worst mistake ever

Oh man I did it now and feel like the biggest moron. I dose my 75 gallon reef with aquavitro products to keep params stable and I love the product. I recently ran out of my calcium supplement so I figured for just a few days I'd use some purple up I got for free at reefapalooza since it's just calcium. Biggest mistake! I've lost a few corals the last few days out of nowhere so I tested my levels and my magnesium isn't even reading on my red sea pro kit. I took my water to my LFS and he's reading well beyond 1600! I had no idea purple up raised magnesium as the gallon jug I have says nothing about it. I only dosed half of what they recommended too. So I'm changing 50 gallons out to to get this in control and I'm so bummed I made such a stupid mistake that killed some corals. Not sure if any others will die right now. Lesson learned, I'll never use other chemicals for dosing and assume it's ok.

 

Sorry to hear about your losses. That's the problem with miracle snake oil products- they don't list everything in them. There is no such thing as 'one size fits all' in reef chemistry. Kinda curious what your strontium, potassium, iodide, and other trace element levels are, now.

 

1600 short term for mag won't kill corals. I'm not sure what all is in purple up but maybe it's the alkalinity? Definitely do a water change though. Sorry to hear.

 

I'm taking 50 gallons out. I only dosed for calcium as a temporary fix. You guys think 50 gallons out 75 is enough? I'm using RC salt. 1600 was what my kit maxes at and my LFS has a high range and said it's reading higher than 1800. Can't believe I did this.

 

So sorry to hear this. I think a 50g water change will certainly help. It's hard to believe that purple up was the cause of this. People use purple up all the time to increase coralline growth. And you only used a half dose?

 

Never dose something you cant test. A quick internet search would have come up with warnings on purple up. Another big water change might just stress out your corals more. 1800 is high but alot of people run magnesium that high for briopsis treatments. The problem was the spike, but another spike back down could be as bad.

Are your snails dying?

 

No inverts have died. I lost half of my zoas, some acans and my gold torch. So maybe do a 25 gallon change today and another in 2 days time? I was worried that a big water change might do damage

 

It's the only thing I've dosed. My alk is steady at 10 dkh as I test that daily.

 

Alk and Ca are way more important, how far off are they? Sorry about the gold torch I was bummed when mine got stung.

 

Calcium read 390 ppm and alk is at 9 dkh as of 5 minutes ago, thanks for the help. I got it at reefapalooza. Loved that torch