I think I destroyed my tank

[jeffaquarius]

Yep sudden change of salinity and temp can kill your creatures. That's why we follow acclimation process when moving them from tank to tank. Pouring water quickly is also a bad practice. As the saying goes "do it slow" for a good reef keeping.

 

[Rutrag]

Well, if those directions are correct, I REALLY screwed up. I put 2 cups in. The directions on my can stated 1 teaspoon per glass (16 oz) of fresh water.

I believe those directions are to make the solution to be added to the aquarium, not on a per gallon of aquarium water basis. I use the Kent Superbuffer myself, and I seem to recall some directions along that line. I actually only use a teaspoon per gallon of freshwater when I add it as make up water AND by alkalinity needs a boost. In other words, I'm adding a teaspoon of buffer dissolved in a gallon of freshwater and then adding that into a 75 gallon tank as makeup water. Undoubtedly a large bounce is going to stress fish and especially inverts. If you reached saturation, the buffer falls back out of solution and will cause a chemical burn much like what Ingy showed.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

And that is EXACTLY what happened. Im such an idiot!

 

[ccCapt]

Since your tank is only 16 gal, I would highly suggest doing a 100% water change. Your water chemistry is all screwed up now and you will be chasing it forever trying to get everything back in line. I don't know if you tested for magnesium, but that is probably extremely low too.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

This one is 29 gallon actually

 

[kwandrsn]

sorry about your losses. Yeah you have to read directions really well. I do not like dosing anything unless I have to. I would rather be a little low than over dose and be to high. My buffer says to add a tablespoon to at least a cup of water for 40 gallons. So for my 36 gallon I dissolve a little less than a spoon into a cut of ro water.

imo the salinity swings is what killed everything. And if you didn't let the saltwater mix for long that would have done it too. Salt is caustic meaning it burns. Until out is fully dissolved. I keep a 32 gallon trash can mixing at all times. When I do a water change I replace the water used and add salt. Then by the next week it is completely dissolved. And I add a little extra salt so the salinity is higher and the day before my change I add ro water to lower it back down some to where it needs to be

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Well, I did another 5 gallon water change. The alkalinity is now at 16, so I'm doing something right.