I screwed up, hopefully not too bad

shuguley · 01/18/2009, 02:38 PM

Well, doing my water change, I forgot to turn off my auto topoff. By the time I realized it, I had pumped about 4-5 gallons of freshwater into my system. My salinity dropped from about 34 ppt to 32 ppt. Is this really bad? I hope I didn't just sentence my inverts to death.

indydog1 · 01/18/2009, 02:41 PM

i would turn off your ato remove say 5 gallons, and replace it with 5 gallons of salted water. actually i dont see why you couldnt add salt to the 5 gal buck till it is at the level you require and then add it back to the tank. but dont do this repeatedly. do it over the next day or 2.

shuguley · 01/18/2009, 02:55 PM

Ya, I'm going to slowly bring it back up over the next few days, I was just wondering how bad this is? Argh, I'm kicking myself, can't believe I did it.

rkelman · 01/18/2009, 03:11 PM

I don't think its that bad. You'll be ok.

robrich342 · 01/18/2009, 03:18 PM

The worst thing to do is over react. I would just mix up 5 or 10 gallons of salt mix and use it for evaporation top off until your Sal level is where you want it. Its not that bad.

stingythingy45 · 01/18/2009, 03:39 PM

I would just leave it there and let eveaporation bring it back to the correct parameter over the next several days.

jherrin215 · 01/18/2009, 03:43 PM

Yeah I agree with stingy, let evaporation bring it back up by not adding any FW then fill it back up like a water change

discusone · 01/18/2009, 03:48 PM

Ill just about bet nothing in your tank will even notice,heck you could probably even leave the SG where its at.There are at least a dozen things you could have done that would have messed with the tank that are far worse.

NirvanaFan · 01/18/2009, 04:04 PM

I agree with the last few posters. It's not that bad of a mistake. I would leave it like it is for now, and over the next few days, top off with saltwater instead of fresh water.

discusone · 01/18/2009, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by robrich342
The worst thing to do is over react. I would just mix up 5 or 10 gallons of salt mix and use it for evaporation top off until your Sal level is where you want it. Its not that bad.

robrich,words of wisdom there.The worst thing for fixing a goof,is making another goof.

marineaddict · 01/18/2009, 04:07 PM

+1 for what everyone else said. I don't think anything will suffer.... Just don't try and raise it quickly.

shuguley · 01/18/2009, 05:40 PM

Thanks for the reassurance, I don't feel as scared now, everything is ok so far, I'll just keep an eye on things, no more sudden changes.

I still can't believe I did that , I feel like an idiot.

marineaddict · 01/18/2009, 05:59 PM

don't feel like an idiot. EVERYONE has done something like this to their tank.

me - I plugged in my phosphate reactor - forgot to tighted my output tube and yep... about a gallon of water all over the place, which shorted out a power strip and killed a pump.

Big boxes full of water and electricity around. bad combo!

01/18/2009, 02:38 PM	#1
shuguley Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Smiths Station, AL Posts: 536	I screwed up, hopefully not too bad Well, doing my water change, I forgot to turn off my auto topoff. By the time I realized it, I had pumped about 4-5 gallons of freshwater into my system. My salinity dropped from about 34 ppt to 32 ppt. Is this really bad? I hope I didn't just sentence my inverts to death. __________________ 2 Ocellaris Clowns, Midas Blenny, Spotted Mandarin, Pistol Shrimp, 2 Cleaner Shrimp, Large CUC Corals: Xenia, Candy Cane, Zoas, Frogspawn, Brain, Bubble, Shrooms, Sun Current Tank Info: 55G Reef w/ 15G sump/fuge w/chaeto, Phosban Reactor w/GFO, AquaC Remora Protein Skimmer, 2 Koralia 3s, Nova Extreme T5HO 216W, 85lbs LR, 60lbs LS

01/18/2009, 02:41 PM	#2
indydog1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: round lake, il Posts: 1,590	i would turn off your ato remove say 5 gallons, and replace it with 5 gallons of salted water. actually i dont see why you couldnt add salt to the 5 gal buck till it is at the level you require and then add it back to the tank. but dont do this repeatedly. do it over the next day or 2. __________________ Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself Current Tank Info: 210 gal

