tank recovery

[fishguyxd]

Well since I have had the tank crash from an alk overdose and misintturpt info I want to know where do you start from here. My alk is still 240 ish ppm from a crappy test kit my Cal well is super low < 20 ppm and ph is at 8.6 so
Salitity is 1.021 what to do??
Do I add anything but that's what got me in dodo last time or do I let it get worse ? and if I do add something what?? for calcium or ph? I have did some small water changes to bring the alk down. but nothing for the others?

inquiring mind wants to know.

[marie]

I would first get better test kits and then do a very large water change, at least 50% and then slowly add calcium.

Bringing your salinity up wouldn't hurt either.

[skylord]

I agree with Marie....get better kits or find a friend or LFS to test your water. After your last go at this I wouldn't believe any of your current results. If your water is as messed up as you think I would do at least a 50% change. Really what I would do is (here come the flames) a 80 or 90% water change. Make sure your at 1.021 and if it is slowly raise it to 1.025. Very slowly.............get better kits or find a friend.

Scott

[mark]

Well I'm almost afraid to post...


Continue water changes, don't think of added anything until you get some better test kits and the Ca seems unrealistic.

[michika]

So what is happening with the tank now?

I agree with everyone else about water changes. Do one larger one, then over the next few days do smaller ones. E.g. 50% today, 20% every other day for a week.

Spring for some good testkits, Salifert is good, I just picked up a Red Sea kit, and its okay so far.

[fishguyxd]

Well I had done a 50 % water change a few days ago(risky I thought myself ) but that brought the alk down considerable, since then seen then a response in two loney mushrooms (they opened) I also have did 2 smaller ones water changes like 20% So I guess I am on the right track.
thanks all.will keep you updated.

[Moose]

Just wondering how you over dosed on Alk so badly? What were you buffering with? Or are you using a calcium reactor alone. Also it has been my experence if you raise your Ca to 430 or so your alk will drop and balance out while doing the water changes the others talked about. I use Elos test kits and find them to be superior to many others just my opion though. Good luck

[fishguyxd]

I used baking soda. I also used an online calculator witch works but those results and with results from the water test from the Lfs I mixed up a batch but a coversion factor thing screwed me up basicly I guess I was not thinking and could/should have double checked IE: ppm vs kh or meg/L