Haunting problem on Magnesium

[patrick123]

This Magnesium issue has been haunting me.

Last week, I measured the water parameter of my 6ft LPS/softies tank.

Ammonia - 0

Nitrite - 0

Nitrate - undetectable

PO - undetectable

Mg - 900 ppm

Cal - 430ppm

KH - 7dkh

temperature - 27 degrees

Salinity - 1.024

Age of tank - 9 months

Stocking - light with LPS and softies and 2 clams

Equipment - reef maniac 648 + CR + KR + UV + Tunze

Lighting - MH 3x150w

Capacity - approx. 1200L

I dumped about 3kg of Epsom salt, and about 2kg of Tropic marine bio-magnesium, my Mg was measuring at about 1230ppm. I also dumped in a lot of reef builder to boost the dkh from 7dkh to 12dkh. This week, mg drop back down to 1050ppm and kh drop back to 6-7dkh.

I think I have no option but to go buy about 10kg of Magnesium Sulphate + Tropic Marine Bio-magnesium. So far already cost me about $150 and only last for one week. At the rate that I'm going, I may be broke in a year or very soon become the sole distributor of Epsom salt in Singapore.

Just wonder why am I experiencing this problem. Is this unique to me? Because I read somewhere that newly mix new salt mix have only about 1200ppm. So still need to dump in more mg to raise it to 1350ppm level.

Thanks,

Patrick

[AlfaRomeo]

Why do you need 1350ppm? 1200-1250ppm is just fine I think. Try to do water changes to restore balance, maybe your water is out of whack somehow.

[shin]

Which marine salt u using?

[alanseah]

for me i'm always aiming for 1300.. but end up always keep it at around 1260...

[patrick123]

I used Tropic Marine when I first started the tank. Now I use coralife for water change.

[patrick123]

Someone advise me that dripping kalkwasser can cause ionic imbalance. Is this true? Coz it does not have Mg.

[ervine]

I heard that before too.. but I guess if you change your water frequently it should be able to conter balance the Mg shortage?

[yus75]

Just wonder why am I experiencing this problem. Is this unique to me? Because I read somewhere that newly mix new salt mix have only about 1200ppm. So still need to dump in more mg to raise it to 1350ppm level.

me usually check new salt mix n main tank mg content b4 water change.... the salt tat i use usually have arn 1100++ mg, tatz wats the salifert testkit shows n gotto add mg to the new salt mix b4 adding to tha main tank....

used to have dkh prob also....but due to my low mg....but since the mg level was rectified my dkh seems to be more stable too

[weileong]

Patrick did you dump the Mg and the kH buffer at the same time?

Best to wait for at least 24 hrs after you raise your Mg before adding in kH buffer.

You'll need to raise your Mg back to normal levels before raising your kH.

Do not raise your Mg by more than 20ppm per day.

[blueheaven]

Someone advise me that dripping kalkwasser can cause ionic imbalance. Is this true? Coz it does not have Mg.

Yes, if I am not wrong, if you drip kalkwasser too fast, it will precipitate not only phosphate but also magnesium too