01/18/2009, 02:55 PM	#3
shuguley Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Smiths Station, AL Posts: 536	Ya, I'm going to slowly bring it back up over the next few days, I was just wondering how bad this is? Argh, I'm kicking myself, can't believe I did it. __________________ 2 Ocellaris Clowns, Midas Blenny, Spotted Mandarin, Pistol Shrimp, 2 Cleaner Shrimp, Large CUC Corals: Xenia, Candy Cane, Zoas, Frogspawn, Brain, Bubble, Shrooms, Sun Current Tank Info: 55G Reef w/ 15G sump/fuge w/chaeto, Phosban Reactor w/GFO, AquaC Remora Protein Skimmer, 2 Koralia 3s, Nova Extreme T5HO 216W, 85lbs LR, 60lbs LS

01/18/2009, 03:18 PM	#5
robrich342 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: East Coast Posts: 472	The worst thing to do is over react. I would just mix up 5 or 10 gallons of salt mix and use it for evaporation top off until your Sal level is where you want it. Its not that bad. __________________ Liberty anit cheap ! Current Tank Info: 50G SC Starfire rimless mix reef

01/18/2009, 03:39 PM	#6
stingythingy45 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: MA Posts: 3,296	I would just leave it there and let eveaporation bring it back to the correct parameter over the next several days. __________________ Bob Current Tank Info: 90 gallon,mixed Reef,2-250 watt Optix 3 pendants(Phoenix 14K)2-54 watt T5 Super actnics ,ASM G-2 Gate/recirc mods,70 gal. basement sump,20L ref

01/18/2009, 03:11 PM	#4
rkelman Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Belleville, Ontario Canada Posts: 3,438	I don't think its that bad. You'll be ok.

01/18/2009, 03:43 PM	#7
jherrin215 GO COLTS!! Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Kentucky Posts: 854	Yeah I agree with stingy, let evaporation bring it back up by not adding any FW then fill it back up like a water change

01/18/2009, 03:48 PM	#8
discusone Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: denver Posts: 318	Ill just about bet nothing in your tank will even notice,heck you could probably even leave the SG where its at.There are at least a dozen things you could have done that would have messed with the tank that are far worse. __________________ Cant talk right now,busy force feeding my Ornate Butterfly-( just kidding!). Current Tank Info: sold it,but still hanging around

01/18/2009, 04:04 PM	#9
NirvanaFan Reef Ninja Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 4,280	I agree with the last few posters. It's not that bad of a mistake. I would leave it like it is for now, and over the next few days, top off with saltwater instead of fresh water.

01/18/2009, 04:07 PM	#11
marineaddict Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Michigan Posts: 860	+1 for what everyone else said. I don't think anything will suffer.... Just don't try and raise it quickly.

01/18/2009, 05:40 PM	#12
shuguley Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Smiths Station, AL Posts: 536	Thanks for the reassurance, I don't feel as scared now, everything is ok so far, I'll just keep an eye on things, no more sudden changes. I still can't believe I did that , I feel like an idiot. __________________ 2 Ocellaris Clowns, Midas Blenny, Spotted Mandarin, Pistol Shrimp, 2 Cleaner Shrimp, Large CUC Corals: Xenia, Candy Cane, Zoas, Frogspawn, Brain, Bubble, Shrooms, Sun Current Tank Info: 55G Reef w/ 15G sump/fuge w/chaeto, Phosban Reactor w/GFO, AquaC Remora Protein Skimmer, 2 Koralia 3s, Nova Extreme T5HO 216W, 85lbs LR, 60lbs LS

01/18/2009, 05:59 PM	#13
marineaddict Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Michigan Posts: 860	don't feel like an idiot. EVERYONE has done something like this to their tank. me - I plugged in my phosphate reactor - forgot to tighted my output tube and yep... about a gallon of water all over the place, which shorted out a power strip and killed a pump. Big boxes full of water and electricity around. bad combo!