menancy Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I have a NC24 (approx. 20gal water volume), just figured out I overdose my tank by 4 times the recommended dosage for two days straight. I'm on my 6th day of dosing & instead of doing 3.4 (1/4 tea spoons) I dosed 3.4 teaspoons/day. This happened for two days. My water is very cloudy. I have done a 5 gal WC. And have discontinued VC dosing. Should I do more WC? Should I run carbon? Corals are not liking me right now. My alk is around 15dk & PH 7.8. I put in a teaspoon of Kent marine Superbuffer to help stabilize things. Please help. Link to comment
brandon429 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 If you stopped dosing vitamin C, nothing would happen. If you dose vitamin C, still nothing happens but clearly its possible to cloud the water per your results. I say never add it again and problem will be solved! Link to comment
bdehlin Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I say never add it again and problem will be solved! +1 No need for extraneous dosing...keep it simple. Link to comment
menancy Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 Well OK but from my readings there is a lot of good results from dosing VC properly. Did I miss something? And should I add my Carbon to help clear VC overdose. Link to comment
nanoreefsurf Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 what is this i dont even Link to comment
bdehlin Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Well OK but from my readings there is a lot of good results from dosing VC properly. Did I miss something? Many people have had success with both VC and Vodka dosing...but that doesn't mean it's necessary. I feel that it's better to keep it simple in smaller systems and not mess with things too much. Water changes and time is all you really need to grow corals. You didn't miss anything. In fact, I've had people tell me that I need to vodka dose and add VC to my tank cause the coral growth is amazing...I'm just not willing to add anything to my system unnecessarily. Link to comment
MarcG Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Personally I'd be more concerned about your alk at 15 dkh. You said you added a tsp of buffer to help stabilize things...what are you trying to stabilize? The alk level needs to come way down. You might consider water changes. Link to comment
menancy Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 I thought the buffer would help decrease the high Alk. I can do another 5 gal WC if you think that is better. Link to comment
MarcG Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I thought the buffer would help decrease the high Alk. I can do another 5 gal WC if you think that is better. No...adding the superbuffer dkh will raise your alk even further. Personally I would do a water change and also refrain from dosing anything to the tank until you completely understand the effects. Link to comment
CoralWhisperer Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 all I can say is . . . WOW . . . Link to comment
menancy Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 I've done a 50% WC, & added activated carbon & Calcium (to help equalize my high ALK). My ALK is at 14 dkh & Calcium is at 500+. Corals look better but still a little distressed. Should I do another 25% WC. Or let things stabilize on their own. Link to comment
MarcG Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I've done a 50% WC, & added activated carbon & Calcium (to help equalize my high ALK). My ALK is at 14 dkh & Calcium is at 500+. Corals look better but still a little distressed. Should I do another 25% WC. Or let things stabilize on their own. Dosing more calcium is not the right approach to reducing ALK levels when your calcium is 500+. I seriously recommend you put all additives/supplements away and concentrate on the basics. Your levels are all jacked up.....what salt mix are you using? What test kits are you using? Link to comment
menancy Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 Dosing more calcium is not the right approach to reducing ALK levels when your calcium is 500+. I seriously recommend you put all additives/supplements away and concentrate on the basics. Your levels are all jacked up.....what salt mix are you using? What test kits are you using? Calcium went to 500+ after my Calcium dose. I use Scripps Natural Sea Water. Using API testers btw my Mag is 1400. From what I've read dosing Calcium when ALK is high will tend to bring down both slowly as they are consumed. I just got more water should I do another 5gal or 10gal WC. Or should I see if things stabilize on their own. Link to comment
markandstaci Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Calcium went to 500+ after my Calcium dose. I use Scripps Natural Sea Water. Using API testers btw my Mag is 1400. From what I've read dosing Calcium when ALK is high will tend to bring down both slowly as they are consumed. I just got more water should I do another 5gal or 10gal WC. Or should I see if things stabilize on their own. Dosing calcium when Alk is high will tend to bring both levels down quickly when they precipitate out of solution as CaCO3 (calcium carbonate). Not a good idea, it makes a mess. Just quit adding stuff to your tank and do a couple decent sized water changes. Water changes are all that is necessary to correct your alk and calcium. Your water went cloudy after adding vitamin C due to bacterial bloom. You are adding an easily assimilated (eaten by bacteria) food when you added the vitamin C. Basically like adding sugar. If you had a protein skimmer, then you could remove the bacteria bloom and any nutrients that that assimilated. But dosing vitamin C on its own without skimming is probably not beneficial. Link to comment
MarcG Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Calcium went to 500+ after my Calcium dose. I use Scripps Natural Sea Water. Using API testers btw my Mag is 1400. From what I've read dosing Calcium when ALK is high will tend to bring down both slowly as they are consumed. I just got more water should I do another 5gal or 10gal WC. Or should I see if things stabilize on their own. Again....I recommend that you stick to water changes and leave the dosing aside for a while. Bringing your calcium levels to 500+ to drop an alk levek of 15dkh is not the proper approach. You are flirting with knocking calcium out of solution...granted you'd probably need to bring it up a little higher than it is already. Do some water changes over the next few days and get your parameters within an acceptable window.... ALK 8-11 dkh Calc 420-460 ppm Monitor your tanks demand to determine if you indeed even need to be dosing additional alk and calcium....its possible that water changes are all you need to keep alk and calcium within range. That's my advice...take it or leave it. Link to comment
menancy Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 Dosing calcium when Alk is high will tend to bring both levels down quickly when they precipitate out of solution as CaCO3 (calcium carbonate). Not a good idea, it makes a mess. Just quit adding stuff to your tank and do a couple decent sized water changes. Water changes are all that is necessary to correct your alk and calcium. Your water went cloudy after adding vitamin C due to bacterial bloom. You are adding an easily assimilated (eaten by bacteria) food when you added the vitamin C. Basically like adding sugar. If you had a protein skimmer, then you could remove the bacteria bloom and any nutrients that that assimilated. But dosing vitamin C on its own without skimming is probably not beneficial. I do have a protein skimmer & it has been churning up overtime since I started the VC dosing. Thanks for you help. Link to comment
menancy Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 Again....I recommend that you stick to water changes and leave the dosing aside for a while. Bringing your calcium levels to 500+ to drop an alk levek of 15dkh is not the proper approach. You are flirting with knocking calcium out of solution...granted you'd probably need to bring it up a little higher than it is already. Do some water changes over the next few days and get your parameters within an acceptable window.... ALK 8-11 dkh Calc 420-460 ppm Monitor your tanks demand to determine if you indeed even need to be dosing additional alk and calcium....its possible that water changes are all you need to keep alk and calcium within range. That's my advice...take it or leave it. It's good advise MarcG, I'll be sure to follow it. I always been having to dose Cal & lately Baking Soda to keep the ALK up. It was not until my overdosing on VC that my parameters went hay wire. I have purchased the BRS starter kit to dose CAL & ALK but obviously need to wait until things stabilize. Thanks again. Link to comment
markandstaci Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Sounds like you have got it under control. Good luck!!!! Link to comment
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