chiller shorted out

[KenStanley]

I did a water change yesterday and in the process I stuck my hand in my refugeum yesterday and got shocked. I unplugged items one at a time until I found out it was my chiller. So I unplugged it. I am now floating ice packs in a gallon zip lock bag inside a zip lock bag and have taken the light off the refugeum. I suspect that the current either blew out the PH monitor or at the very least whacked it out of calibration. PH test kit shows 8.2, PH monitor saying 7.72.

I have two questions. Does anyone have any idea how electricity could affect water parameters? I have been having problems with Alk being very high. Boomer? Any chance that a mild electrical current would some how cause Alk to stay high?

Any suggestions as to how to keep the temp down today and tomorrow? Store I bought the chiller from is closed today and tomorrow.

[Boomer]

Ken

Ice packs is about it along with fans. Turning off lights will help or anything in the room that generates heat that is not needed for the tank for a couple of days.

Electricity can cause electroplating but you are not going to see that.

Alk what have you added anything ? How high ? Normally we say just do not add anything that will rise it and let it come down on its own.

[KenStanley]

Kalkwasser to try to get or keep the PH up. Calcium Chloride to keep the calcium up a bit to try to burn down the alk a little more. The water changes this week 1 40-gallon and 1- 35 gallon seems to have things going in a positive direction. Since the water change the only thing I have done is add 1 tables spoon of Kent's Concentrated Calcium Chloride.

This mornings test were as follows.

Water Temp= 81.4 (Chiller is off) I have a double baged ice pack floating now. Lights off. / Salinity=1.024 / Ph= Ph Controller said 7.72 Water TEST said perfect 82... I'm off to buy some calibration fluid but I'm wonder if perhaps the current in the refugeum may have screwed the controller? I'll calibrate and see. I suppose PH may have been fine for awhile IF the current was screwing with the reading. (I guess this kinda illistrates that TESTING PH from time to time to just kind of confirm your PH monitor readings is a wise thing to do) Calcium= 450 / Alk= 4.4992 mequ/L or 12.5948 dKh. Which I'm really happy its down from 7.9648 on the day before yesterday 7/7/2006.

[KenStanley]

Okay, it looks like the PH is 7.90 not the 7.72 I recorded earlier (or perhaps??) Would like to see the PH higher. Ice packs have the temp down to 78.6 so I've taken them out. A/C is kicking in that room. Lucky for me that room has its on unit and I can crank it. My guess would be that I should add some Kalkwasser it'll add alk and ca in ratio and remain fairly balanced. Am I right?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The low ph is not a big problem.

Do the creatures look OK?

One of the concerns with a short is release of substantial metal (e.g., copper) into the water.

Limewater is a fine way to go to raise the pH.
This article has more:

Low pH: Causes and Cures
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.htm

[KenStanley]

Thanks for the article. In the time you have been on vacation I have printed, read created a reference manual using several of your articles. I asked Boomer for help, which he gave and steered me wisely to read Solving Calcium & Alkalinity Problems,
Chemistry & The Aquarium- Soultions to Ph, How to Select a Calcium & Alkalinity Supplementation Scheme, A Simplified Guide to the Relationship Between Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium & Ph. All of which I have read several times now. (What can I say I'm a slow learner) Thank you very much for your articles on reef chemistry.

As for the animals... To be honest........ they look frigging GREAT! (LOL) When I look at what I put them through I'm actually quite amazed at how well they look. The Toad Stoals are all extended nicely, the Sun Coral is flowered out.... the fish all seem happy and well. I have the temp at 78.3 right now and the tank has on only the moon lamps. Are there some specific metals tests I should consider running at this time? Or perhaps the two large water changes took care of metals issue? I found the short (the hard way) in the refugeum during the refilling on the second water change.

At the moment I'm thinking that the current in the water had little to do with the low ph reading and reinforcing the idea that electronic ph monitoring is more accurate than water TESTING (at least testing by me). My Ph TEST result this morning looked dead on 8.2 and the slightly out or calibration monitor read 77.2. When I calibrated the monitor this afternoon it was off slightly reading was slightly low (hundreds).

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're very welcome. :)

I'm not a fan of pH test kits as they are often not very accurate, but I'd freshly calibrate the meter before taking any action. If the organisms look good, I'd just focus on keeping the pH above 8. :)