You guys measure Magnesium levels?

[Achilles Tang]

Just did a test after many months.... magnesium levels have fallen to 1170ppm, below the NSW levels of 1300 - 1500ppm!

As you know, once magnesium gets too low, maintaining correct calcium and alk concentration becomes difficult.

I have been ignoring magnesium levels after so long... wonder how many of you reefers actually bother to monitor it?

What's your magnesium level today?

[DeepBlue]

what does the mag level do to your tank? any perks if it is high??

[weisoon]

Magnesium at 1400ppm. Like what AT said, magnesium, calcium and alk are inter-related. Some salt mixes comes with low magnesium so maintaining 400ppm calcium and 10 KH alk can be quite a task. Magnesium, like calcium will also be consumed by tank inhabitants. Cheers.

[CKS]

i do monitor it..

mine has been over the 1500ppm limit! at around 1700ppm

was thinking of using mangrove to bring it down..

since water change does not seems to help

[DeepBlue]

so do we need to dose mag if not high enough....? hmm...heard its hard to bring it up...

[Chris]

I have been dosing half the recommended dosage without measuring for many months. Last month, started testing and discovered only 1150ppm. Now, trying to push it up to 1300 and above. Many people overlook the importance of Mg to keeping dkh and Ca. After dosing, dkh seems to drop a little from my usual 12.5 to 9. Now, need to buffer up the dkh.

[clowntrigger]

so do we need to dose mag if not high enough....? hmm...heard its hard to bring it up...

Yep I do monitor Mg, to bring it up is not very tough, it all depend on what stuff you use to bring it up. For me I used Epsom salt, 1 packet of it will raise a level of around 100ppm in a 4x2x2.5 tank and the best thing is that it only cost $3.15.

However there has been debate of adding Epsom salt as it is Magnesium Sulphate as opposed to those you get in Seachem or Kent, is Magnesium Choride. Poeple is wondering what will be the effect of having more sulphate in the tank, maybe Tanzy would like to explain more in detail.

[Glare]

Me have that problem. Wasted 1/2 bottle of Seachem reef builder before realising Mg too low so Kh got prob getting up to 10. Added many bottles of tropic marine Mg (i think) over like a month to bring Mg back up to 1300 levels....wasted many $$$...DUMBASS!!

[ckpeh]

SW Mg level is below 1200ppm.

I have measured it b4.

If u have a large population of SPS, u diffinitely need to pop up ur Mg level.

If u keep on poping up ur dkh & Ca level, there will be an ionic imblance if ur Mg level is low.

[danano]

Uh-oh! I've never tested nor dosed Mg directly. How essential is it to keeping SPS, etc.? Will have to read up on it...

However, I do dose Reef Advantage Calcium™ [which includes magnesium and strontium in amounts proportionate to typical utilization ratios (100:5:0.1, Ca:Mg:Sr)] daily with my top up water. This allows one to maintain these two important elements while maintaining calcium.

[Tanzy]

The Mg in my tank can go as low as 900ppm without problems. It's normal for kalkwasser users to have low Mg in the tank. I used to measure it but realise that it doesn't get low enough between my big water changes so I can't be bothered anymore.

[FuEl]

Ah...my magnesium levels might be the problem..

My calcium level is around 480 now...

And I have trouble keeping my dkH at 10...after raising it to 10..it always drops to 9 within a day.....pH around 8.4...abit high?

Few days ago...dunno why...I added seachem reef builder solution into my 200-300litre (not sure) tank too fast..the solution contained about 2 teaspoon full of reef builder..

After that...zoanthids became to shrink..yellow star polyps began to shrink..mushrooms began to shrink...sps polyps retracted...3 days after that episode and all of them still dun look as big as they used to be......i did a 10% waterchange today...

Dunno what should i do.........should i check the magnesium?

[FuEl]

Hai..tink I'll live with a kH of 8-9..can't be bothered to get it up to 10...later my mushies and everything else dies........

[Achilles Tang]

8 - 9 for a mushies tank is no problem. You don't have to get it up to 10 actually.

[weisoon]

As your PH is already at 8.4, adding reef builder too fast will cause slight spike in the pH although alk also increases. The too high PH maight have caused your LS to react. Never raise PH beyond 8.6 and calcium more than 550 ppm, else snowstorm. Ideal PH for calcification is 8.4. You are on target!

[FuEl]

8 - 9 for a mushies tank is no problem. You don't have to get it up to 10 actually.

I only have 3 rocks of mushies....it's my sps frags tat i value most......

[FuEl]

I'm dumb founded..yesterday tested the kH was 8.7.....today tested again it dropped to 7.7...using salifert.

Calcium back to above 500ppm.....

I'm not dosing anymore reef builder as I found I have used maybe 1/3 the bottle trying to get it to stay above 9......Something just does'nt seem right to be needing to add so much reef builder..

Should I check my magnesium levels? Need some advice..will it actually have any effects on the kH stability? I don't wanna go buy a Mg test kit and Mg supplement for nothing......

[weisoon]

IMHO, you better stop adding more of the reef builder and also watch out your calcium not to go above 550ppm.

Better to get a Mg test and a bottle of Mg to bring it back to balance. Ratio of Mg:Ca is about 3:1.

Just wondering your tank has a lot of algae? Too much O2 release also cause PH to rise and also the resulting gas imbalance of too much O2 and less CO2 will cause calcium solubility to decrease and thus carbonate hardness to diminished.

Cheers.

[FuEl]

Ok..measured my kH today again and it has stabilized at 7.7...

Ya..recently my tank had an algae bloom...already replaced my contraphos with rowaphos (meant for 250-500litres tank)....

my sps frags still look unhappy because of my mistake...

Can see lil parts of it starting to lose color..think it's bleaching..

I was hoping to tompang my sps in someone's tank for the time being till my tank recovers from the chemical imbalance.....is it advisable? Or is it less stressful for them to 'go thru the mill'?

Stopped adding reef builder and even kalk already......just topping up with freshwater.

Who can let me tompang my frags? Joe...where are you? Can?

[fnscasey]

Anyway that i can get epsom salt ? At Guardian ?

[FuEl]

Just get Salifert's magnesium powder. Quite cheap. Around $12++ onli.

I rather add that..than to use epsom salt..not sure what extra sulphates will cause......

[Tanzy]

Salifert Mg additive looks a lot like Epsom salt to me.

[FuEl]

It is?! I dunno,..thank goodness I only needed to add about 1 small vial full.

[Achilles Tang]

Tanzy... you gonna tell them about magnesium sulphate? Still haven't used it yet.

[Tanzy]

What is there to say? Have you started using yours?