Overdosed Turbo-Calcium!

[mattj206]

My CO2 regulator is out of whack, or I need to refill -- bubbles keep stopping-

So my calcium got low ---- I dosed a ton of turbo calcium fast like a noob.

My (mostly sps) polyp extension is slim to none now for like 15 hours -- usually all corals are hairy.

I'm scared, what have I done?

Has anyone done somthing like this before? What should I do?

I heard this stuff is safe...

-Thanks-

 

[reedman]

Water changes to get the parameters back into alignment is probably your best bet.

 

[DonW]

Calcium chloride is safe as long as you do not over do it. What are you calling an overdose? How much did you use? How high is your calcium?
Your corals may just be having a negative reaction to the calcium chloride. If it is a true overdose I'd start doing water changes ASAP.

Don

 

[NaH2O]

matt - post up your water parameters if you can. As suggested, water changes will help.

 

[mattj206]

The Calcium went from very low --- to 420ish from one quick dose of aprox. 4-8 tablespoons in my 75 gal -- 24 hours later now and polyps are not big and open like usual. (Dramatic change) I'm worried. I guess I'm going to start changing water.

I have not tested any other parameters since just before the incident. All accept calcium were right on.

My regulator pumps CO2 when I turn it up, but stops an hour or so later.
Does this mean my tank is running low? The meter does not show a decrease in tank pressure.

 

[mattj206]

looks like its pretty saturated with calcium my reqding says 480ish now

 

[NaH2O]

matt - what level is your alk? What do you keep your salinity at?

 

[mattj206]

My alk. test is bad, it only says high low and normal

I checked just before the dose - it was normal to higher

I thought turbo calcium did'nt significantly reduce alkalinity

Salinity 1.025

I will check all perameters tomarrow and do a water change

everything looks ok , but not normal still

 

[reedman]

Alk and Ca are a balancing act. If one goes up, the other typically will fall. This is especially true when one (in your case Ca) increases quickly without the complimentary increase in the counterpart. This is why most people recommend the two part Ca/Alk products to newer reef keepers. It's easier to maintain the balance.

I would check out your Alk with a Salifert test kit (or something comperable) and see where you're at. You may need to spend some time rebalancing your parameters and sllowly increasing them together. The 480 ppm reading on the Ca isn't horible. It should come down with water changes or just increasing the Alk a bit.

Keep after it and chock this one up to a lesson learned.

 

[Boomer]

I thought turbo calcium didn't significantly reduce alkalinity

It doesn't, you can raise Ca right through through roof with it. The issue would be if you added it and had a very high Alk. The same can be said about Alk but to a lesser degree. If one had a high Ca and you want to lower it you add a buffer. If the Ca was low and the Alk Ok or high you add Turbo Ca. And stop when you attain balance, within the target range and then use two-parts. Normally you will be adding more of the buffer from the two part than Ca, as Alk is used up faster. There really is not such thing as a balance between Alk and Ca. If you had 420 mg / l Ca and an Alk of 2.5 meq/ l and all the alk was used up, right to 0 meq / l, the Ca would still be in the 300's mg / l

Try reading this

When Do Calcium and Alkalinity Demand Not Exactly Balance?
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-12/rhf/index.htm

 

[wrightme43]

Good Read Boomer. Thanks for the links I try to read them all, understanding may come one day. LOL Thanks again. Steve

 

[CarlaW]

Any updates as to how your corals are doing???

 

[mattj206]

Changing any tank perameters quickly is flat out stupid...

I broke a golden rule of reefing and I paying for it...

Some sps have browned a little...

Some have poor extension... I have a low load reef so no creatures disturb polyps - they are usually all extended -

I'm stressed out...

Done one 15 gallon water change... Another in a couple days...

I'm busy, will check perameters this evening to post...

 

[mattj206]

Have'nt checked perameters in a while, but everything recovered a few days after the water-change.

Some corals browned a little, and will take a while to color up, but extension is back.

A frag started to die from the shock, but it has re-grown the dying area!

I would say all is well, but im on a bad luck reef streak. -Broken skimmer(fixed now) -Algea -red bugs - aptasia - monti. eating nudibrachts(worst thing yet discovered 3 days ago)

Cursed reefer here !

 

[CarlaW]

Hang in there, don't forget the Red Sox won last year. If they can break a curse, you shouldn't have any problems.

 

[MikeS]

I'd imagine if the corals survived the initial shock from the change in chemistry, they stand a good chance of making a full recovery...

MikeS