BRS Magnesium O.K. to use with Triton "Other Methods"

[Peter K]

Hi all,

I just started triton "other methods" this past Monday and things seem to be holding steady and doing well so far. I have noticed that over the past 5 days my magnesium has dropped from 1300 to 1200 but all the other parameters are staying stable. (I've been testing everything, ca/alk/mag, since I started and the only thing decreasing some is magnesium but it has been very slow) Is it ok if I use the remaining BRS bulk magnesium I have to raise that up or is there a component of the core 7 I should be dosing more of to get that magnesium up? Thanks ahead of time

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi all,

I just started triton "other methods" this past Monday and things seem to be holding steady and doing well so far. I have noticed that over the past 5 days my magnesium has dropped from 1300 to 1200 but all the other parameters are staying stable. (I've been testing everything, ca/alk/mag, since I started and the only thing decreasing some is magnesium but it has been very slow) Is it ok if I use the remaining BRS bulk magnesium I have to raise that up or is there a component of the core 7 I should be dosing more of to get that magnesium up? Thanks ahead of time

That can only be testing error. Magnesium cannot drop that fast. Real magnesium consumption is 0-2 ppm per day, and is about 1/10th of the calcium drop.

That said, if you use the proper mix of the chloride and sulfate salts for a stand alone magnesium supplement (10 chloride to 1 sulfate; not the 5:3 ratio used as part of a DIY two part system), then it is basically suitable for use with any method. I am not certain what impurities might be in these chemicals from BRS or the supplement that Triton sells, however.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

That can only be testing error. Magnesium cannot drop that fast. Real magnesium consumption is 0-2 ppm per day, and is about 1/10th of the calcium drop.

That said, if you use the proper mix of the chloride and sulfate salts for a stand alone magnesium supplement (10 chloride to 1 sulfate; not the 5:3 ratio used as part of a DIY two part system), then it is basically suitable for use with any method. I am not certain what impurities might be in these chemicals from BRS or the supplement that Triton sells, however.

Hi Randy, could you clarify this point? The 5:3 ratio that BRS recommends of chloride to sulfate will not maintain proper chloride-sulfate balance over time? And 10:1 chloride to sulfate will? Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi Randy, could you clarify this point? The 5:3 ratio that BRS recommends of chloride to sulfate will not maintain proper chloride-sulfate balance over time? And 10:1 chloride to sulfate will? Thanks!

That is correct.

The 10:1 is perfect for a stand alone magnesium supplement. For use with, for example, a balanced two part like B-ionic, limewater/kalkwasser, or a CaCO3/CO2 reactor as the method supplying calcium and alkalinity.

The 5:3 of my DIY (as sold by BRS) has a lot of extra sulfate in it to offset the chloride coming from calcium chloride. That way, the sulfate to chloride ratio is properly maintained.

The difference matters most for people not doing water changes.


I discuss it here:

Do-It-Yourself Magnesium Supplements for the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-07/rhf/index.php

3. Using both Epsom salts and MAG flake, dissolve 7¼ cups MAG flake and ¾ cup Epsom salts in one gallon of water, and use that to supplement magnesium in amounts determined using this linked online calculator, with the entry "Randy's Recipes 1 and 2 Versions A and B," and ignore for this purpose what those designations mean. This recipe is preferred, but its advantage over recipe #2 is minimal in most cases.

Note that combining the two materials in solution can result in some precipitation of calcium sulfate (calcium and sulfate are impurities in the MAG flake and the Epsom salts, respectively. To assure yourself that the two materials have fully dissolved, dissolve each separately in some freshwater before combining them. Some calcium sulfate precipitation is acceptable, and it is okay to let the solids get into the aquarium, assuming you can dose in a way that prevents them from landing on delicate organisms.

Note also that this recipe (#3) is different from that given in my DIY two-part recipe, because in that case more magnesium sulfate is necessary to offset the rise in chloride that is provided by both the calcium chloride and the magnesium chloride.

 

[Peter K]

Ah ok, it could very well be a testing error as the difference between 1300 & 1200 is a few drops, I'll keep an eye on it over the next few weeks and see what happens. Thank you Randy.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ah ok, it could very well be a testing error as the difference between 1300 & 1200 is a few drops, I'll keep an eye on it over the next few weeks and see what happens. Thank you Randy.

You're welcome.

Happy reefing.