:46 PM
Just do enough water change to bring ph down to less than 10. Your 35 gal change should be enough. You can't bring alk completely down because your new water will have a dkh of 8-9(?)
Then just wait for alk and ca to come back to normal level. Use a filter sock to filter out precipitates.

That happened to my tank once and no casualties.

Dexters Reef
03/12/2013, 09:53 PM
I have a brand new filter sock in my attic, grabbing it now.

I will check PH now

Thank you!

Dexters Reef
03/12/2013, 09:59 PM
Ca - 460
ph - 8.2